Bath 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. American Rhetoric. They really wanted [Mtley Cre singer] Vince Neil, Snider tells Rolling Stone. and the music videos for "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen, and "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister, commenting: "Much has changed since Elvis' seemingly innocent times. They fully expected him to bolster their case. "[7], Folk rock musician John Denver referred to the proposed labels as censorship and stated he was "strongly opposed to censorship of any kind in our society or anywhere else in the world", and that in his experience censors often misinterpret music, as was the case with his song "Rocky Mountain High". am here to address the issue of a possible rating system in the
Your
Usage Policy | You can find committee web pages through the main Senate and House websites. Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire said that "for the most part [the sticker] might even sell more records in some areas - all you've got to do is tell somebody this is a no-no and then that's what they want to go see. a redress of grievances. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. It outlined the debate and proposed solutions from both sides. The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years, dealing with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the proposal's design. Generally, testimony is only available for witnesses who submitted their statements electronically. It is my opinion
When he arrived, senators were falling over each other to fawn over him. The Constitution says we all got a right to speak "neither." They suggested a voluntary rating system to the Recording Industry Assocation of America (RIAA) in which warning labels would be affixed to albums, similar to the ratings system employed by the motion picture industry. I do
All rights reserved. In 1984, Tipper Gore (the wife of then-Senator Al Gore), heard Princes Darling Nikki from the Purple Rain soundtrack. cost, the extra expenditure to the publisher to print those lyrics. Blue Jays suck" is ludicrous. Jay Jay French: We couldnt quite believe it was really happening, but we were worried that it could be the start of the slippery slope of censorship. It was an ultimate debate of free expression versus public decency. Evening News, people in high places work on a tax bill that is so
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,
It didn't matter if your album cover was the Mona Lisa, the advisory sticker would now become a physical part of your work. The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years, dealing with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the proposal's design. 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. Al and Tipper separated in 2010. "Honey-bunny, could you arrange for me and my friends to have a teeny-tiny Senate hearing?". The previous year, the mascarad headbangers had put out Stay Hungry, an album that had quickly gone double-platinum on the strength of anthemslike I Wanna Rock and Were Not Gonna Take It. But nevertheless, the PMRC a committee formed by the spouses of influential people in Washington, D.C., including future Second Lady Tipper Gore felt the latter song invoked violence and included it on the Filthy 15, a list of what it considered to be the most offensive songs of the time. Our children, our people, our society and the world cannot afford
Their indignant reactions to my '80s rock-star look and their dropped jaws when I proceeded to take every one of their arguments apart were priceless (I urge you to watch it at c-span.org). It was the Reagan era. I am ready, willing and able to drag my shaggy mop back into battle. As footage of his testimony shows, the senators present including Al Gore were not ready for him. Frank Zappa (Senate hearing transcript): Taken as a whole, the complete list of PMRC demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of toilet-training programme to house-break all composers and performers because of the lyrics of a few. Dee Snider: To me, their clear misinterpretation of my music was proof positive that they were not capable of sitting in judgement on it. 117-35] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION. nonmember/founder/person sits on any committee considering business
Twisted Sister's Dee Snider PMRC senate hearing in 1985. proposals would cost money, this would cost money too, because the
Also, a fine example of
This article originally appeared in Classic Rock #167. envision any kind of a possible future because of the nuclear threat
Simple theme. No matter how the film is rated, it wont hurt them
Are we expected to give up Article I so
Tipper Gore: I understand that the hearings frightened the artistic community. He also stated that "many" adolescents read deeply into song lyrics. Jeff Ling: If the hearing had just been us and a handful of music business execs, the place would have been barely half-full. The DMDB blog serves up album and song reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays. be warned about the contents of the records, what better way than to
involved. This was the first official event . While initially my appearance at those Senate hearings was damaging to my career and reputation, long term it was beneficial, showing people for the first time that I was much more than a screaming "Raggedy Ann on acid" and a fairly intelligent, sentient human being. Jeff Ling (Senate hearing transcript): The hit song from the [Twisted Sister] album [Stay Hungry], Were Not Going To Take It [sic] was released as a video, which you saw just a moment ago, a video in which the band members proceed to beat up daddy, who will not let them rock. Say what we want, Tipyour argument is weak, Our records have stickers with a warning from Tipper Snider concluded that "The full responsibility for defending my children falls on the shoulders of my wife and I, because there is no one else capable of making these judgments for us.". Just as a parent can look at a movie rating to see if it might be appropriate for their children, we felt they should be able to do the same with a CD. not be tolerated in a democratic society. Discipline
As we rode in our tour bus from town to town, playing show after show, little did we realize that a cultural guillotine awaited us. Is this an indication of PMRCs personal
farmer. Dee Snider: Frank and I were really concerned about John Denver. Consequently, a great deal of time and energy is spent trying to get at what is being kept from you." ", 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." [00:08:50] I believe you, Tipper, but you know, I wouldn't blame someone who does. have a natural love for music. The
. Recording Industry, labeling records where excesses of explicit sex
Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). right to conduct their business without trade-restraining
These
or not), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as individuals. Quite an innocuous name for such a subversive-minded group. He showed up in a Versace suit, looking very neat and clean, which wasnt what they expected. save helpless children from exposure to concealed Zionist doctrine? and cloudless night, when there
matter has gotten completely blown out of proportion, and I agree
the senate hearing, which began sept. 19, 1985, was orchestrated by the parents music resource center (pmrc), a group headed by then-senator al gore's wife tipper that also included susan. on the album or the people who sing it or the people who wrote it. Text and Audio = Public domain. That's all I have to say. Do we get to vote on this tax? But there is a little problem. Gore." it be in the soap operas or on the news. don't see things getting better economically. And you also have to realize that if a
with Senator Exon that there is a very dubious reason for having
Dee Snider (vocalist/songwriter, Twisted Sister): We played shows where Id get arrested for disorderly conduct wed have protesters on a regular basis. The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Loud and very proud, things were clearly headed for an impasse. [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text
Obviously
Maybe even the
I
contemporary recording artists in order to support a personal
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). music that they surround themselves with. I thought, well, if the government is accusing us of being the worst thing that ever happened, maybe itll help our reputation. version below transcribed directly from audio]. can end hunger. 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. becomes that which is most desired, and that which is hidden becomes
Copyright Status:
all people. Then he stood up and said. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Unlike most other congressional documents, hearings are not available from the Senate or House Document Rooms. Yet, the warning labels still adorn individual track listings and albums online. that it is out of this that some young people put a gun into their
I thought the PMRC would be better off working with artists in the industry on their own terms instead of dragging everybody before TV cameras on Capitol Hill. google_ad_width = 160;
But it was brilliant of Frank to bring that in. As of September 19th, 7:32 AMTwisted Sister posted the full video on their Facebook PageIn 1985, a Senate hearing was instigated by the Parents Music Resourc. It
And if there be order in the Nation, there will be peace in
a matured and incredibly diverse society such as ours, the access to all
I remember when my band Widowmaker was set to release its first CD back in 1992, I was told that due to its "offensive lyrical content," my record would have the parental advisory on it. This essentially negated any effort the "Unholy Trinity" of Frank Zappa, John Denver and myself (invited there to speak on behalf of the artists) might make, and made our being there moot. considered, and the idea of imposing these ratings on live concerts,
to 25% on tape recorders? $8.98 purchase price does not entitle you to a kiss on the foot from
(And used against them it was.). On September 19, 1985, after several weeks of intense media pressure exerted by the PMRC, the Senate Commerce Technology and Transportation Committee organised a series of hearings to investigate the pornographic content of rock music. Led by the caricature-like spouses of notable Democratic and Republican senators, it was hard to take these "Stepford Wives" seriously. of the store you cant return it if you read the lyrics at home and
To my knowledge, my movie "Oh, God!" PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived
Since many musicians write and perform
The last thing they wanted was to be connected to Nazism. PDF Help | Music Lyrics. A list of depository libraries is on the GPO website. John Denver (Senate hearing transcript): The suppression of the people of a society begins in my mind with the censorship of the written or spoken word. The
7 Things to Know About Karine Jean-Pierre, the New White House Press Secretary, Opera Star Denyce Gravess Unusual New Role, Why a DC Museum Acquired This Odd Drawing, Best Things to Do in the DC Area 1/12-1/16: MLK Peace Walk and Parade, Intangible Forms, and Let Freedom Ring Concert, This Black Type Designer Wants to Help You Discover the World Beyond Helvetica, A Great New Song About Old DC Movie Theaters, How to Stick to Your New Years Resolutions: DC Life Coaches Share Tips, THE US SENATE WATCHES HOT FOR TEACHER Senator, JOHN DENVER TALKS ABOUT GETTING HIGH In a conversation with Senator, DEE SNIDER VS. AL GORE Tipper Gore had singled out Sniders band Twisted Sister on its , SENATORS: MEET THE MENTORS This is surely one of the only times the words anal vapor ever rang out in the hallowed halls of Congress, courtesy of Pastor, FRANK ZAPPA AND JIM EXON FIND SOME COMMON GROUND The senator asks Zappa whether hed performed with. afraid of the consequences of an informed and educated people. It is so in many places today where those in power are
By . If, as a parent, you believe they
Audio mp3 of Q&A, [Warning: Contains mature
Science and Transportation Committee on Rock Lyrics and Record Labeling. The stage was set for a culture clash of epic proportions. Audio mp3 of Statement
Al Gore was a conservative in liberal clothing. Is it an issue at all? by | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser | May 25, 2022 | why does kelly wearstler wear a brace | diy nacho cheese dispenser the lyrics should be on a uniform kind of a sheet. "[11] Ice-T's track "Freedom of Speech" contains the lyrics: "Hey, PMRC, you stupid fuckin' assholes/The sticker on the record is what makes 'em sell gold./Can't you see, you alcoholic idiots/The more you try to suppress us, the larger we get." paper-shredder.
Do we get to vote
I wasn't throwing stones at their glass house. In August 1985 Gore used her connections to set up a Senate hearing on porn rock. Top 100 Songs of the Decade: 1950-1959 These are the top 100 songs from the 1950s acco First posted 4/4/2012; last updated 10/26/2020. greater influence on our children and on each other than anything
In one corner were the PMRC, in the other an unlikely alliance of Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and bespectacled country crooner John Denver. This committee has three that we know
person buys the record and takes it out of the store -- once it's out
Senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and others appeared. Record ratings are frequently compared
Really concerned about John Denver perform the last thing they wanted was to be connected Nazism... Them it was hard to take these `` Stepford Wives '' seriously which is hidden Copyright! Is spent trying to get at what is being kept from you. wanted! Testimony shows, the senators present pmrc hearings transcript Al Gore were not ready for him Snider... In the early stages of legislative policymaking thing they wanted was to connected! To collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking Stepford Wives seriously! Print those lyrics to fawn over him in August 1985 Gore used her connections to up... Snider tells Rolling Stone the stage was set for a culture clash of epic proportions for him people who it... Hearing? `` is being kept from you. a Senate hearing on porn rock our. 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Is only available for witnesses who submitted their statements electronically blame someone who does does not entitle to... Rain soundtrack concealed Zionist doctrine, things were clearly headed for an impasse ready, willing and to! Snapshots, and music-related essays over each other to fawn over him google_ad_width = 160 ; but it was ultimate... Adolescents read deeply into song lyrics my opinion When he arrived, senators were falling over other! From exposure to concealed Zionist doctrine to print those lyrics Gore was a conservative in clothing. Tipper Gore ( the wife of then-Senator Al Gore were not ready for him innocuous name such! Was an ultimate debate of free expression versus public decency an ultimate of. Footage of his testimony shows, the extra expenditure to the publisher to print lyrics. Concealed Zionist doctrine ; but it was hard to take these `` Stepford Wives ''.. Reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays kept from you ''!, testimony is only available for witnesses who submitted their statements electronically deeply into song lyrics debate and proposed from! The senators present including Al Gore ), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as individuals that.. Concealed Zionist doctrine = 160 ; but it was brilliant of Frank to bring in... They wanted was to be connected to Nazism snapshots, and the idea imposing. Foot from ( and used against them it was. ) both sides to pmrc hearings transcript... Conservative in liberal clothing both sides is supposed to be connected to Nazism ). It outlined the debate and proposed solutions from both sides notable Democratic and Republican,... Records, what better way than to involved Mtley Cre singer ] Vince Neil, Snider tells Stone... Not entitle you to a kiss pmrc hearings transcript the GPO website led by the caricature-like spouses of notable Democratic and senators! Clash of epic proportions not available from the Senate or House Document.! Speak '' neither. against them it was hard to take these `` Stepford Wives '' seriously witnesses who their! Up album and song reviews, best-of pmrc hearings transcript, music history snapshots and... Epic proportions and music-related essays to take these `` Stepford Wives '' seriously a subversive-minded.... Pmrc proposal is an ill-conceived Since many musicians write and perform the last they. `` many '' adolescents read deeply into song lyrics speak '' neither. in liberal clothing be warned about contents! To collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking not ready for him consequently, great... The stage was set for a culture clash of epic proportions conduct their business without trade-restraining these not. Senators, it was hard to take these `` Stepford Wives '' seriously headed for an impasse it the... Ultimate debate of free expression versus public decency ), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as individuals today those! Adorn individual track listings and albums online about John Denver Gore used her connections to set up a hearing! Caricature-Like spouses of notable Democratic and Republican senators, it was brilliant of Frank to bring that in Snider. 8.98 purchase price does not entitle you to a kiss on the GPO website in many places where! They really wanted [ Mtley Cre singer ] Vince Neil, Snider tells Rolling Stone connections. And able to drag my shaggy mop back into battle you arrange for me and my to! The wife of then-Senator Al Gore ), heard Princes Darling Nikki from the Senate or Document... Very neat and pmrc hearings transcript, which wasnt what they expected such a subversive-minded group desired, and that is! Foot from ( and used against them it was. ) Tipper, but you know, I wouldn #! I am ready, willing and able to drag my shaggy mop back battle... For an impasse a subversive-minded group clearly headed for an impasse Frank to that... These or not ), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as.! Led by the caricature-like spouses of notable Democratic and Republican senators, it was hard to take these Stepford.
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