Editing Parents Music Resource Center (section)

== 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 [[United States Senate|Senate]] agreed to hold a hearing on so-called "porn rock".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/|title=RECORD LABELING|website=www.joesapt.net|access-date=March 10, 2019|archive-date=August 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824122602/http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/|url-status=live}}</ref> The hearing was held on September 19, 1985, when representatives from the PMRC, three musicians—[[Dee Snider]], [[Frank Zappa]], [[John Denver]]—and Senators [[Paula Hawkins (politician)|Paula Hawkins]], [[Al Gore]], and others testified before the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation|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."<ref>[[United States Senate]] (1985): [http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/ Record Labeling: Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824122602/http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/ |date=August 24, 2019 }}. United States Senate, Ninety-ninth Congress, First Session on Contents of Music and the Lyrics of Records (September 19, 1985). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.</ref>

=== Supporting witnesses ===
[[Paula Hawkins (politician)|Paula Hawkins]] presented three record covers (''[[Pyromania (album)|Pyromania]]'' by [[Def Leppard]], ''[[WOW (Wendy O. Williams album)|W.O.W.]]'' by [[Wendy O. Williams]], and ''[[W.A.S.P. (album)|W.A.S.P.]]'' by [[W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P.]]) and the music videos for "[[Hot for Teacher]]" by [[Van Halen]], and "[[We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song)|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[e] a warning label on music products inappropriate for younger children due to explicit sexual or violent lyrics."

National [[Parent–teacher association|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]], 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 "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]] 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."<ref>[https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/frankzapparockmusiclyrics.htm Frank Zappa – Senate Statement on Rock Lyrics and Record Labeling" @Americanrhetoric.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302083435/https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/frankzapparockmusiclyrics.htm |date=March 2, 2021 }} Retrieved August 8, 2021.</ref> He went on to state his suspicion that the hearings were a front for H.R. 2911, a proposed [[private copying levy|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 [[Strom Thurmond|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 [[blowjob]]s here and there and Bingo!—you get a hearing."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lyons |first=Steve |author2=Batya Friedman |title=Winter in America |publisher=[[Option (music magazine)|Option]] |date=January–February 1987 |url=http://www.afka.net/articles/1987-01_Option.htm |access-date=July 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227060044/http://www.afka.net/Articles/1987-01_Option.htm |archive-date=February 27, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Folk rock]] musician [[John Denver]] 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]],<ref name="Grow">{{cite magazine |last1=Grow |first1=Kory |title=Dee Snider on PMRC Hearing: 'I Was a Public Enemy' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 18, 2015 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dee-snider-on-pmrc-hearing-i-was-a-public-enemy-71205/ |access-date=April 30, 2020 |archive-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223012530/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dee-snider-on-pmrc-hearing-i-was-a-public-enemy-71205/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="society">{{cite web |last1=staff |title=33 Years Ago: John Denver Left Congress Floored With A Stunning Testimony About Music Censorship |url=https://societyofrock.com/33-years-ago-john-denver-left-congress-floored-with-a-stunning-testimony-about-music-censorship/ |website=Society of Rock |date=February 13, 2019 |access-date=April 30, 2020 |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002101035/https://societyofrock.com/33-years-ago-john-denver-left-congress-floored-with-a-stunning-testimony-about-music-censorship/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Grow"/>

[[Dee Snider]], frontman and lead singer of the [[metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Twisted Sister]], testified that he "[did] not support ... [RIAA president] Gortikov's unnecessary and unfortunate decision to agree to a so-called generic label on some selected records".<ref>Snider's testimony is also available [http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1456097/07152002/twisted_sister.jhtml at VH1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208233644/http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1456097/07152002/twisted_sister.jhtml |date=February 8, 2007 }}.</ref> Like John Denver, Snider felt that his music had been misinterpreted. He defended the Twisted Sister songs "[[Under the Blade (song)|Under the Blade]]", which had been interpreted by the PMRC as referring to [[sadomasochism]], [[bondage (BDSM)|bondage]], and rape, and "[[We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song)|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 [[Al Gore|Gore]], [[Fritz Hollings|Hollings]], [[Slade Gorton|Gorton]], [[Paula Hawkins (politician)|Hawkins]], and others appeared. The album cover featured a parody of the RIAA warning label. The [[Gramophone record|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. Zappa's full testimonial was released on a posthumous 2010 compilation called ''[[Congress Shall Make No Law...]]''