The original Karen, Tipper Gore. She sure didn't have anything to do with her time back in May 1985 when she and her four fellow harpies decided to form the PMRC, AKA Parental Music Resource Center. Their goal was nothing short of the censorship of music. Their inspiration, The Filthy Fifteen, a list of selected songs, which the group themselves dug deep to curate.
The group was supported by Coors beer owner, Joseph Coors, and oddly, Beach Boys singer, Mike Love. The goal, and essentially their demand, was that music labels would voluntarily develop a rating system for albums, and adhere these labels to all material placed on the market. Additionally, they would require record companies to print warning labels on explicit material albums, force record stores to keep these under or behind the counter, and pressure television stations to not play music or videos of these songs. Lastly, they would set in place a panel to determine these ratings, and set industry standards.
By August of that same year, record companies agreed to implement warning labels on all explicit content albums. However, before this could be implemented, the senate agreed to hold a hearing on the matter, held on September 19, 1985. Among the attendees were the PMRC committee, musicians, and a gaggle of senators, who would all testify, and plead their side.
Shortly over an hour into the hearing, the senate called Frank Zappa to speak. The artist was clearly agitated by the prospect of any committee censoring artists, but stated he would have no issues with the lyrics being provided as a separate sheet packaged with the album. He further stated he would not be in favor of a grading system, because unlike a movie, the rating assigned doesn't hurt the actor's career, wherein it does for musicians because the album is that individual's personal art. Ultimately, despite Zappa's points, he hurts his own credibility with a tone of arrogance, and personal attack of the women behind it, stating he felt it was more so their project built out of boredom, rather than legitimate concern. Personally, I agree.
John Denver spoke next, and while on the surface one would attribute him with a wholesome image, he too spoke about the unfairness of censorship. He discussed how his hit song, Rocky Mountain High, was brought under scrutiny by those who misinterpreted the lyrics to be about drugs, and raised the question of what if the lyrics were misrepresented when consideration for grading occurred. Overall, he was not a fan of the possibility, nor censorship in general, feeling musicians had the right to express themselves through their art under the constitution.
Last to speak, and the show stealer of the day, was Dee Snyder. Snyder entered the room, dressed in a sleeveless jean jacket, long hair, and sunglasses. He personified the spirit of rock and roll, and depicted the image which the majority of the room equated to Satanic music. However, when he spoke, he did so confidently, intelligently, and with facts, debated every argument presented to him coherently, and respectfully.
While all three artists came from a different angle, and didn't necessarily share the same opinion of labeling albums with warning labels, they ultimately shared the same sentiment. The responsibility of what their children listen to is that of the parent's, and not a government committee.
What exactly were The Filthy Fifteen that spawned all of this nonsense? What was so bad about them that it necessitated the demand for change? Believe it or not, some of them are among the most popular hits, which still resonate today. Others, you probably wouldn't even know existed if they weren't on this list. Ironically, it was because of their affiliation with The Filthy Fifteen that garnered them some of the attention they got.
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| Prince and the Revolution Darling Nikki |
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| Sheena Easton Sugar Walls (funnily enough, another Prince song) |
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| Judas Priest Eat Me Alive |
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| Vanity Strap On Robby Baby |
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| Mötley Crüe Bastard |
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| AC/DC Let Me Put My Love Into You |
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| Twisted Sister We're Not Gonna Take It |
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| Madonna Dress You Up |
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| W.A.S.P. (Animal) F**k Like A Beast This song wasn't even on an album! It was only a B-Side to a single! |
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| Def Leppard High 'n' Dry |
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| Mercyful Fate Into the Coven |
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| Black Sabbath Trashed |
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| Mary Jane Girls My House |
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| Venom Possessed |
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| Cyndi Lauper She Bop |
By the standard of your typical hip hop song these days, most of these are timid, not even a footnote by comparison. Others are simply left to the imagination of the crazy women who deemed them so offensive.
Regardless, they got their way, and this is why since the late 80's we've had the privilege of "Explicit Lyrics" warnings. The irony is that this really didn't seem to do anything in terms of stopping the flow of these albums. In fact, I'd wager it cast more light on them, serving to make them more appealing to a broader spectrum.
What's the best way to make a child want something? Draw attention to it being taboo, and tell them they can't have it. You've now piqued their curiosity more.
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