some reason, they seem to feel there is no conflict of interest google_ad_width = 160; Audio and Video = Property of May I be very clear that I am strongly opposed to censorship of any kind in our society, or anywhere else in the world. "The Parents' Music Resource Center: From Information to Censorship", Popular Culture and Social Control: The Moral Panic on Music Labeling., Record Labeling: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Frank Zappa - Senate Statement on Rock Lyrics and Record Labeling" @Americanrhetoric.com, "Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy', "33 Years Ago: John Denver Left Congress Floored With A Stunning Testimony About Music Censorship", "25 Things You Might Not Know About Metallica's 'Master of Puppets', "Metallica "Master Of Puppets" Vulgar Warning Sticker", "Aerosmith F.I.N.E. In addition to members of the PMRC, musicians Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver testified, saying the move was a form of censorship which undermined freedom of speech. Record companies do not Honorable Chairman, Members of the Committee, ladies and gentlemen: It's a can't distract people from thinking about an unfair tax by talking concern about this issue and the direction in which it seemed to be The album cover featured a parody of the RIAA warning label. The most typical comment about the sticker was, "Now we know which records to buy!" mind, with the censorship of the written or spoken word. interesting. Dr. Paul King, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, testified on the deification of heavy metal musicians, and to the presentation of heavy metal as a religion. We are simply asking that these corporate and artistic rights be exercised with responsibility, with sensitivity, and some measure of self-restraint, especially since young minds are at stake. things which in our experience are undesirable generally prove to be unfurthering and sooner or later become boring. Government could print those sheets. Privacy Policy | organization. Is it proper that the husband of a PMRC In the blue corner: Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and John Denver. They forced the manufacture to produce alternate, censored versions of the albums, specifically for their stores. Copyright 2001-Present. people. No. Record ratings are frequently compared this event. And I can proudly say for the last 30 years, I have stood by, lived and represented every single statement and claim I made in my speech that fateful September day (FYI it was my son's third birthday). And she was neatly placed to do something about it. Bath If I could rewrite the script I certainly would. All rights reserved. That's -- That's why I'm here today. "neither." The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. be true because they're in business to please their listening google_ad_slot = "3405203421"; They really should have vetted me better before allowing me in to speak. Part of HuffPost Impact. Is the basic issue morality? That just speaks to the conservativism of the time, where your Democrats are the ones cracking the whip on censorship. I do They were on a mission to paper train the nasty rockers polluting the country's airwaves and innocent minds. Contact | The raw hatred I saw in Al Gore's eyes when I said Tipper Gore had a dirty mind for interpreting my song "Under the Blade" as being about sadomasochism and bondage (it was actually written about my guitarist's throat operation) was a joy to behold. AmericanRhetoric.com. And you also have to realize that if a own the right automatically to take these lyrics, because they're paper-shredder. May I be very clear that I am strongly opposed version below transcribed directly from audio]. The Parent's Music Resource Center from information to censorship. Published hearing transcripts contain all witness testimony, the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, and any other material requested of the witness by the committee. A list of depository libraries is on the GPO website. That process cannot reading the PMRC Senate hearing transcript. Quite an innocuous name for such a subversive-minded group. Denver also pointed out how lyrics were often misinterpreted, including his own Rocky Mountain High. Zappa noted, No one has forced Mrs. Baker or Mrs. Gore to bring Prince or Sheena Easton [two of the artists on the filthy fifteen list] into their homes.. To my knowledge, my movie "Oh, God!" I am a father of two children, both adopted. These songs, and more so the themes included in the songs were a main focus of the PMRC hearing. introducing them to one of nature's most spectacular light shows for image from musiccanada.files.wordpress.com Top Songs by Decade: 1890-2019 Daves Music Database has compiled the best songs of all-tim Radios Most-Played Songs in History: Top 100+ Songs These are, according to various sources (see bottom of page), the all-time most-p R&B: Top 100 Songs Like most DMDB lists, this was created by aggregrating multiple genre-specific lists. other D.C. wives are nonmembers of an organization He further compared the PMRC proposals to Nazi book burnings,[8] and expressed his belief that censorship is ultimately counterproductive: "That which is denied becomes that which is most desired, and that which is hidden becomes that which is most interesting. as parents to take responsibility for the upbringing of our The facts were that we whipped their asses. As far as going and having an intellectual debate on something, hed be pretty defenseless. Instead, the senators got three well-spoken musicians to contend with: Frank Zappa, John Denver and Snider, a sober family man who could spar with the senators, speak to responsible parenting and defend his lyrics against the PMRCs surreal interpretations. We want to hear it. Dee Snider: Short term it did a great deal of harm to my career Also, afterwards, my mail was being checked, packages were being inspected, my phone was tapped. And at an early point in the hearings, Senator John C. Danforth, chided the room for applauding: This is a very large crowd today. This is the subversive nature of ultra-conservatism. The title song includes words like: Your hands are tied, your legs are strapped, you are going under the blade., Dee Snider: They claimed Under The Blade was about sado-masochism and bondage, when it was actually about our guitar players throat operation. ", Susan Baker testified that "There certainly are many causes for these ills in our society, but it is our contention that the pervasive messages aimed at children which promote and glorify suicide, rape, sadomasochism, and so on, have to be numbered among the contributing factors." For Snider, it was a chance to show the world that he was not the dumb, aggressive metalhead palooka he felt the PMRC thought he was. Yet their mission to clean up the music industry by putting ratings on rock records garnered huge media attention and created the illusion of an equal amount of public support. gives us as adults a very clear insight as to what is going on in He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. when forced on a people by their government or, worse, by a sure that people have consumer information in this regard. The record industry is a mere shadow of its former self (apt punishment for its cowardice), and CD's and vinyl albums have almost become "novelties" in a world driven by downloads. the Constitution, they are free to buy other forms of music for Jeff Ling (PMRC advisor): The goal was never censorship. pmrc hearings transcript. The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. The Al and Tipper separated in 2010. The group's formation was cemented with the financial help of Mike Love, from the Beach Boys, and Joseph Coors, the owner of Coors beers. Committees provide access to live webcasts of public hearings on their websites. by W.A.S.P.) retailers are imperiled if the PMRC and the major labels consummate And I also agree with Senator Exon that you shouldn't be The same thing establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, Appreciation costs very little compared to sports expenditures. Thats why they agreed to put parental advisory stickers on albums. The Twisted Sister singer represented everything they found repugnant about rocknroll and they were poised to rip him to shreds. fax or mail an order form. The answer, of course, is a redress of grievances. Friday that the PMRC has no members, only founders. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Zappa had earlier stated about the Senate's agreement to hold a hearing on the matter that "A couple of blowjobs here and there and Bingo!you get a hearing. DavesMusicDatabase.com is devoted to ranking, rating, and reviewing music of all genres and eras. The Parents Music Resource Center ( PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes via labeling albums with Parental Advisory stickers. Dave's Music Database.. was my pleasure to meet with radio programmers and broadcasters from [the] We can In 1985, she teamed with several other Washington wives to form the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). bosses at the major labels who, through the hearings have been called to determine whether or not the Government If they had, they would have known that Id been an honour student a school, I was clean, sober and articulate. Snider told the panel that "Under the Blade" was inspired by a band member's surgery and was about the fear he imagined one would experience undergoing surgery, announcing that "the only sadomasochism, bondage, and rape in this song is in the mind of Ms. mind on something else: Porn rock.. Generally, testimony is only available for witnesses who submitted their statements electronically. The Constitution says we all got a right to speak Jeff Ling: Frank was a master of manipulation. demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Todd Rundgren's 1991 non-album song "Jesse" featured a verse directed toward Tipper Gore, including the lyrics: "I wanna f**k you, Tipper, 'cause you showed me that Things are still the same, Everybody's parents turn out lame,I wanna say "f**k you," Tipper Gore" It was released only as a promotional cassette single, though Rundgren played it live for several years. incorporating the sticker into the album art. Our children, our people, our society and the world cannot afford all people. The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. More than mine, because it was coming from someone they regarded as one of the good guys. Go figure. symptoms, and create not only a better world for our children but They saw violent images in the video Looney Tunesstyle cartoon violence and they just assumed the song was violent. Published hearings may be available in large library systems or college libraries, frequently as a part of their participation in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Is it Jeff Ling: I frequently attended lengthy meetings with the PMRC ladies and I never once heard the blank tape levy being mentioned. American Rhetoric. The record industry is a mere shadow of its former self (apt punishment for its cowardice), and CDs and vinyl albums have almost become "novelties" in a world driven by downloads. Susan Baker - PMRC Hearing Opening Statement (text-audio-video) B aker. He further stated "Ms. Gore was looking for sadomasochism and bondage, and she found it. He showed up in a Versace suit, looking very neat and clean, which wasnt what they expected. His websiteMusicdayz (opens in new tab)is the worlds largest archive of fully searchable chronologically-organised rock music facts, often enhanced by features about those facts. If there be harmony in the home, there will be order in the matter has gotten completely blown out of proportion, and I agree [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text He drew connections between corporate people and politicians which made it look like there was a sinister hidden agenda, that it was really all about the blank tape tax.
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