According to an online source, visual rhetoric is the “. . . development of a theoretical framework describing how visual images communicate, as opposed to aural, verbal, or other messages” (“Visual Rhetoric” par. 1).  Visual rhetoric is appropriate for analyzing a music video because a video is not read, it is watched.  Information is taken in through sight of movement and hearing.  The main generic components of any music video are lyrics, instrumentals, and acting.  Also, the videos usually range from 3-5 minutes long and portray some kind of message.  Everyone uses visual rhetoric to understand, assess, and evaluate music videos.  It is something that most people are familiar with, which makes using visual rhetoric fairly easy.  Eminem’s music video, “Love the Way you Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna should be evaluated due to its controversial content.  There is a lot meaning behind this video not only because of the message it sends, but how the message relates to the people who are presenting the idea within the video.  For example, Rihanna has been in an abusive relationship, making the video a personal project.  By using visual rhetoric, the audience will be able to further understand the themes and ideas presented in “Love the Way you Lie” because they will be able to better see emotions and symbols through sight and sound.

“Love the Way you Lie” is about a couple who has an abusive relationship and some of the situations they experience.  The lyrics, “Love the Way you Lie” suggests that the woman wants to leave but for some reason cannot so she just “deals” with it.  This is evident within the song’s chorus.  “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.  That’s alright because I like the way it hurts.”  The woman in the relationship does not actually like being abused.  It is a sarcastic statement because it would seem logical that the only reason she would still be in an abusive relationship is because she likes it.  In terms of narrative elements, the video contains a lot of scenes that switch back and forth between past and present, making it fragmented.  The video is also both a narrative and performance video.  “Love the Way you Lie” is violent, sexual, either completely dark or very bright, and has small moments of “peace.”  The couple has rare instances when their arguing ceases and some type of reconciliation occurs.  These moments may not seem peaceful to partners with healthy relationships, but when compared to the trials that the couple faces constantly, it feels like utopia.  When the music climaxes, so does the situations presented in the video.  When the music reaches a softer point, the actors seem to do the same.  For example, towards the beginning of the music video, Rihanna sings the chorus, the more melodic tune of the song, while the couple are calm and lying in bed.  As conflict begins to rise, Eminem starts his verse and the emotion in his voice starts to deepen.  By then, the couple are in a nasty fight.  “Love the Way you Lie” is also a performance video because Eminem and Rihanna are singing in the video.  The parts that make up the narrative of the video are played by the actors Meghan Fox and Dominic Monaghan.  Additionally, some of the special effects and visual techniques featured in the video are the scenes of fire, the dark settings, bright settings, unclean and old-fashioned furniture, a house setting, and of course, violence.  These special effects help connect the images in the video to people presenting them.

The theme of domestic violence relates directly to both Eminem and Rihanna.  These two artists’ relationship have been greatly publicized, making them such appropriate candidates for presenting the video’s message.  Rihanna had a troubled relationship with singer Chris Brown.  Much of their relationship was broadcast all over news sites, such as TMZ, and social media.  After a picture was leaked to the news of Rihanna’s injuries, Brown was charged and arrested (“Personal Life” Par. 2). In addition, Eminem had an on and off relationship with his ex-wife, Kimberly Anne Scott.  Throughout his music, Eminem made many references to domestic violence.  In fact, he has referenced Kimberly Scott directly in violent ways.  For example, Eminem’s song “Kim” was written during a bad time within their marriage.  In the first few lines of the song, he says, “If you move again, I’ll beat the shit out of you.”  The song continues in this manner, Eminem showing anger towards Kimberly for a wrong she has committed.  It seems as if Eminem is advocating domestic violence; however “Love the Way you Lie” may be his way of repenting or admitting he was wrong.  Either way, “Love the Way you Lie” has a very strong connection to its artists.  Rihanna presents the song from the “victim’s” point of view while Eminem identifies as the “attacker.”  The chorus, sung by Rihanna talks about being abused, “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.  That’s alright because I like the way it hurts.  Just gonna stand there and hear me cry.  But that’s alright because I love the way you lie.  I love the way you lie.”  Again, she is describing her experience being abused, but still does not leave the relationship.  Meanwhile, Eminem is speaking as if he has hit the girl and then feels sorry for letting his anger get out of control as shown in this lyric, “I laid hands on her. I’ll never stoop so low again.  I guess I don’t know my own strength.”  While the lyrics pertain to the actors in the video, they may share some truth on how Eminem felt in his own relationship as the male figure.

          Eminem fans may know a lot about his relationship with Kimberly because of the directness and bluntness of his lyrics.  However, most people, fans or not, have heard of Rihanna’s battle with Chris Brown.  Most consider the situation to have been overpublicized.  This however, added to the effectiveness of the video.  The fact that Rihanna was chosen or wanted to be a part of this project was no coincidence.  In Suzanne Marie Enck and Blake A. McDaniel’s article, “Playing with Fire: Cycles of Domestic Violence in Eminem and Rihanna’s ‘Love the Way you Lie,’” the parallels found between the music video and the actual careers and lives of the artists are discussed.  The article, the authors explain that in some abusive relationships, violence is not only provoked by the male figure, but also by the “victim.”  The article says, “The parallel to Rihanna and Chris Brown would reinforce the cultural belief that Rihanna provoked Brown to violence with her nagging antagonism and violent outbursts” (Enck and McDaniel 629).  There are multiple moments within the video where Fox initiates the arguing and fighting with Monaghan, suggesting that the “victims” are not always perfect, as shown in the first few scenes of the video when Fox finds another girl’s phone number on the back of Monaghan’s hand.  Throughout the music video, Monaghan tries to apologize and make things okay with Fox in order to combat the humiliation she has put him through.  Fox would then in some way forgive him and return.  The article connects this situation with Chris Brown and Rihanna’s relationship.  “Throughout, Monaghan/Brown is portrayed as an emasculated male, trying to save face, desperate to salvage a relationship back into the Honeymoon phase” (629).  Like Fox, Rihanna was willing to take Brown back despite the wrong she accused him of.

There are a few music videos that talk about domestic violence, but one that relates to “Love the Way you Lie” is the song “Whole Damn Year” by Mary J. Blige.   Like Eminem and Rihanna’s video, it is both a narrative and performance video.  The story follows three different individuals who experience physical and verbal abuse.  The second woman introduced in the video is faced with abuse from her husband.  She stayed with him for a long time and the video does not suggest that the two split, similar to the actors in “Love the Way you Lie.”  The lyrics, “I thought we were heading for Heaven, but you’re about to take me back to Hell” speak for the expectations of the relationship versus the reality of the abuse.  In “Love the Way you Lie,” the brief moments of happiness are overpowered by the violent abuse throughout the video.  While Eminem and Rihanna’s music video relates to Blige’s video, the two differ in that “Whole Damn Year” does not include as many symbols and violent effects as “Love the Way you Lie.”  Blige’s video presents abuse in a slightly more realistic way and less romanticized way.

When all aspects of the music video and how they are related to other instances of domestic violence are assessed, it can be said that using visual rhetoric can help better understand “Love the Way you Lie.”  Visual rhetoric is not only used for assessing the music video itself, but also gaining the background knowledge of the actors and performers involved.  For example, as stated earlier, Rihanna’s experience with abuse was flashed all over television and social media.  Without this information, the connection between the song and its artist would be harder to configure.  Likewise, comparing the images from “Love the Way you Lie” to those from “Whole Damn Year” can help the viewer see different perspectives of domestic abuse. Visual rhetoric allows more information to be processed by the audience so they can fully comprehend the subject at hand in a multi-dimensional way.

Works Cited

“Eminem.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 26 Jun. 2015. Web. 27 Jun. 2015.

Enck, Suzanne Marie and Blake A. McDaniel. “Playing with Fire: Cycles of Domestic Violence in Eminem and Rihanna’s ‘Love             the Way You Lie.’” Communication, Culture, and Critique 5.4 (Dec. 2012): 618-644. ArticlesPlus. Web. 27 Jun. 2015.

“”Kim” Lyrics.” AZLyrics.com. Eminem. 2000-2015. Web. 7 July, 2015

“Love the Way You Lie.” Perf. Eminem and Rihanna. Aftermath Records, 2010. Film.

“Rihanna.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.” 8 July. 2015. Web 8 July. 2015.

“”Whole Damn Year” Lyrics.” AZLrics.com. Rihanna. 2000- 2015 Web. 8 July. 2015