Frank Zappa at PMRC Senate Hearing on Rock Lyrics

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 be violent, have drug use or be sexual via labeling and censorship. The committee was founded by four women: 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 former Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. They were known as the "Washington wives" -- a reference to their husbands' connections with government in the Washington, D.C. area. In August 1985, 19 record companies agreed to put "Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics" labels on albums to warn of explicit lyrical content. Before the labels could be put into place, the Senate agreed to hold a hearing on so-called "porn rock". This began on September 19, 1985, when representatives from the PMRC, three musicians -- Dee Snider, Frank Zappa, John Denver -- and Senators Paula Hawkins and Al Gore 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." During his statement, musician and producer Frank Zappa 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 interpretation and enforcement problems inherent in the proposal's design."
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMRC)

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  News & Politics

[Gilsams]

Al Gore was the least intelligent speaker, while simultaneously being the only senator who didn't condescend or personally attack Mr. Zappa.

[John Michael Patrick]

ZAPPA FOR PRESIDENT!!!

[Gustave Frankfurter]

In the 80's, my friends and I boycotted Coors brand beer because they financially supported the PMRC. Tipper Gore is a bitch, as well as the other "members" of the PMRC, which were practically non existent on paper. Frank Zappa was very impressive with his testimony in the 1980's version of the 1950's red scare McCarthy era bullshit, but if you want to see what brought the PMRC to an end, watch the Dee Snider testimony. Truly a blow against the stripping of our first amendment rights. RIP Zappa.

[MegaDarth666]

I should care about what you say because? Oh right, I shouldn't and don't.

[Joseph Leigh]

32:45

... just... *sigh*.

[5gShroom]

Frank must be sick as to what they allow on the radio this day and age, I know Howard Stern is too. The fucking shit they boot him out for, Now i hear way worse things in songs that are SO MAIN STREAM. It is way discouraging and disgusting what the government does to certain people.

[MrChanakkale]

...non si può fermare un'idea....

[TheQueenCityPsycho]

and you think that's going to stop him?

[MegaDarth666]

you do know he's dead right?

[Mustafa Enrique Johnson]

do you see the one of the senators smoking in the background? hilarious!

[Mustafa Enrique Johnson]

he was the smartest person in music. period!