Censorship

[Dave_Wetzel@vos.stratus.com]

     Hi folks!  I'm new to this list (just added this weekend!), and I don't

know the history of this obviously empassioned discussion, but I like Andrew
Russ' (rec-music-gaffa@cis.ohio-state.edu) suggestion of writing a short
essay on the topic of censorship.  So here's my contribution (sorry if it's
more than 100 words, but I've got to give you folks enough material to flame
me about!)...


"Do you think recordings should be labeled with warning stickers based on the
lyric content of individual songs?  Why?"

     No.  Never.  It accomplishes nothing, it's a bad idea in the first
place, it's impossible to fairly execute, and there are more productive uses
of our time.

LABELING ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING
=============================

     Labeling by itself accomplishes nothing.  Only enforcement of the
ratings would accomplish anything at all (and in my opinion not much at
that).  If the PMRC decides an album is not fit for, say, children under 17,
what good or evil is accomplished by the simple labeling?  It's no more
effective than taking out an ad in a paper announcing their belief.  Only if
they actually prevent those under 17 from purchasing the work is it in anyway
successful.

     Let's face it, folks, parents do not purchase music for their children;
kids pressure parents for money to buy albums.  And even if parent A does,
what do they do about their children's freinds?  Are we going to require that
parents publish what their kids listen to so that we can decide if our child
can go over to parent B's house?  Rediculous.


IT'S A BAD IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE
==================================

     The PMRC proposed the labelling concept because it fears there has been
an abandonment of our children and family values.  Part of the reason there
has been such a loosening of family cohesiveness is because so much parenting
is now done outside the home.  As an example, instead of letting parents
decide if a movie is fit for viewing by their child, we have a movie rating
system.  Let's let the MPAA decide what values we want our children to have.

     If we want to return to tight family connections and strongly impressed
values passed from parent to child (I'm not necessarily saying we do; just
if), then no rating system or censorship that is perceived as an outside
force could possibly help.  The concept is flawed.

     In order to restore family values there has to be parental involvment.
Ratings reduce parental involvement by creating an agency (governmental or
industrial makes no difference) to take over the responsibility from parents.

     In addition, how many of us listened to music our parents didn't like
when we were kids?  It's a normal part of growing up to test the limits; to
explore forbidden areas.  It's probably a very good thing that we have such a
simple, harmless release valve for our kids.  If they couldn't listen to
disturbing music whould that remove the desire to disturb?  Probably not.
Instead kids might try to find something MORE disturbing to do.


IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO EXECUTE FAIRLY
=================================

     I think the question "What sort of content would merit a sticker?"
stikes at the heart of the matter for me.  One of the reasons I think that
the MPAA movie rating is idiotic is that content is graded on what "plays in
Peoria".  As an example, "children under 17" are banned from movies like
"Henry and June" but not from "Rambo III".  To me this says that we don't
want our youth exploring their sexuality, we'ld rather have them explore
their violent tendancies.  To me that's obsene.  Is it any wonder things are
so messed up?

     And movies are easier to rate than lyrics.  When an image appears before
us it's pretty clear wheither it's violent or racy.  Who's going to interpret
the symolism of words?  Many artists' work can be interpreted several ways
(Peter Gabriel is a good example:  a song like "Here Comes the Flood" for
example).  Are we going to have the artist provide an explaination for every
line so that it can be graded?  Rediculous, and worse, it removes the
interpretation from music.  Without that where's the art?  Music becomes like
sit-coms and Nintendo:  everything's exlpained for you; you don't have to use
your mind at all (except as a hat-rack).

     Andrew also asks, "Do you think certain kind of music should be labeled
and others not?" It would be unconstitutional to label one style and not the
other.  This goes against the constitutional requirement that standards and
laws be applied equally and without bias.  It is, in short, discriminatory to
do anything else.

MORE PRODUCTIVE USES OF OUR TIME
================================

     If you really wanted to do something for our children, I'ld like to
recommend two courses which could positively impact their lives.  The first
is deal with the economy, specificly, let's get back to waging war on
poverty.  A lot of today's music is dark and hopeless because so many people
live dark and hopeless lives!  Do something to improve their lives and you'll
decrease the violence and suffering that comes from the frustration.

     The second (and my personal favorite, because it's a long-range
solution), let's start teaching children instead of babysitting them.  With
all due respect to those in our society who do try, there is a definite
problem with our method of education.  We don't teach critical thinking
skills (at least not until college):  induction, deduction, evidence
analysis, rehtoric, and logic.  If we taught children analytical skills,
maybe they'ld make intellegent choices (what a concept!).

     What's worse, we allow politicans to decide what's taught in schools.
Why not let Scientists decide what's taught in Science, Theologians decide
what's taught in Theology, Historians decide what's taught in History, and so
forth?  It's a definite sign of our culture's lack of commitment to education
that texts on evolution can be barred from science classes.  What bible-belt
Christian activist whould want Scientists to decide what's taught in Sunday
School?


Well, enough soap-boxing.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Dave_Wetzel@vos.stratus.com

Disclaimer:  The opinions here are all mine, and just like me, they might be
     wrong!