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The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related, or sexual themes via labeling albums with Parental Advisory stickers. The committee was founded by four women known as the "Washington Wives"—a reference to their husbands' connections with government in the Washington, D.C. area. The women who founded the PMRC are Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later
Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary
James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House chief of staff and 67th United States secretary ...
; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of former Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. The PMRC eventually grew to include 22 participants before shutting down in the mid-to-late 1990s.


Early history

The Parents Music Resource Center was founded in May 1985. The group's formation was cemented with the financial help of
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
of the
Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...
, and Joseph Coors, the owner of Coors beers. Both had actively supported Reagan's candidacy, and Coors offered offices to the PMRC.


Actions

As a method of combating this alleged problem, the PMRC suggested a voluntary move by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
and the music industry to develop music labeling in the form of a rating system similar to the film rating system developed by the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
. Additional suggestions from the PMRC that appeared in an article in ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' included: printing warnings and lyrics on album covers, requiring record stores to put albums with explicit covers under the counters, pressuring television stations not to broadcast explicit songs or videos, "reassess ng the contracts of musicians who performed violently or sexually in concert, and creating a panel to set industry standards.


Filthy Fifteen

One of the actions taken by the PMRC was compiling a list of fifteen songs in popular music, at the time, that they found the most objectionable. This list is known as the "Filthy Fifteen" and consists of the following songs along with the lyrical content category for which each song was considered objectionable:


Senate hearing

In August 1985, 19 record companies agreed to put "Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics" labels on albums to warn consumers of explicit lyrical content. Before the labels could be put into place, the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
agreed to hold a hearing on so-called "porn rock". The hearing was held on September 19, 1985, when representatives from the PMRC, three musicians— Dee Snider,
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
,
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...
—and Senators Paula Hawkins,
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
, and others testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee 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."


Supporting witnesses

Paula Hawkins presented three record covers (''
Pyromania Pyromania is an impulse-control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, to relieve some tension or for instant gratification. The term ''pyromania'' comes from the Greek word (''pyr'', 'f ...
'' by
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...
, '' W.O.W.'' by Wendy O. Williams, and '' W.A.S.P.'' by W.A.S.P.) and the music videos for " Hot for Teacher" by
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, and " We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister, commenting: "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." Susan 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." Tipper Gore asked record companies to voluntarily "plac a warning label on music products inappropriate for younger children due to explicit sexual or violent lyrics." 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. In addition, Dr. Joe Stuessy, a music professor at the
University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA or UT San Antonio) is a Public university, public research university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Established in 1969,jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
because it was "church music" and "had as one of its central elements the element of hatred." Dr. Paul King, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, testified on the deification of heavy metal musicians, and to the presentation of heavy metal as a religion. He also stated that "many" adolescents read deeply into song lyrics.


Opposing witnesses

During his statement, musician and producer
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
asserted 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." He went on to state 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?" Zappa had earlier stated about the Senate's agreement to hold a hearing on the matter that "A couple of blowjobs here and there and Bingo!—you get a hearing."
Folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
musician
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...
referred to the proposed labels as censorship and 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". He further compared the PMRC proposals to
Nazi book burnings The Nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the German Student Union (, ''DSt'') to ceremonially Book burning, burn books in Nazi Germany and First Austrian Republic, Austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed ...
, and expressed his belief that censorship is ultimately 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." When Denver came up to give his speech, many expected him to side with the PMRC. Dee Snider, frontman and lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister, testified that he " idnot support ... IAA presidentGortikov'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 by the PMRC as referring to sadomasochism, bondage, and rape, and " We're Not Gonna Take It", which the PMRC accused of promoting violence. Snider told the panel that "Under the Blade" was inspired by a band member's surgery and was about the fear he imagined one would experience undergoing surgery, announcing that "the only sadomasochism, bondage, and rape in this song is in the mind of Ms. Gore." He further stated "Ms. Gore was looking for sadomasochism and bondage, and she found it. Someone looking for surgical references would have found it as well." Snider concluded that "The full responsibility for defending my children falls on the shoulders of my wife and I, because there is no one else capable of making these judgments for us." 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 Hollings is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Chloé Hollings, French-Australian actress * Edmund Hollings (1556?–1612), English physician * Ernest Hollings (1922–2019), American politician * John Hollings (1683?–1739), En ...
,
Gorton Gorton is an area of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the southeast of Manchester city centre. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 36,055. Neighbouring areas include Levenshulme and Openshaw. A ...
, Hawkins, and others appeared. The album cover featured a parody of the RIAA warning label. The LP included a note to listeners to send to Zappa's
Barking Pumpkin Records Barking Pumpkin Records is an American record label founded by Frank Zappa in 1981. Zappa named the label after his wife's smoker's cough when she tried to quit the habit. Barking Pumpkin was initially distributed by CBS Records. History Zappa ...
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. Zappa's full testimonial was released on a posthumous 2010 compilation called '' Congress Shall Make No Law...''


Parental Advisory sticker

On November 1, 1985, before the hearing ended, the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
agreed to put " Parental Advisory" 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 stores refused to sell albums containing the label (including
Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
), and others limited sales of those albums to adults. It is uncertain whether the "Tipper sticker" is effective at preventing children from being exposed to explicit content. Some, citing the " forbidden-fruit effect", suggest that the sticker in fact increases record sales. Philip Bailey of
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
said that "for the most part he stickermight even sell more records in some areas – all you've got to do is tell somebody this is a no-no and then that's what they want to go see." Ice-T's track "Freedom of Speech" contains the lyrics: "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." While lyrics from the Furnaceface song "We Love You, Tipper Gore", from their 1991 album ''Just Buy It'', suggest that the label "only whets my appetite ... only makes us want to hear it that much more".


Musician reaction

Many musicians have criticized or parodied the PMRC and Tipper Gore: * "In a world with major pollution and guns ablaze,"
John Lydon John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...
marveled, "they have to pick on someone using foul language." * Judas Priest's song "Parental Guidance" from 1986 album ''
Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...
'' was allegedly written as a response to Tipper Gore's attack on the band and on heavy metal in general. * In the
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
cover version of the song " Anarchy in the UK" the altered lyrics referencing the PMRC as well as the U.S. government law enforcement, "Is this the PMRC? Is this the DEA or is this the CIA? I thought it was the U.S.A." * In 1987, the punk rock band
NOFX NOFX () was an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin were original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
released an EP titled '' The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This.'' * Danzig's 1988 song "
Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
" scored a top 50 hit as the most famous song about the PMRC labeling and its inherent problems (''Mother/Tell your children not to walk my way/Tell your children not to hear my words/What they mean, what they say, mother''). * Some prints of
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
's 1986 album '' Master of Puppets'' contained a
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
warning, shaped like a stop sign, that read "THE ONLY TRACK YOU PROBABLY WON'T WANT TO PLAY IS "DAMAGE, INC." DUE TO MULTIPLE USE OF THE INFAMOUS "F" WORD. OTHERWISE, THERE AREN'T ANY "SHITS," "FUCKS," "PISSES," "CUNTS," "MOTHERFUCKERS" OR "COCKSUCKERS" ANYWHERE ON THIS RECORD." This also references
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
's " seven dirty words" routine by mentioning six of them (all but "tits"). * Flotsam and Jetsam's song "Hard on You" (from their 1988 album '' No Place for Disgrace'') is a direct reference to the PMRC, with several lines such as "One that's young sees the circled 'R', does he buy it?", "Can't you see, you're ripping away our independence" and "If your committee is so damn right, why did we write this song?" *
Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...
's 1991 non-album song "Jesse" featured a verse directed toward Tipper Gore, including the lyrics: "I wanna fuck you, Tipper, 'cause you showed me that Things are still the same, Everybody's parents turn out lame, I wanna say "fuck you," Tipper Gore" It was released only as a promotional cassette single, though Rundgren played it live for several years. * The
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
song "Hook In Mouth" from their 1988 album '' So Far, So Good... So What!'' is aimed at the PMRC, which is explicitly mentioned in the chorus. * The
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
song "F.I.N.E." from their 1989 album ''
Pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes Slurry, slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of application ...
'' mentions Tipper Gore in the line "Even Tipper thinks I'm alright", the song being explicitly about sex. When accepting a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for that album's single Janie's Got a Gun, Aerosmith frontman
Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...
sarcastically thanked both Tipper Gore and Senator
Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the Conservatism in the United States, conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the ...
(who was not a member of the PMRC but publicly supported the organization) for helping ensure ''"that if an album has a few dirty words, it'll sell another million copies."'' * Ice-T's 1989 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
:In his book ''The Ice Opinion'', Ice-T wrote "Tipper Gore is the only woman I ever directly called a bitch on any of my records, and I meant that in the most negative sense of the word." On "You Shoulda Killed Me Last Year", his spoken-word outro to his album '' O.G. Original Gangster'', he curses the CIA, the LAPD,
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
,
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
, and Tipper Gore. * One of the bonus tracks on Warrant's 1990 album '' Cherry Pie'', titled "Ode to Tipper Gore", is a montage of short audio clips from various live performances by the band, featuring ample use of expletives and obscene language. * In 1990,
Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...
released his debut album '' Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast'' with one song titled "Pimp of the Nation" where he states that "Tipper Gore is my highest paid whore" which is a diss regarding the PMRC. * The liner notes of
Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...
's 1990 album '' Goo'' include a cartoon with the caption "SMASH THE PMRC." * The cover art for the 1990 PDQ Bach album '' Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities'' features a "Pathetic Advisory: Inane Lyrics" warning label. *
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
referenced the PMRC in their song "Shelter Me" (from their ''
Heartbreak Station ''Heartbreak Station'' is the third studio album by American rock band Cinderella, released in 1990 through Mercury Records. It reached No.19 in the Billboard 200 US chart on December 21, 1990, and went platinum for shipping a million albums on ...
'' album) with the lines "Tipper led the war against the record industry, she said she saw the devil on her MTV". * The 1990 Dead Milkmen song "Do the Brown Nose" includes the lyrics ''You, yes you, here's a dime, run out and call the PMRC.'' * In the 1992 video for " Hush",
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
perform naked, except for placards over their genitals, designed to resemble the Explicit Lyric warning stickers (but replacing "lyrics" with "parts"). * On July 18, 1993,
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...
protested against the PMRC at
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
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.Micallef, Ken (March 1996)
Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk
, '' Modern Drummer.'' Retrieved February 17, 2007.
The band later played a free show for disappointed fans. * W.A.S.P live album '' Live... in the Raw'' includes the song "Harder, Faster", which Blackie Lawless dedicates during the opening of the song to the PMRC. * KMFDM's irony-laden song " Sucks", from their 1993 album ''
Angst Angst is a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity. ''Anguish'' is its Romance languages, Latinate cognate, equivalent, and the words ''anxious'' and ''anxiety'' are of similar origin. Etymology The word ''angst'' was introduced in ...
'', contains the lyrics:
Our records have stickers with a warning from Tipper
'Cause they're no good for kids; if we'd get her, we'd strip her
* New York-based thrash band
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
wrote and composed a song called "Startin' Up a Posse" for their 1991 release '' Attack of the Killer B's''. This song ridicules the members of the PMRC. * Punk rock band Ramones recorded for their 1992 album '' Mondo Bizarro'' the song "Censorshit" about how rock and rap albums were being censored by the PMRC. It mentions
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
and
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
, and is addressed to Tipper Gore. * The third verse of Sir Mix-A-Lot's 1994 single " Put 'Em on the Glass" begins "How many times will you play this/Before you ban this?/I heard Mrs. Gore can't stand this". * The 1997 Canadian punk band Reset's album ''No Worries'' features a track titled "Go Away", which is entirely about their disapproval of the PMRC and Tipper Gore, with one line directly naming Gore.
Tipper, won't you understand the message that I want to say
It's kind of rude but here it goes: it's "fuck you!"
I don't like what you do, and I don't like you.
* On the 2001 Dead Kennedys live album '' Mutiny on the Bay'' (recorded in a 1986 concert), during their song "M.T.V. – Get off the Air", lead singer Jello Biafra tells the audience to "buy a homemade ecordinstead, before the PMRC closes the stores down that sell 'em." Biafra had earlier been brought to trial on charges of "distributing harmful matter to minors" in an incident involving the 1985 Dead Kennedys's album '' Frankenchrist'', which featured an insert of H. R. Giger's '' Penis Landscape'' and a parody sticker on the front cover reading:
WARNING: The inside fold out to this record cover is a work of art by H.R. Giger that some people may find shocking, repulsive or offensive. Life can sometimes be that way.
* Rapper
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
directly referenced Tipper Gore and indirectly referenced the PMRC in " White America", the opening selection of his 2002 album '' The Eminem Show''; in it, he referred to his mission as being
To burn the and replace it with a Parental Advisory sticker/
To spit liquor in the faces of this democracy of hypocrisy/
Fuck you, Ms. Cheney; Fuck you, Tipper Gore.
:Eminem also included Lynne Cheney, owing to her heavy criticism of his previous album and its explicit lyrical content, '' The Marshall Mathers LP'', at a
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
hearing. * Suicidal Tendencies referenced Tipper Gore in their song "Lovely" from the album '' Lights...Camera...Revolution!'': "Tipper, babe, don't you remember me/Now I'm kinder, gentler, and so happy". * Harry and the Potters reference Tipper Gore and the PMRC in the title track of their album '' Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock!'' with the line "We won't let the Dark Lord ruin our party just like Tipper Gore tried with the PMRC." *
Quiet Riot Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Kelly Garni, and vocalist Kevin DuBrow. The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin Du ...
's music video for their song The Wild and the Young showed rockers being rounded up and arrested by government soldiers while the members of Quiet Riot escape and perform the song underground, then in the final scene it says "In Washington, Congress has just passed legislation that requires record companies to reproduce song lyrics on all album jackets.....The government has also cited the rock and roll band, Quiet Riot, as one of the chief offenders in this ongoing controversy."


See also

* '' Warning: Parental Advisory'' * Parents Television and Media Council * Terry Rakolta


References


Further reading

* Christe, Ian. 2004. ''Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal'' (), specifically Chapter 7: "The PMRC's Antimetal Panic"
summary
* Deflem, Mathieu. 2020

''American Journal of Criminal Justice'' 45(1): 2–24 (First published online July 24, 2019).


External links


Sex, Drugs and Gore
a short documentary by Retro Report looking back at the PMRC and its effect on culture today
History of the PMRC
by Claude Chastagner
Short history of the PMRC
by Censor This

of music censorship


FTC Report
"An Overview of the Entertainment Media Industries and the Development of Their Rating and Labeling Systems"

on " Crossfire" during the PMRC controversy {{Authority control Media content ratings systems Censorship of music Censorship in the United States Organizations established in 1985 Articles containing video clips 1985 establishments in the United States