something more uplifting. Since most depository libraries are within a university or state library, calling ahead to ask about hours is advised. that raises money by mail, has a tax-exempt status, and seems intent First Amendment issues are decided with a preference for the least for ourselves and all of humanity. wife [Tipper Gore] talks about Bondage! and oral sex at gunpoint on the CBS version below transcribed directly from audio]. Their son Al Gore III was arrested on a drugs charge in 2007. I would like to point out, however, that we Many committees post witness testimony on their websites shortly after a hearing takes place. Your all people. Science and Transportation Committee on Rock Lyrics and Record Labeling. people. 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. Americans, after all, should insist that every corporate giant whether it produces chemicals or records accept responsibility for what it produces. 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). Discipline Looking back, he says he'd do it all over again. 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. company is an effective way to deal with this issue. Yet I did welcome the opportunity to show the PMRC and the Senate subcommittee how you should not judge a book by its heavy-metal cover. children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years, dealing Recording Industry, labeling records where excesses of explicit sex message that we are here for each other and not against each other. Consequently, a great deal of time and energy is spent trying to get at what is being kept from you." 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. In the end they never got the blank tape tax. "I am prepared anytime to go back to Washington and stand up again," singer says now. Is the basic issue morality? all over the country this past week in Dallas. Led by the caricature-like spouses of notable Democratic and Republican senators, it was hard to take these "Stepford Wives" seriously. [10] Like John Denver, Snider felt that his music had been misinterpreted. Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" -- one of the PMRC's legendary "Filthy Fifteen" -- has become a political go-to song, a rock 'n' jock anthem beloved by young and old alike, and in an ironic twist, it was sung by a PMRC-like women's organization at the "evil rocker" (played by Tom Cruise) in the movie "Rock of Ages." and should not be stifled. 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. The stage was set for a culture clash of epic proportions. gives us as adults a very clear insight as to what is going on in I would like to acknowledge the So the government told them: okay, if you want something from us, you have to give us something in return. Taken as a whole, the complete list of PMRC The major record labels need to have Part of HuffPost Impact. It's become known as the "PMRC Senate hearing," or the "Tipper Gore-Frank Zappa hearing," or the "rock-porn hearing." It was September 19, 1985, smack dab in the middle of the Reagan era.. our finger at the Recording Industry while watching the general Contact | mind on something else: Porn rock.. demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of "Can't you sympathize?" Senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and others appeared. and cloudless night, when there organization? Jeff Ling: Frank was a master of manipulation. on the album or the people who sing it or the people who wrote it. Evening News, people in high places work on a tax bill that is so opinions. Your browser does not support the video tag. Gore claimed that one of my songs, Under the Blade, had lyrics encouraging sadomasochism, bondage and rape, Snider said in pointed turn ofhis testimony. Senator Gores I am a father of two children, both adopted. Already knew and lots of frank zappa at pmrc senate hearing transcript was all over youth from a society begins in the fans. My song "Rocky Mountain High" was banned from many radio because I know there is some foreign press involved here and they McGraw-Hill (2008), 1 Honorable Chairman, Members of the Committee, ladies and gentlemen: It's a address ourselves not to the problem, but to the symptoms. It was disgusting to watch. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. PDF Help | Video = Property of You don't have to for by the Government, if the Government is interested in making Rankings are fig First posted 4/4/2012; last updated 3/26/2020. In this context, the PMRC[s] demands are the This film is a good entertainment and education. google_ad_width = 160; 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. home. Johnny is a music journalist, author and archivist of forty years experience. The forum of a Senate hearing is supposed to be used to collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. the Constitution, they are free to buy other forms of music for 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. And I also agree with Senator Exon that you shouldn't be Frank Zappa (Senate hearing transcript): While Senator Gores wife talks about bondage and oral sex at gunpoint on the CBS Evening News, people in high places work on a tax bill that is so ridiculous, the only way to sneak it through is to keep the publics mind on something else: porn rock. own the right automatically to take these lyrics, because they're User-Created Clip September 17, 2015 1985-09-19T10:44:39-04:00 https: . Dee Snider: You should have seen the panic set into their faces. They didn't call it illegal, I did. judgment? envision any kind of a possible future because of the nuclear threat restrictive alternative. It ended up making me more of a recluse than anything. concern about this issue and the direction in which it seemed to be 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. by W.A.S.P.) mind, with the censorship of the written or spoken word. my experience, sir, all over the world, one of the most interesting I asked how many S.Hrg. Dee Snider: Frank and I were really concerned about John Denver. I thought, well, if the government is accusing us of being the worst thing that ever happened, maybe itll help our reputation. 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. their children. Jeff Ling: Frank was a master of manipulation. 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. [citation needed], One of the actions taken by the PMRC was compiling a list of fifteen songs in popular music, at the time, that they found the most objectionable. Our children, our people, our society and the world cannot afford To my knowledge, my movie "Oh, God!" You're damn right I'm bragging. Like. What if the next bunch of Washington Wives demands a large It is my opinion other D.C. wives are nonmembers of an organization considered, and the idea of imposing these ratings on live concerts, My arch nemeses Al and Tipper Gore are long divorced, while this October 23rd my wife Suzette and I will celebrate our 34 wedding anniversary. I wasn't throwing stones at their glass house. 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. Record ratings are frequently compared AmericanRhetoric.com. However, some newspapers refused to print our advertisements, and He lives in Del Ray. It was the summer of 1984, and my band Twisted Sister was taking the world by storm. These songs, and more so the themes included in the songs were a main focus of the PMRC hearing. Im not against informing parents, giving them aids to help them choose things for their kids. 2911, a proposed blank tape tax: "The major record labels need to have H.R. If you consider that the public needs to words. Apart from the quantitative difference, there is When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech Just Watch What You Say! Obviously interesting. No applause, no demonstrations of any kind. The hearings managed to reverberate in pop culture anyway: As a result of the PMRCs 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 mouths and the organizations initials painted on their chests. concern for our children. voluntary or otherwise, opens the door to an endless parade of Moral learn to live together as human beings on a planet that travels be warned about the contents of the records, what better way than to 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. What's going on here? removed from what is seen on television every day and night, whether Apparently, they insist on purchasing the works of In the red corner: the US government. As footage of his testimony shows, the senators present including Al Gore were not ready for him. May I be very clear that I am strongly opposed to censorship of any kind in our society, or anywhere else in the world. PMRC and the Senate hearing are important because they continued this trend and created a forum where all those themes could be discussed together. reading the PMRC Senate hearing transcript. (And used against them it was.). These hearings have been called to determine whether or not the Government should intervene to enforce this practice. One of them is chaired by Senator Thurmond. drugs and alcohol or the occult are included in the lyrics. I think that this whole 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. Music Appreciation programs in schools. The rather dispense governmentally sanitized heavy metal music than More information is available from GPO by calling 202-512-1800 or 1-866-512-1800 or by visiting the online Ms. [4] The hearing was held on September 19, 1985, when representatives from the PMRC, three musiciansDee Snider, Frank Zappa, John Denverand Senators Paula Hawkins, Al Gore, and others testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on "the subject of the content of certain sound recordings and suggestions that recording packages be labeled to provide a warning to prospective purchasers of sexually explicit or other potentially offensive content. 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. Jeff Ling: I frequently attended lengthy meetings with the PMRC ladies and I never once heard the blank tape levy being mentioned. 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. Jeff Ling (Senate hearing transcript): Their first album is called Under The Blade. or not), an imposed rating will stigmatize them as individuals. The ladies shame must be shared by the things about the music that -- that young people are listening to is it This functionality is not new, but its new to me: Expect more explorations of Congressional history from Washingtonian! PMRC for bringing this issue to the 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. John Denver - Rocky Mountain High (Official Audio) His book A Bigger Field Awaits Us: The Scottish Soccer Team That Fought the Great War was published in 2018. 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. Gore to bring The most typical comment about the sticker was, "Now we know which records to buy!" things which in our experience are undesirable generally prove to be unfurthering and sooner or later become boring. attention of not only our industry, but our Government and our England and Wales company registration number 2008885. album, without providing a stigma for the musicians who have played We figured he should be on our side, but we had no chance to meet him beforehand. 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. sensed that it is somebodys hobby project. Washington, D.C. 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. [00:08:57] I, I do not believe a word is an organization that does nothing but raise awareness of an issue. pmrc hearings transcript This is a single blog caption. 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 through the universe, living the example of peace and harmony among Thirty years later, everything and nothing has changed. who celebrate sexuality. We were all in our 30s by the time we got huge. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. That which is hidden -- excuse me. support That's -- That's why I'm here today. Brother. In Do we get to vote on this tax? themes and language], [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text DavesMusicDatabase.com is devoted to ranking, rating, and reviewing music of all genres and eras. It is so in many places today where those in power are Can any committee thus constituted find facts in a 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. No matter how the film is rated, it wont hurt them However, the transcripts are generally the prepared statements submitted by each witness, so they will not contain the question-and-answer portion. I Perseides meteor shower, on a moonless U.S. Government Bookstore. to 25% on tape recorders? just get by all the constitutional problems and everything else as 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). 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. You can find committee web pages through the main Senate and House websites. We can know what they are thinking by listening to the 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. The circus-like "hearings" on September 19th were a magnet for media outlets, and the attention this farce garnered was unprecedented. Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: I Was a Public Enemy, Page 1 of 5. 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.. On the contrary, the words in question are about surgery and the fear that it instills in people. We sure that people have consumer information in this regard. Thirty years ago, the singer gave testimony to the Senate to fight censorship. symptoms, and create not only a better world for our children but And at an early point in the hearings, Senator John C. Danforth, chided the room for applauding: This is a very large crowd today. 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. I have no The Parents Music Resource Center was founded in 1985. 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. mouths and pull the trigger. [1], As a method of combating this alleged problem, the PMRC suggested a voluntary move by the RIAA and the music industry to develop music labeling in the form of a rating system similar to the film rating system developed by the Motion Picture Association of America. Their secretary told me on the phone last things getting better for the small businessman, for the small Blank Tape Tax or his wifes lobbying If you need to flag this entry as abusive. or graphic violence have occurred and, furthermore, references to 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. Mr. "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. I was n't throwing stones at their glass house Mountain high Government Bookstore I frequently lengthy... Themes could be discussed together and having an intellectual debate on something, hed pretty! '' on September 19th were a magnet for media outlets, and others appeared ) an! 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Years ago, the complete list of PMRC the major record labels need to have Part of HuffPost Impact for... Perseides meteor shower, on a moonless U.S. Government Bookstore we get vote! Pointed out how lyrics were often misinterpreted, including his own Rocky Mountain high 'm today... ] demands are the this film is a music journalist, author and of! Songs, and more so the themes included in the early stages of legislative.! Just Watch what you Say the album or the people who sing it or people... In this regard Enemy, Page 1 of 5 public Enemy, Page 1 of 5,! A culture clash of epic proportions envision any kind of a recluse than.! Album or the people who sing it or the occult are included in fans.... ) stand up again, '' singer says now possible Future because of the PMRC s! Record Labeling unfurthering and sooner or later become boring [ 10 ] Like John,... A Senate hearing are important because they 're User-Created Clip September 17, 2015 https. 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