Parents Music Resource Center
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The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 by four mothers: Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President Al Gore; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. The mothers were known as the "Washington wives" – a reference to their husbands' connections with the federal government. The Center eventually grew to include 22 directors.
The mothers claimed that popular music, especially rock music, was partially responsible for the (at the time) recent increase in rape, teenage pregnancy, and teen suicide. The PMRC's mission was "to educate and inform parents" about "the growing trend in music towards lyrics that are sexually explicit, excessively violent, or glorify the use of drugs and alcohol", and to seek the censorship and rating of music.
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[edit] Background
In October of 1984, the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) sent a letter to the 30 record labels and to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), proposing requiring the music industry to label records that contained "explicit lyrics or content", in order to "take the element of surprise out of buying an album". However, initially none of the record companies agreed to the PTA's proposal. A response letter from RIAA President Stanley Gortikov stated that:
There are wide variations, company to company, within our industry in respect to artists, contractual relationships, marketing considerations and product services.
[edit] Formation
The formation of the PMRC began in 1984, when Tipper Gore was shocked when listening (along with her daughter Karenna) to Prince's song "Darling Nikki". The song, which was on the soundtrack of Purple Rain, contained graphic references to sex and masturbation:
I knew a girl named Nikki
I guess you could say she was a sex fiend
I met her in a hotel lobby
Masturbating with a magazine
Gore watched other rock music videos and concluded that "The images frightened my children, they frightened me! The graphic sex and the violence were too much for us to handle." Susan Baker also became alarmed after hearing her 7-year-old daughter singing along with Madonna songs that Baker considered "suggestive". Gore and Baker, along with Howar and Nevius, formed the PMRC in May of 1985.
The PMRC claimed that the change in rock music was attributable to the decay of the nuclear family in America. Families, according to Gore, are "haven[s] of moral stability" which protect children from outside influences. Gore said that without the family structure, rock music was "infecting the youth of the world with messages they cannot handle."
[edit] Actions
As a method of combating this problem, the PMRC suggested a voluntary move by the RIAA and the music industry to develop "guidelines and/or a rating system" similar to the MPAA film rating system.
An article in the Washington Post contained additional suggestions from the PMRC, including 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. The Post article led to the removal of rock music and magazines from American stores including Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, Sears, and Fred Meyer.
The PMRC also released the "Filthy Fifteen", a list of the fifteen songs they found most objectionable:
| # | Artist | Song title | Lyrical content |
| 1 | Prince | "Darling Nikki" | Sex/Masturbation |
| 2 | Sheena Easton | "Sugar Walls" | Sex |
| 3 | Judas Priest | "Eat Me Alive" | Sex |
| 4 | Vanity | "Strap on Robbie Baby" | Sex |
| 5 | Mötley Crüe | "Bastard" | Violence |
| 6 | AC/DC | "Let Me Put My Love into You" | Sex |
| 7 | Twisted Sister | "We're Not Gonna Take It" | Violence |
| 8 | Madonna | "Dress You Up" | Sex |
| 9 | W.A.S.P. | "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)" | Sex/Language |
| 10 | Def Leppard | "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)" | Drug and Alcohol Use |
| 11 | Mercyful Fate | "Into the Coven" | Occult |
| 12 | Black Sabbath | "Trashed" | Drug and Alcohol Use |
| 13 | Mary Jane Girls | "In My House" | Sex |
| 14 | Venom | "Possessed" | Occult |
| 15 | Cyndi Lauper | "She Bop" | Sex/Masturbation |
In August of 1985, 19 record companies agreed to put "Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics" labels on albums to warn of explicit lyrical content. But before the labels could be put into place, the Senate agreed to hold a hearing on so-called "porn rock".
[edit] The Senate hearing
On 19 September 1985, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee began an investigation into the "pornographic content of rock music". Representatives from the PMRC, three musicians, and two Senators testified 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."
[edit] Senator Hawkins
Senator Paula Hawkins presented three record covers:
 Wendy O. Williams - W.O.W. |
Senator Hawkins explained:
Much has changed since Elvis' seemingly innocent times. Subtleties, suggestions, and innuendo have given way to overt expressions and descriptions of often violent sexual acts, drug taking, and flirtations with the occult. The record album covers to me are self-explanatory.
Hawkins also showed the music videos for "Hot for Teacher", by Van Halen, and "We're Not Gonna Take It", by Twisted Sister.
[edit] Parents Music Resource Center
Susan Baker, Pamela Howar, Sally Nevius, and Tipper Gore testified, along with their consultant Jeff Ling.
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."
Gore asked record companies to voluntarily "plac[e] a warning label on music products inappropriate for younger children due to explicit sexual or violent lyrics."
Ling presented lyrics from bands including Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Great White, Mötley Crüe, KISS, and The Rolling Stones.
[edit] Frank Zappa
Musician and producer Frank Zappa stated that
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.
It is my understanding that in law First Amendment issues are decided with a preference for the least restrictive alternative. In this context, the PMRC demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation.
Zappa also stated his suspicion that the hearings were a front for H.R. 2911, a proposed blank tape tax:
The major record labels need to have H.R. 2911 whiz through a few committees before anybody smells a rat. One of them is chaired by Senator Thurmond. Is it a coincidence that Mrs. Thurmond is affiliated with the PMRC?
[edit] John Denver
Folk rock musician John Denver 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". In addition, Denver expressed his belief that censorship is counterproductive:
That which is denied becomes that which is most desired, and that which is hidden becomes that which is most interesting. Consequently, a great deal of time and energy is spent trying to get at what is being kept from you.
Denver "applaud[ed] this hearing and applaud[ed] what these ladies, what the PMRC has presented to us". However, he stated that "the whole presentation by the PMRC comes from in my experience a foundation of fear." Denver argued that "the small percentage of records that we are discussing here today compared to the 125,000 songs that are released every year is miniscule and it is not going to affect our children to a degree that we need to be fearful of." He concluded by saying that "As an artist, I am opposed to any kind of a rating system, voluntarily or otherwise." Due to the fact that Denver did not fit the stereotype of a "rebellious rock star", he ended up becoming one of the most effective speakers to his cause.[citation needed]
[edit] Dee Snider
Dee Snider, frontman and lead singer of heavy metal band Twisted Sister, testified that he "[did] not support [...] Mr. Gortikov's unnecessary and unfortunate decision to agree to a so-called generic label on some selected records".
Like John Denver, Snider felt that his music had been misinterpreted. He defended the Twisted Sister songs "Under the Blade", which had been interpreted as about sadomasochism, bondage, and rape, and "We're Not Gonna Take It", which had been accused of promoting violence.
Snider concluded that "The full responsibility for defending children falls on the shoulders of my wife and I, because there is no one else capable of making these judgments for us."
[edit] National PTA
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.
[edit] Joe Stuessy and Paul King
Dr. Joe Stuessy, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, spoke regarding the power of music to influence behavior. He argued that heavy metal was different from earlier forms of music such as jazz and rock and roll because it was "mean-spirited" and "had as one of its central elements the element of hatred".
Dr. Paul King, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, testified of the deification of heavy metal musicians, and to the presentment of heavy metal as a religion. He also stated that many adolescents read deeply into song lyrics.
[edit] Broadcasters
Edward Fritts, President of the National Association of Broadcasters, related his actions regarding porn rock.
[edit] The Tipper Sticker
On November 1, 1985, before the hearing ended, the RIAA agreed to put "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" labels on selected releases at their own discretion. The labels were generic, unlike the original idea of a descriptive label categorizing the explicit lyrics.
Many record stores refused to sell albums containing the label (most notably Wal-Mart), and others limited the sale of those albums to minors. The label became known as the "Tipper sticker". Some politicians attempted to criminalize the sale of explicit records to minors, and others went so far as to try to ban such records. However, the power of the PMRC has greatly declined in recent years, especially with the growing popularity of rap and heavy metal (popular targets of the PMRC). Releases by independent, non-RIAA labels do not carry the sticker (often proudly). Still, the RIAA encourages the labeling of any album containing explicit lyrics.
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. Senators Gore, Hollings, Gorton, Hawkins, and others appeared. The album cover featured a bitingly sarcastic parody of the RIAA warning label. The LP included a note to listeners to send to Zappa's Barking Pumpkin Records for a free "Z-PAC", a printed information package that included transcripts of the committee hearing, and a letter from Zappa encouraging young people to register to vote.
In 1987, NOFX released an EP entitled The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This!.
In 2001, Pistol Grip released a song called "Fuck The P.M.R.C".
The Megadeth song "Hook In Mouth" from their 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What! was highly critical of the PMRC, comparing them to the Orwellian state of Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Alice Donut released a song named "Tipper Gore" on their 1988 release Donut Comes Alive that ironically used sexual metaphors to encourage Tipper to continue her PMRC crusade.
On the Dead Kennedys live album Mutiny on the Bay, during their song "M.T.V. - Get off the Air", lead singer Jello Biafra tells the audience to "buy a homemade [record] instead, before the P.M.R.C. closes the stores down that sell 'em". The Dead Kennedys also had another conflict with the P.M.R.C. in 1986 when their album Frankenchrist came under fire due to the poster that came with it, featuring H.R. Giger's "Work 219: Landscape XX", better known as Penis Landscape.
Aerosmith's song "F.I.N.E." from the 1989 Pump features the line "even Tipper thinks I'm alright", suggesting the band had got away with not being censored despite their often raunchy lyrical content.
Ice-T's album The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say contains many criticisms of the PMRC. One song in particular, "Freedom of Speech", is an extended attack on Tipper Gore:
Yo Tip, what's the matter? You ain't gettin' no dick?
You're bitchin' about rock'n'roll, that's censorship, dumb bitch
The Constitution says we all got a right to speak
Say what we want Tip, your argument is weak
"Freedom of Speech" also suggests that the warning stickers actually promote albums:
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
A minute-long track tagged onto the end of Warrant's 1990 Cherry Pie was titled "Ode to Tipper Gore" and featured nothing but various swear words recorded in rapid-fire order from past concerts.
In 1990, thrash/hardcore group Suicidal Tendencies released a song called "Lovely" on their Lights...Camera...Revolution! album, which has a mockingly clean/positive atmosphere to it and even addressess Tipper Gore by name.
The Furnaceface song "We Love You, Tipper Gore" from their 1991 album Just Buy It humorously pointed out that the attempt to suppress music of that nature made it much more appealing, suggesting that "... it only makes us want to hear it that much more." The chorus implies that smaller bands cashed in on this "peach out of reach" effect.
Other groups that mocked the PMRC in their music include The Dead Milkmen ("Here's a dime; run out and call the PMRC").
On July 18, 1993, Rage Against the Machine protested against the PMRC at Lollapalooza III by standing naked onstage with duct tape covering their mouths and the letters PMRC on their chests. The band used up their 14-minute performance time without playing any songs. The only sound emitted was audio feedback from Tom Morello and Tim Commerford's guitars.
The sticker has been lampooned continuously since its inception, and not only by musicians. A former pro wrestling tag-team consisting of independent stars "XXXplicit" Bailey Mannix and "Delicious" Danny Scott called their team "XXXplicit Content" and their logo famously mocked the sticker, only with their misspelling of the word "explicit". Although the team broke up, Mannix continues to use the nickname "XXXplicit" from time to time.
Comedian George Carlin released his album Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics in 1990. The cover was a giant Parental Advisory sticker with Carlin peering over the top.
In the mid 1990's the DOD 'Death Metal' guitar distortion pedal was packaged with a collection of 'Parental Advisory: Explicit Noise' stickers.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- History of the PMRC by Claude Chastagner
- Short history of the PMRC by Censor This
- Timeline of music censorship
- Tipper Gore on Porn Rock
- FTC Report: "An Overview of the Entertainment Media Industries and the Development of Their Rating and Labeling Systems"
[edit] External links
- Zappa’s original PMRC Letters - includes letters sent out by the PMRC
- A Frank Zappa appearance on "Crossfire" during the PMRC ruckus
