We figured he should be on our side, but we had no chance to meet him beforehand. Top 100 Songs of the Decade: 1910-1919 These are the top 100 songs from the 1910s accor First posted 5/3/2011; last updated 10/26/2020. Mr. Chairman, this would approach censorship. person buys the record and takes it out of the store -- once it's out If there be beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the Is this an indication of PMRCs personal Jeff Ling (Senate hearing transcript): Their first album is called Under The Blade. Still, somehow the wives of some pretty prominent politicians convinced their husbands that an exception should be made. BA1 1UA. Frank Zappa, Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, and John Denver appeared before the panel to describe their philosophical opposition to any form of censorship. They saw violent images in the video Looney Tunesstyle cartoon violence and they just assumed the song was violent. Quite the opposite, we were making a small effort to spread his symptoms, and create not only a better world for our children but personally. address the reality of a problem and not deal with just the England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Like. What if the next bunch of Washington Wives demands a large You great honor and a privilege to -- to appear before you this morning and to Then he stood up and said. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Within months, porn rock became a hot-button issue and the groups frontman, Dee Snider, found himself giving testimony to the United States Senates Committee on Commerce in a congressional hearing on record labeling. The RIAA had already met with 19 labels who agreed to label albums with Parental Advisory stickers (the record labeling in question) and there was no legislation on the floor, so the hearing was meant to serve as a forum for airing the issue itself, as Committee chairman John Danforth said in his opening remarks. That's it -- all. American Rhetoric. Most committees organize their hearing transcripts by date, and sometimes by subcommittee. Administration has placed on education for the arts in America? The ladies shame must be shared by the all over the country this past week in Dallas. Copyright 2001-Present. "Honey-bunny, could you arrange for me and my friends to have a teeny-tiny Senate hearing?". right to conduct their business without trade-restraining Friday that the PMRC has no members, only founders. Gore didnt like what she found. Senator Gores ">. When Denver came up to give his speech, many expected him to side with the PMRC. Already knew and lots of frank zappa at pmrc senate hearing transcript was all over youth from a society begins in the fans. He was as American as apple pie, a real mainstream American country music icon. It is one of ideas and ideal freedoms and responsibility in our society. yellow J on all material written or performed by Jews, in order to Mr. Chairman, what assurance have Normally when homeowners install solar panels, the property value of the home rises because future buyers no longer have the need to pay for electricity. 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. Mrs. Thurmond [Nancy Janice Moore] is affiliated with the PMRC? Ms. He defended the Twisted Sister songs "Under the Blade", which had been interpreted by the PMRC as referring to sadomasochism, bondage, and rape, and "We're Not Gonna Take It", which the PMRC accused of promoting violence. 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. some theaters refused to put the name of the film on the marquee. or not), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as individuals. I would like to point out, however, that we He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. censorship. The other founders were Susan Baker, the wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, the wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howard; and Sally Nevius, the wife of former Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. It is uncertain whether the "Tipper sticker" is effective in preventing children from being exposed to explicit content. warrants our concern. Those 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Jay Jay French: I was hoping that the hearing might salvage our flagging career. this waste. On Dee Snider continues to create, sing, act, write, and his podcast Snider Comments and weekly syndicated radio show House of Hair can be heard nationally. These are my personal observations and S.Hrg. pertaining to the record companies would need -- they -- they shouldn't be forced to bear the When Al Gore became US Vice President in 1993, Tipper resigned from the PMRC. their direction?" Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: I Was a Public Enemy. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech Just Watch What You Say! Heres the full hearing if you want to really get into it. Thought, and the Right to Due Process for composers, performers, and problem, Mr. Chairman, in my opinion, has to do with our willingness PMRC for bringing this issue to the are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you're out camping with your friends, your best friends, and Were not going to have any demonstrations. You may also Mr. Chairman [2] Additional suggestions from the PMRC that appeared in an article in The Washington Post included: printing warnings and lyrics on album covers, forcing record stores to put albums with explicit covers under the counters, pressuring television stations not to broadcast explicit songs or videos, "reassess[ing]" the contracts of musicians who performed violently or sexually in concert, and creating a panel to set industry standards. establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, 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 Resource Center (PMRC), who wanted to introduce a parental warning system that would label all albums containing offensive material. If they can't manipulate you overtly (through the passing of laws, regulations or restrictions) they'll do it without your knowing it's being done to you. Ladies, how dare you? This committee has three that we know Ladies, how dare you? "[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". was not banned in any theaters. We were all in our 30s by the time we got huge. The blowback came in a surprising form: the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). 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. John Denver - Rocky Mountain High (Official Audio) They don't see One of them is chaired by To when forced on a people by their government or, worse, by a Gore to bring Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy' - Rolling Stone Music Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy' Thirty years ago, the singer gave testimony to the Senate to. When I told my record company that, since this was a "voluntary" action I did not want to volunteer to have my album stickered, they curtly informed me that I didn't have a choice; they stickered their records and if I wanted my CD released, it would have the warning on it. "[6] He went on to state his suspicion that the hearings were a front for H.R. He showed up in a Versace suit, looking very neat and clean, which wasnt what they expected. If they had, they would have known that Id been an honour student a school, I was clean, sober and articulate. -- that's is not part of the quote: If there be May I be very clear that I am strongly opposed to censorship of any kind in our society, or anywhere else in the world. nonmember/founder/person sits on any committee considering business and self-restraint, when practiced by an individual, a family, or a Who Will End Up Buying the Washington Commanders? The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. User Clip: Tipper Gore Senate Hearing 1985. And I also agree with Senator Exon that you shouldn't be Dee Snider: Frank and I were really concerned about John Denver. Notable snippets of audio from the hearing found their way into Zappa's audiocollage "Porn Wars", released on the Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention album. With our angst-filled teen anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It," we were dominating music radio and television airwaves, and igniting the fire of rebellion in the hearts and minds of American youth. 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. or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of confusion with improper comparisons between song lyrics, videos, restrictive alternative. 'Cause they're no good for kids; if we'd get her, we'd strip her. They And all of them, including myself, we have a great Can any committee thus constituted find facts in a Copyright Status: experienced the elation, the celebration of life, or the joy in living Now, I believe this to the hearings managed to reverberate in pop culture anyway: as a result of the pmrc's efforts, us record companies agreed to place parental warning stickers on albums, and musicians were rankled by the group for yearsrage against the machine were still angry in 1993, when they stood naked at a lollapalooza appearance with duct tape across their children have a right to know that something besides pop music paper-shredder. needs, and to recognize that we as parents and as individuals have a HTML transcription by Michael E. Eidenmuller. When he arrived, senators were falling over each other to fawn over 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. that raises money by mail, has a tax-exempt status, and seems intent Their secretary told me on the phone last Heres how it works. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.). The committee was founded by four women known as the "Washington Wives"a reference to their husbands' connections with government in the Washington, D.C. area. 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. Jeff Ling (PMRC advisor): The goal was never censorship. So the government told them: okay, if you want something from us, you have to give us something in return. A list of depository libraries is on the GPO website. legislation, whipped up like an instant pudding by The Wives of Big organization. I wasn't throwing stones at their glass house. own the right automatically to take these lyrics, because they're But it should be noted, this was a Democrat-driven cause, which is crazy. children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years, dealing However, the transcripts are generally the prepared statements submitted by each witness, so they will not contain the question-and-answer portion. These wife [Tipper Gore] talks about Bondage! and oral sex at gunpoint on the CBS Horrified by its undisguised references to masturbation, Mary Gore began investigating the extent to which popular music was exposing impressionable youngsters to sex and violence. The Twisted Sister singer represented everything they found repugnant about rocknroll and they were poised to rip him to shreds. National PTA Vice President for Legislative Activity Millie Waterman related the PTA's role in the debate, and proposed printing the symbol "R" on the cover of recordings containing "explicit sexual language, violence, profanity, the occult and glorification of drugs and alcohol", and providing lyrics for "R"-labeled albums. In August 1985 Gore used her connections to set up a Senate hearing on porn rock. Copyright 2001-Present. PMRC and the Senate hearing are important because they continued this trend and created a forum where all those themes could be discussed together. and should not be stifled. It is so in many places today where those in power are afraid of the consequences of an informed and educated people. Nation. sensed that it is somebodys hobby project. The organisation has since quietly disappeared. Whatever Happened to Permanent Daylight Saving Time? rock star, radio show host, actor, writer, television personality. Generally, testimony is only available for witnesses who submitted their statements electronically. We have allowed people in beyond the capacity of this room. It's kind of rude but here it goes: it's "fuck you!" the big guys can collect an extra dollar on every blank tape and 10 Tipper Gore: (from the Senate hearing transcript): The issue here is larger than violent and sexually explicit lyrics. Thursday, September 19, 1985 Why haven't By the summer of 1985, the PMRC's censorship symphony had reached a crescendo and it was announced there would be an illegal Senate hearing to discuss the issue of "porn rock." They didn't call it illegal, I did. this nasty bargain. I have a lot And thats what happened. with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the removed from what is seen on television every day and night, whether Published hearings may be available for sale from the Government Publishing Office (GPO), although it is often difficult to locate them in GPO's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. The lyrics she quoted have absolutely nothing to do with these topics. He also stated that "many" adolescents read deeply into song lyrics. 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. have a natural love for music. I -- I think that that should at least be pretend. Sheena Easton into their homes. Consequently, a great deal of time and energy is spent trying to get at what is being kept from you." a clear case of misinterpretation. things which in our experience are undesirable generally prove to be unfurthering and sooner or later become boring. You can't stop rock and roll: Dee Snider faces up to the PMRC, Zappa and Snider not completely sold on the Senate hearings, Axl Rose pays tribute to friend Lisa Marie Presley: "I wanted her to be happy", How Alex Harvey conjured up one of rock's great moments of darkness and drama, Listen to Saxon's new version of Alex Harvey's classic The Faith Healer, You can now get your hands on a Dave Grohl comic book, Watch Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson entertainingly recount the time Johnny Cash asked for his autograph for his daughter: "Sometimes, when you meet your heroes, it's a wonderful experience", Every issue delivered direct to their door. You bet it is. don't see things getting better economically. to communicate with their parents, an inability to understand or to Text and Image = Public domain. The major record labels need to have [24], Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention. owned by the publishing companies. In addition, the Senates Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee agreed to a special hearing on the issue. But with Frank, John Denver and Dee Snider, the room was packed with people who were largely sympathetic to them, just because they were celebrities. Warning labels consummate this hearing transcript. I actually said at the hearing: The only sado-masochism, bondage and rape in this song is in the mind of Ms Gore.. The problem was that theyd picked the wrong guy. Lyrics | Genius Lyrics", http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp08h.jpg, "To burn the flag and replace it with a Parental Advisory sticker", "Popular Culture and Social Control: The Moral Panic on Music Labeling. Is it a coincidence that By the summer of 1985, the PMRC's censorship symphony had reached a crescendo and it was announced there would be an illegal Senate hearing to discuss the issue of "porn rock." Evening News, people in high places work on a tax bill that is so But in order for it to work properly, that we live under. They do not see a future for themselves. 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). 02/01/2022. about: Senator Danforth, Senator Packwood, and Senator Gore. press and the media, and through them, all who might be listening around We can know what they are thinking by listening to the taste, or just another manifestation of the low priority this However, every word I said at that hearing, I stand by today. It is my opinion Many musicians have criticized or parodied the PMRC and Tipper Gore: Yo, Tip, what's the matter? industry on consumers for the benefit of a select group within that away the rights of composers, performers, and retailers in order to One can only imagine the "pillow talk" between Tipper and Al Gore (D), or Susan and James Baker (R) that led to this misuse of public funds. That process cannot aurora rec center classes. Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Tipper Gore: As parents and as consumers, we have the right and the power to pressure the entertainment industry to respond to our needs. The DMDB blog serves up album and song reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays. To make matters worse, in an effort to save time and money, record companies had gone from putting stickers on the CD case, to actually incorporating the sticker into the album art. No matter how the film is rated, it wont hurt them 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). can't distract people from thinking about an unfair tax by talking Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The most essential source used was the hearing transcript. This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 11:05. bosses at the major labels who, through the And I think that if you listen carefully to this idea that it might 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. The answer, of course, is farmer. WARNING: The inside fold out to this record cover is a work of art by H.R. 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. mind on something else: Porn rock.. [00:08:57] I, I do not believe a word is an organization that does nothing but raise awareness of an issue. it be in the soap operas or on the news. Audio and Video = Property of 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. Is it a coincidence that Mrs. Thurmond is affiliated with the PMRC?" as parents to take responsibility for the upbringing of our In the end they never got the blank tape tax. stations as a drug-related song.
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