In his song “My Darling,” Eminem invites his fans to learn the true agony of dealing with an inner struggle. By conversing with a mirror that harbors a darker version of himself, Eminem brings up many feelings regarding how he views his past self—primarily his persona Slim Shady—in contrast with the person he has become. Eminem expresses the emotions he feels about himself, from nostalgia and attachment, to anger, regret, and doubt. Through dramatization of an inner conflict in the third verse of “My Darling,” Eminem demonstrates the complex relationship he has with Slim Shady, his alter ego from the past.
The third verse opens with the mirror bringing up Eminem’s past, which introduces the subconscious nostalgia Eminem feels. The voice from within the mirror calls to Eminem as a crowd yells “Shady!” by saying “Shady, listen…you hear that? They’re screaming for you, I can bring your career back.” The mirror commands Eminem to “listen,” forcing him to hear his fans and to remember how he commanded the stage to make his fans scream his name. The word “screaming” has power and passion behind it, and it evokes an image of crazy fans so dedicated and so in love with Slim Shady that they chanted his name. Despite this aural reminder of his popularity, Eminem yells back at the mirror, “But I don’t want it back!” only to have the mirror respond with “Yes you do, you’re gonna regret it later!” Eminem sounds like he is pleading as he argues with the mirror, demonstrating the pull the mirror and Slim Shady have over him. By arguing with the mirror, which is essentially himself, Eminem shows the internal struggle he faces over whether to return to his career as Slim Shady. He is tugged in both directions, with the nostalgia of his popularity causing him to remain attached to Slim Shady.
As much as he tries, Eminem cannot resist the connection he has to his past self. The mirror’s introduction of Dr. Dre into the conversation only adds to the struggle Eminem faces in trying to deny his attachment to Slim Shady. Dr. Dre addresses Eminem as “Slim,” showing that Eminem cannot escape that persona as it is who Dr. Dre initially signed and brought to fame. Dr. Dre tells Eminem, “It just seems ever since you got off ya drugs you became a lot softer.” By calling Eminem “soft,” Dr. Dre implies that Eminem has lost his edge and that Slim Shady was better. Eminem responds with “But Dre, all Shady is is a bottle of hair bleach and vodka.” Reducing his alter ego to only “hair bleach and vodka” demonstrates how Eminem now realizes the lack of substance behind his alter ego. The doubt Eminem feels concerning his alter ego’s credibility adds to his resentment of Slim Shady, making his inescapable attachment to Slim Shady all the more complicated. The mixture of attachment and doubt represents only two of the many emotions present in Eminem’s internal turmoil, which is further reflected in the chaos of the verse. The mirror, Eminem, and Dr. Dre all have their say in this verse, and the battle between the three different voices allows listeners to hear a literal kind of chaos. This chaos ultimately kicks off Eminem’s exasperation with the mirror and himself.
Eminem unleashes his frustration immediately following his conversation with Dr. Dre when he yells, “Fuck this mirror! AHHHHHHH!” The exasperation is heard in his voice as he yells, and his rage is evidenced by the sound of a mirror shattering to pieces. This outburst reveals the anger Eminem experiences when he realizes that he is being pulled back into his relationship with Slim Shady. This exasperation continues when Eminem tells the mirror, “Fuck you, die, you son of a bitch.” The harshness of “fuck you” suggests true hatred or resentment, as does “son of a bitch.” His death threat upon the mirror demonstrates his exasperation as well as his desire to rid himself of Slim Shady, and it is further emphasized by the sound of a gun cocking and then firing. Although Eminem attempts to kill the mirror and therefore Slim Shady, he cannot and instead remains locked in his internal struggle. Eminem hopes to regain control of himself by killing the mirror, but he remains bound by the mixture of conflicting emotions he cannot seem to escape.
Eminem gave up control of himself early in his rap career, and he hints at feelings of regret. The mirror laughs at him and says, “You sold your soul to me, need I remind you?” The idea that Eminem sold his soul to have a successful career as Slim Shady explains why he feels so tormented by his alter ego and the history that comes with him. Eminem does not need to be reminded of his decision as that is what haunts him, but the mirror continues, reminding Eminem he so desperately wanted a record deal that he would have done anything. It tells him, “This is what you wanted your whole life Marshall.” The mirror finally addresses Eminem as “Marshall,” appealing to the person Eminem has become. The words “you wanted” guilt Eminem into admitting that where he ended up is his own fault. Eminem and the voice from the mirror begin rapping alongside each other, pointing out all of the materialistic items Eminem now possesses in exchange for the people he lost. Together, Eminem and the mirror say, “Fame has a price too, that you’re just now seeing the downside to.” Rapping in unison demonstrates Eminem’s agreement with the mirror that he sold his soul to buy fame, and the cost did not end up outweighing the benefit. Although it was Slim Shady who sold his soul, Eminem has to deal with the consequences, which only adds to the complexity of their relationship.
In a very literal sense, mirrors allow people to see themselves. Eminem’s conversation with a darker version of himself through a mirror symbolizes taking a look at his true self and the complicated emotions he feels regarding Slim Shady. Throughout the third verse of “My Darling,” Eminem takes his fans through the nostalgia, attachment, doubt, anger, and regret that he feels regarding the history he shares with his alter ego. By dramatizing his inner conflict, Eminem gives fans a more tangible way to understand his tormenting inner struggle.