Censorship; the PMRC

[teh_mastar!]

I've been putting together a presentation on music censorship for a class. My main sources have been Eric Nuzum's web site and book, Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America. The PMRC seems to have faded into obscurity since the appearance of the infamouse "Parental Advisory" stickers. I've been unable to find a single article concerning the organization's actions after 1995.

Any info?

[Perndog]

The PMRC ceased to function in the mid-90s. Everyone focused their attention on video games instead.

[El Blanco]

What is the PMRC and how is the explicit lyrics sticker any different from the ingrediant list on a cerial box?

[teh_mastar!]

1) The Parents Music Resource Center.

2) It's hard to find social/political commentary and naughty words in your Corn Flakes.

[Perndog]

Blanco, you must either A) not listen to music or B) not have been around in the 80s. I suggest you look up the war on censorship and read about what they tried to do (and partially succeeded in).

The main reason the stickers were a big issue is that many stores (Target for example) refused (some still do) to carry stickered albums; that means the government is effectively reducing the marketability of art through censorship. I don't think nutrition labels quite have that distinction.

[punkgrrrlie10]

I think that since the stickers people don't really try to ban music anymore after 2 live crew. The whole censorship groups have now moved on to virtual child porn, political campaign finance and video games (basically the ones put out by rockstar).

[AChimp]

They want to ruin all the best games.

[teh_mastar!]

For info on the PMRC

For Rockstar Fans

Kids are more likely to blur the distinction between fantasy and reality. A group of California teens went on a killing spree which they claimed was inspired by the game Grand Theft Auto III. Afterward, one of the young murder suspects boasted to police, “We play the game by day; we live the game by night.”

It's quite possible that if you say that, you're already a loon.

[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by Perndog

Blanco, you must either A) not listen to music or B) not have been around in the 80s. I suggest you look up the war on censorship and read about what they tried to do (and partially succeeded in).

I'm not a big music expert, but I know what you are refering to, I just forgot the name.

The main reason the stickers were a big issue is that many stores (Target for example) refused (some still do) to carry stickered albums; that means the government is effectively reducing the marketability of art through censorship. I don't think nutrition labels quite have that distinction.

I don't get it. I know stores that only carry health food, so the nutritional guide has the same effect there that the EC label does for Target. And, don't you think Target can find out on its own what kind of content is in the music? Also, I have seen many CDs have an edited version, so there is a way around it.

The labels help inform parents of what it is their kids are listening to.

[Perndog]

When the fight was going on, there were no edited versions.

Health food stores are specialist retailers. Target is a gigantic department store chain. If Target refuses to carry any product, that product is taking a hit in sales.

If the government weren't shouting about censorship and spinning the public opinion against the music industry, Target wouldn't bother to check for content, because no one would mind if they carried explicit CDs.

Parents shouldn't need a handy little label that says "Explicit Content." Lyrics are printed in liner notes these days, and all it takes is a couple of glances at the lyrics or even just at the cover of an album for a parent to get the gist of what it's about and whether it's okay for Little Johnny. The problem with stickering is that there are now arbitrary standards on what is and isn't okay, which means government-dictated morality. Frank Zappa's INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM Jazz from Hell was stickered, and what sane parents would claim that instrumental art-rock is dangerous for their kids?

Many stickered albums today are not so because of a few swear words that can be edited out. "Occult references" and the like are also on the list, and a lot of albums are getting the ban with features that can't be removed without ruining their artistic quality. Not to mention that only uptight parents would be bothered by a lot of the standards, which is a piss-poor reason to damage the marketability of good music.

[El Blanco]

Parents shouldn't need a handy little label that says "Explicit Content." Lyrics are printed in liner notes these days, and all it takes is a couple of glances at the lyrics or even just at the cover of an album for a parent to get the gist of what it's about and whether it's okay for Little Johnny.

Ya, you can read the lyrics after you already bought it. That should go off well.

Many stickered albums today are not so because of a few swear words that can be edited out. "Occult references" and the like are also on the list, and a lot of albums are getting the ban with features that can't be removed without ruining their artistic quality.

I don't think I'd care about "artistic quality" when buying a CD full of swear words for my kids.

Not to mention that only uptight parents would be bothered by a lot of the standards, which is a piss-poor reason to damage the marketability of good music.

Uptight parents who spend money. Its a bussiness. Its not like you can't go someplace else and buy Slipknot or whatever has been banned at Target.

[teh_mastar!]

Ya, you can read the lyrics after you already bought it. That should go off well.

They could read them here.

I don't think I'd care about "artistic quality" when buying a CD full of swear words for my kids.

Above all that filth, are we?

[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by teh_mastar!

They could read them here.

Much easier to look at the label. You can't expect parents to go hunt down everysingle song their kids might be into this week

Above all that filth, are we?

Not in the least. I understand that some artists( although, in my experience this is a minority) use the language to express a very strong emotion. Its just that there is a time and a place for such a thing and I don't want my kids to think its acceptable to use those words at whim.

[davinxtk]

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Much easier to look at the label. You can't expect parents to go hunt down everysingle song their kids might be into this week

But apparently we can expect you to hunt down the CD, can't we? And then hunt down the murderous trolls who let it slip by without a parental advisory sticker?

Not in the least. I understand that some artists( although, in my experience this is a minority) use the language to express a very strong emotion. Its just that there is a time and a place for such a thing and I don't want my kids to think its acceptable to use those words at whim.

Fuck shit fuck fuck fuck. You're right.
Maybe you should teach your kids a bit about self-control and how to comport themselves publicwise.


Sorry, teh_mastar!, I stole your argument.
I felt my own heated rage on the topic.

[teh_mastar!]

Originally Posted by davinxtk

Sorry, teh_mastar!, I stole your argument.
I felt my own heated rage on the topic.

Actually, you did an ok job.

[davinxtk]

I was close to 40 hours without sleep, or I would have written something longer.

[VinceZeb]

Blanco, the PMRC/artists hearings in the 80s are worth your time reading. I believe the artists were doomed from the get-go because they went after the advisory stickers as censorship, when in fact the labels were just to indicate that there are racy/questionable lyrics on this album. The artists forgot the first rule of art which is that contraversey sells.

Dee Snider came off as truthful and intelligent, which I believe really amazed/pissed off the PRMC, Frank Zappa couldn't get past his anti-religious/anti-christian bigotry high horse to make an argument with substance (I am so glad that guy is burning in Hell), and John Denver gave a suprising argument considering the source. I just think its a bit funny that the people that chose to defend the sides of the artists were people that don't have to worry about their albums not being in stores (Twisted Sister was on the decline, Zappa should have worried about his albums actually SELLING before worrying about if they were going to be carried and I don't even think that Denver was going to cover "Cop Killer").

[Drew Katsikas]

Dumb.

[teh_mastar!]

Zappa was awarded two Grammys.