 Edna Gundersen of "USA Today" wrote that Eminem is "as good as he gets but in the end inflicts more damage on himself, hoisting "The Eminem Show" to a level of self-absorption rivaled only by Woody Allen", and despite the presence of some mediocre tracks, he "displays an admirable dexterity in blending invective and invention, even though his approach is more reactionary than revolutionary.