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From: dsi@unccvax.UUCP (Dataspan Inc)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Zappa, Snider, and Denver (!)
Message-ID: <301@unccvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 09:03:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: unccvax.301
Posted: Thu Sep 26 09:03:31 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Sep-85 07:11:09 EDT
Organization: UNC-Charlotte
Lines: 109


     Here are some excerpts from this week's Broadcasting (23
September 1985) concerning the Gore hearings in Congress this 
week. . .

     Zappa, on the PMRC:

      "The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense
       which fails to deliver any real benefits to children,
       infringies on the civil liberties of those who are
       not children, and promises to keep the courts busy
       for years...

      "The PMRC demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff
       by decapitation. No one has forced Ms. Baker or Ms. Gore
       to bring Prince or Sheena Easton into their homes.

      "The complete list of PMRC demands reads like an ins-
       truction manual for some sinister kind of toilet
       training programme to housebreak all all composers
       and performers because of the lyrics of a few. Ladies,
       how dare you!!!

      [ He also charged the PMRC with confusing the issue by 
        lump summing song lyrics, videos, broadcasting, packaging,
        and live performances. ]

      "These are all different mediums, and the people who
       work in them have the right to conduct their business
       without trade-restraining legislation, whipped up
       like an instand pudding by the wives of Big Brother.

 
     According to Broadcasting, Zappa made a remark which prompted
Senator Slade Gorton (R-Washington) to say "I have found your
statements to be boorish, insensitive, and insulting. You have
destroyed any credibility with this body."

     Jeff Ling, of the PMRC, presented several more examples of
"obscene lyrics." He said something about "Jungle Love" (The Time?)
whose album also contains a song "If The Kid Can't Make You Come,
Nobody Can."  Also, Prince served dartboard service once again,
with these lyrics being entered into the official record:

  

     "I was only 16/but that's no excuse/my sister was 32,
      lovely and loose. My sister never made love to anyone
      but me/Incest is everything it's said to be.. 

     {Editor's Note here - My local bullshit detector feels -
      without hearing the song - that this is probably taken
      out of context. Having not seen the whole lyrics, I'm
      not sure, but it is possible ... }

     Twisted Sister got some heat for "Under the Blade", which
Tipper Gore stated was about sadomasochism.  Dee Snider
charged the PMRC with "character assasination" and "propagating
misinformation." Snider had a peppered exchange with Ms. Gore
about this song, in which she was informed that the song was
in "point of fact, about surgery..." He also was called to the
carpet for "We're Not Going to Take It", which the PMRC feels
is "violent." Snider noted that this song is currently part of
an United Way commercial in a segment on the changing American
family.

     Albert Gore (D-Tenn) and Snider also got into a very heated
exchange about the Twisted Sister fan club name, SMFFTS. Snider
simply told him the truth about what it stood for: "Sick mother
fucking fans of Twisted Sister." Snider's Christianity was called
into question on this and other points several times in the
hearing. 

     { Camera pans over to Sen and Ms. Gore, looking into
       each other's eyes as they gleefully take turns 
       at Dee Snider. Kinda reminds me of Frank Burns
       and Hot Lips scenes in M*A*S*H right before they
       are about to court-martial Capt. Pierce!!! }

     Can you believe that John Denver's song, "Rocky Mountain High"
(a mainstay of Evergreen / light A/C formats these days) was once
banned by several radio stations because it was viewed as being
about drug abuse? Denver is against censorship of any kind,  
and it is certainly weird to see Snider, Zappa, and Denver all
on the same page of a trade magazine!

     RIAA President Stanley Gortikov (whose orginisation has proposed
a single "Explicit Lyrics" sticker, rather than the four that the
PMRC seek) tried to take Congress to task over the issue of just
criticizing rock music. (Evidently, songs about extramarital affairs,
excessive drinking, and "having been in jail and proud of it" didn't
warrant consideration by the PMRC).

     In terms of actual legislation, I don't think anyone really
cares.  Both houses of Congress are busy with other stuff, and 
even things which are reporting out of committee right now 
favourably are having trouble getting on the docket.  James Exon
(D-Neb) also questioned having these media events in the first place. 

     In the Charlotte Obscurer, I read an article about the PMRC
wanting FOUR stickers : "explicit sexuality" "profanity", 
"      " (can't remember) and "occult." Does anyone have any
financial information on the machine-insertable sticker business?
The sticker business is going to mushroom if every record which
could be miscontrued as "occult" is going to get a sticker !

David Anthony
CDE
DataSpan, Inc.


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