The censorship of music is wrong. How can the government think that they can silence what a person feels and believes? How can the government silence the emotions that the musician is expressing through music? I myself am a musician, and I write lyrics as well. When I write the lyrics for my songs, they come from my heart. Whatever emotions I am trying to express through any of my songs, I try to capture in the lyrics. The lyrics, in so many ways, explain what the music can not. The music is used as an atmosphere for the message that is expressed by the lyrics. I would not want someone who doesn’t even know me to tell me that I couldn’t write exactly what I wanted to say, or how I wanted to say it. Then I would have to change the song, and thus changing the meaning. If I were to do it my way, they would label my work as vulgar and then edit what I have created. I would be absolutely furious.
From Wal-Mart’s ban of CD’s with vulgar language, to Ed Sulivan refusing to show Elvis from the waist down. Music censorship has controlled, in some way, what the public sees and listens to. Many people believe that it is directly the Federal Government’s fault. Other people believe that it is the doing of religious groups, radio stations, or other non-government organizations.
The First Amendment of the United State’s Constitution states:
Congress shall make no law representing an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and petition the government for a redress of grievances (Nuzum).
For years, many levels of government have passed, or have tried to pass, bills to strengthen music censorship. For example, the “Harmful to Minors” Bill, which was vetoed by Washington State’s Governor Mike Lowry (Postman A11). Unfortunately, state legislation around the country has put out record-labeling bills, including states like New York and Indiana. Such bills require that warning stickers be placed on albums, CD’s, and cassettes that contain lyrics that are inappropriate for minors. Now, in some states, selling a stickered record to a minor is punishable, to the store, by fines or jail terms. There are many bills and policies that are made on the basis of community morals. For example, what may be acceptable in Washington may be punishable by fines in Indiana. People in Los Angeles would think differently towards Ice-T’s “Cop Killer” than people would in Quaker, Pennsylvania (Jagen E01).
Artists and other anti-music censorship advocates have ridiculed this stickering bill for years. Mainly because the artists feel that their first amendment right to freedom of speech is being restricted. Many small printing companies have put out T-shirts, bumper stickers and posters, mocking the “Parental Advisory” warning that is seen on most records. Underneath, it usually states “extreme f****** lyrics.” The rapper Ice-T, has put out an album entitled “The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech.” It also displays a humorous warning. “Parents strongly cautioned… Some material may be X-tra hype and inappropriate for squares and suckers.” These criticisms make light of the government’s continued actions towards the censorship of music. Musicians hope to show how the government is being excessive with these bills that censor their music (Jagen E01).
Even some supporters of the stickering and other censorship bills look back and see its idiocy. Contillo, a sponsor of a bill that passed allowing municipalities, state and local, to enact ordinances forcing retailers to cover magazines that are obscene, stated:
I could easily see a [stickering] bill such as that being expanded to include both audio and video elements. My question would be, however, that a group that uses profanity or whatever to attract attention, and that is what many do, do we then help them attract more attention by attaching a label? (Jagen E01).
In Missouri, a bill was proposed, but never passed, by Assemblywoman Jean Dixon. It stated that “a minor can not attend any performance that presents, depicts, advocated, advertises, performs, distributes, described, or encourages the prohibited acts of sex, illegal drug use, suicide, incest, rape or murder.” Jean Dixon also supports civil action against performers and producers for damages or wrongful death by any person who acted as a direct result of motivation derived by listening to an audio recording. I do not think that Dixon understands that producers and artist have no control over another person’s mind (Jagen E01).
There are also many organizations that are for music censorship. PMRC, Parents Music Resource Center, is one of them, which Tipper Gore is a member. This organization is noted for repeatedly targeting bands like, Metallica, Ice-T, W.A.S.P., Guns and Roses, Rage Against the Machine, and Slayer for their use of vulgar language. RIAA, Recording Industry Association of America, is a strong supporter of anti-music censorship. It is led by Hillary Rosen, a supporter of Governor Lowry’s veto on the “Harmful to Minors” Bill. For artists themselves, there is JAMPAC, Joint Artists and Music Promotions Political Action Committee. This organization also fights the censorship of music. A member of JAMPAC is Krist Noveselic, the leader of the band Sweet 75 and former bassist of Nirvana. He has helped JAMPAC raise about $15,000 in 1995 for their campaigning (Postman A11).
No matter how hard organizations like RIAA and JAMPAC fight, there will always be legislation passing bills and policies. Many retail and record stores use the “18 and over rule” already. Wal-Mart, as well as Camelot Music Chains, sell only the edited versions of albums. In Florida, an employee of Spec’s Music was jailed for five years for selling a stickered item to a minor (Jagen E01).
Stickering is a good idea for a guide, but an album shouldn’t be illegal when being sold to a minor. Music is an art form, and restrictions on who should be allowed to appreciate it are ridiculous and asinine (Hagen E05).
So, what can be done to stop the censorship of musician’s ideas, thoughts, and expression? During the First World Conference in 1998 on music censorship in Copenhagen, it was documented that many government, political, and religious groups are violating the freedom of expression for musicians, songwriters, and composers. These violations are, banning songs from airplay, or the restricting of selling albums in stores. Also, the physical and mental abuse, imprisonment and assassination of artists. As a result of this conference, a network has been established to defend the rights of musicians within the spirit of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (First World Conference…).
Should the way a minor act be blamed upon the music that they listen to, or because of their environment? That is a major question for censorship activists. The Journal of American Medical Association has stated that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to establish a correlation between violent behavior, suicide, and homicide with rock themes (Jagen E01).
Most problems with those who are out to censor music, is that they take the artist’s work out of context and construed the true meaning to fit their accusations. Parents and politicians use music as a scapegoat to blame the problems of societies actions upon. We’ve all heard the stories about the grieving parents of a child who has taken their life. And then the parents or their lawyers attack a band or group who wrote a song about suicide or killing someone else. For example, Ozzy Osborn being accused to have had subliminal messages in his song “Suicide Solution”, where prosecutors tried to show that if you played the song backwards “get the gun, shoot, shoot, shoot” could be heard. As well as Blink 182 and their suicide inspired “Adam’s Song”, a song about someone they knew who killed himself. Unfortunately, court battles like these are common happenings today.
The media too, find it easy to place blame on a musician and their music. The media attacked AC/DC when a serial killer left his baseball cap bearing the emblem of the band at one of his crime scenes. Reports were then circulated that AC/DC’s music had satanic messages that drove him to kill. All accusations were found to be false, but the media did not care nor did they apologize for their slanderous actions. The press make easy prey out of the musicians. Not caring if they ruin the artist’s reputations at all.
The censorship of music is wrong and should be stopped before it gets out of hand. Soon the government will be telling citizens what is appropriate to wear, see, feel, and act. Taking away the citizen’s god given right to choice. Taking away our First Amendment right as well as our individuality. Forcing us to conform to what the government feels is reasonable. People like Tipper Gore and Assemblywoman Jean Dixon should realize that the answer is not to persecute other people and hope that the violence and strife in our society will go away. Hitler felt the Jewish community was to blame for the economic struggle of Germany and the people followed him. Thus creating the Holocaust, where millions of innocent people were killed purely based upon their beliefs. But is it not the musician’s own beliefs that they are being punished for? I do not want there to be a musical Holocaust.
The only way to stop the censorship of music is to support people like Governor Lowry and organizations like JAMPAC and the RIAA. Do not allow our freedom to be taken away
Works Cited
“First World Conference on Music Censorship in Copenhagen.” 2 Oct. 1998. Online posting. 11 Nov. 2000. Http://www.iniana.edu/~ethmusic/censorship98.html.
Hagen, Joanna. “Music Censorship Hits A Wrong Note.” Record (Northern New Jersey) 25 Feb. 1990: E05.
Jagen, Barbara. “Let the Rock Fans Beware, Lawmakers Push for Stricter Labeling.” Record (Northern New Jersey) 4 Feb. 1990: E01.
“Just Sing No.” USA Today 2 Oct. 1992: 01D.
Postman, David. “Rockers’ Pac Seeks Funds Nationwide Organizers Commend Lowry For Veto On ‘Harmful to Minors’ Bill.” Seattle Times 12 Aug. 1995: A11.
Nuzum, Eric. “What is Music Censorship?” Online posting. 17 Nov. 2000. Http://ericnuzum.com/banned/mcensorship.html.