This preliminary movement began in 1985 to label albums that contain lusty lyrics. People have started pushing for a constant Parental Advisory Lyrics sticker in the year 1990. They were led by Tipper Gore, the wife of vice president Al Gore, seconded by Susan Baker. A contract was later reached between the PRMC and the Recording Industry Association of America in 1989, which additional the parental advisory stickers to albums (Arlington, 23).
The Parent Music Resources Centre (PMRC) was founded as an America committee with an aim and objective to state goals to enhance parental control over the access of children to music believed to cause harm on them. Tipper Gore, one of the senators’ wives became horrified when a daughter come home with the Prince album which was sexually obvious lyrics. Therefore they came up with goals to bind the committee hence controlling and regulating music lyrics. The following are their goals; the committee was to print lyrics on album covers. The open covers were kept under the counter. The committee also rated recorded music that is rating system similar to that for films among other goals.
Later on, RIAA started ordering a sticker stating to be put on albums containing blasphemy, sexual content and violence. This was due to fear of losing money and market. However, there has been greatly impact caused by PMRC. Currently, parental advisory stickers have changed and are no longer just stickers on the album (Arlington, 34). The labels are printed onto the album cover which obscuring the musicians artwork. In supplies, below age of 18 are not supposed to buy a CD that sports a Parental Advisory warning label unless a parent or guardian accompany them. If an employee sells a Parental Advisory Compact Disc to a minor, they are supposed to be arrested and lose their work.
So it may appear that the Parent Music Resources Centre accomplished their goal of censoring music. Then the music may not be fit for the public, nevertheless artists will always be able to express their thoughts and ideas through music, regardless of the sticker gets put on their albums. I think PMRC has achieved in it goals since I have seen the words parental advisory printed on many tape cases and compact discs reason being to reduce marketing of music that are seen as obscene and are changed. Though there is independence of expression which falls under the first amendment of United States constitution. This law supports the PMRC in censorship all the music that can cause violent, sexual imagery and also lyrics against politics. Currently, concert rating and album covers are now being scrutinized (Arlington, 56).
Conservative parents and the Christian Rights influential began the fight of supporting inspection of musical content. Parents Music Resource Center (PRMC) is trying to revive the organization's fight against the explicit lyric controversy. According to statistic I did in my peers I noticed that concert goers under the age of 16 has a major influence on their minds from concerts they attend. The real motive behind these advisories appears to be offensive in music off the shelves; meanwhile 7 legislatures are currently seeing bills forbidding sales of stickered CDs to minors. In real sense bad facts result to bad law, therefore people who write bad opinion are more dangerous than songwriters who celebrate sexuality (Arlington, 59). However, others believe that censorship limits communications; therefore PMRC’s ideas will destroy musicians’ freedoms.
Works Cited
Let's Talk Rock: A Primer for Parents. Arlington, Va: Parents' Music Resource Center, 1986. Print.
