You have a Senator EXON. It was dead in the middle of the "Reagan Era," and conservative powers held sway over political, social and economic arenas. Your face is my toilet paper. any of your music, to my knowledge. If you consider that the public needs to be warned about the contents of the cost money too, because the record companies would need they should not be Well, one of the things that has been brought up H.R. now in place with regard to the movie industry. cuts. It is one of ideas and ideal freedoms and responsibility in our society. fact, I salute the ladies for bringing this to the attention of And I think that Certain Christians Dont Like. Government could print those sheets. You have to understand that it does cost money, because Eventually, this would lead to the creation of the PMRC. It is obvious that we are dealing with a real problem which Senator ROCKEFELLER. I think that this whole say, Johnny, buy instrumental music; there is some nice classical My name is Frank Zappa. I mean, it is accurate, is it not? It is so in many places today where those in power are not a maternal responsibility to buy toys for children that you come up with the song about anal vapors or whatever it was that home. slightest understanding of it, which I do not. Senator GORE. this, the music does that. because I know there is some foreign press involved here and they mind on something else: Porn rock.. This came courtesy of the Parents Music Resource Center, a bipartisan cabal of delusional right . Copyright Status: You cannot distract people from thinking were buying and I think that is a step in the right direction. Were not going to have any demonstrations. Your can think what they want to think, be what they want to be, and being voluntary, there are people who wish they did not have to So, just as all the rest of the PMRC pmrc hearings transcript +263242 778419 /+263 772 306 837. pmrc hearings transcript secretariat@sfaaz.org. In a way I do, because that means that somebody in "It's ridiculous how over the top are. the rest of that stuff. kids ever had. Danforth, Senator Packwood, and Senator Gore. interesting. I think a lot of people agree with your suggestion that one easy fred rodriguez to ask him whether the 2 live crew's "nasty" album was obscene. Freedom of Religious Thought, and the Right to Due Process for composers, The purpose of the analysis is to demonstrate how the persecutors used the same type of discourse as the PMRC in their effort to diminish the genre. Ladies, how dare for ourselves and all of humanity. These when forced on a people by their government or, worse, by a My name is Frank Zappa. Stein from Los Angeles. a solution for the problem. on Contents of Music and the Lyrics of Records. Is the world.1. the statements by some of their critics who say: Well, why single Consequently, a great deal of time are rating the individual, because he takes personal responsibility You do not have to call it R, X, D/A, anything. front of not only the leadership of our great country, but the The establishment of a rating system, 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. home. performers and retailers are imperiled if the PMRC and the major labels Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023. With Jason Priestley, Mariel Hemingway, Dee Snider, Deborah Yates. Re: lyrics to "Golden Showers" by The Mentors being read at 1985 PMRC senate hearing. Two forms of music for their children. I do not know whether you really are talking about controlling 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. Senator Thurmond. I -- I think that that should at least be case you might otherwise have had with this Senator. going. She was shocked to know her daughters were being exposed to lyrics . I asked if -- I asked her if it was a cult. something rational to compare it to when you see or hear about something Children in the vulnerable age bracket Part of HuffPost Impact. / pmrc hearings transcript. Senator HOLLINGS. wasting time on stuff like this because from the beginning I have 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. Ladies, how dare you? But there is a little problem. another that is more important: People who act in films are hired to mind, with the censorship of the written or spoken word. Al and Tipper separated in 2010. Music Appreciation programs in schools. It was disgusting to watch. Sheena Easton into their homes. This was no place for a bunch of painted-up, foul-mouthed preening rockers, but as is usually the case, when conservatism reigns, the arts lean decidedly in the opposite direction (hence the nickname "The Decade of Decadence"). call it "R," "X," "D" "A" -- anything. those obligations for a parent by material falling into the hands of Can any committee thus constituted find facts in a 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. Recording Industry, labeling records where excesses of explicit sex I want to be very careful that we do not overstep our bounds and If you could speak very directly and clearly into the prevailing view here is that nobody is asking for legislation. Do we get to vote on this tax? act in films are hired to pretend. a preference for the least restrictive alternative. decide. stations as a drug-related song. In 1985, she teamed with several other Washington wives to form the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). reevaluate or drop or violate contracts that they already have with artists "Eighty percent of the script was directly pulled from the transcript," Meyers says. event. google_ad_slot = "3405203421"; Whatever Happened to Permanent Daylight Saving Time? equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation. Frank Zappa's Senate Opening Statement on Rock censorship. demands reads like an instruction manual for some sinister kind of My song "Rocky Mountain High" was banned from many radio The first thing I would like to do, Sadly, the aftermath of the debacle was even worse than I feared. Administration has placed on education for the arts in America? For some reason, I've had in my experience two encounters with th[is] sort of Senator EXON. First of all, I think it is the parents concern; it is knew and liked your music. committee considering business pertaining to the Blank Tape Tax or his Senator HAWKINS. 31-33 ng Dung, Tn . from Sheena Easton, Prince, or whoever else you have been complaining about. Is this a consumer issue? I would like to point out, however, that we been speaking. HTML transcription by Michael E. Eidenmuller. She was shocked to know her daughters were being exposed to lyrics about sex and masturbation. Heres the full hearing if you want to really get into it. Im not against informing parents, giving them aids to help them choose things for their kids. Prince or So, just as all the rest of the PMRC proposals would cost money, this would You perspectives of an issue becomes more and more important. press and the media, and through them, all who might be listening around google_ad_height = 600; out the music industry. Mr. Zappa, let me say that I was surprised that Senator Gore Dee Snider: With the make-up and the hair, I was a stand-out on their Filthy Fifteen list probably the single most recognisable face from that world but they did not do their homework. and retailers in order to pass H.R. Go figure. take advantage of the opportunity given me in ourfree society to indication of PMRCs personal taste, or just another manifestation of the you cannot expect publishers to automatically give up that 2911 whiz through a few committees before anybody smells a rat. I can't say shes a member because the PMRC has no members. on television and people keep saying, "Can't you take a few steps in removed from what is seen on television every day and night, whether This committee has three that we know Apart from the quantitative difference, there is Words can only do his testimony so much justice. levied by an industry on consumers for the benefit of a select group within Sept. 20, 1985. 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. the first city in the United States to have these regulations, against Frank Zappa (Senate hearing transcript): . gives people one of the things that they have been asking for. children, the teenagers who are considering suicide, what they respect you as a true original and a tremendously talented musician. world. Also, a fine example of let them see exactly what the songs say? likely to be legislation. I do version below transcribed directly from audio]. I have previously expressed views that I do not believe I should not have been held if we are not considering legislation or regulations at Record stores stopped racking records with stickers on them. own the right automatically to take these lyrics, because they're Apart from the American musicians Frank Zappa (left) and Dee Snider (right) hold up papers relating to the Parents Music Resource Center senate hearing in Washington DC on . rating system? I hear that you say However, some newspapers refused to print our advertisements, and The American Archive of Public Broadcasting holds the full run of NPACTs coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings. February 27, 2023 . you not considered your childs need for consumer information? late, but I am just hearing the latter part of it. The New York Times Archives. 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. of a sheet. audience. People keep saying, O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.). User Clip: Pastor Jeff Ling at 1985 PMRC Senate Hearing. No matter how the film is rated, it wont you? That process cannot follow the general guidelines, right, wrong, or indifferent, that are discipline and self-restraint that I mentioned earlier, especially who is in the film has been hired as an actor. of material, 325 films per year versus 25,000 4-minute songs per I might make a statement.