larry@prism.UUCP (10/21/85)
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EXCEPTS FROM THE SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE HEARING ON ROCK LYRICS
from The Village Voice, 10/6/85
"I believe this may well be the most important hearing conducted by the
Commerce Committee this year." --Senator Paul Trible (R.-Va.)
"The material we're concerned about cannot be compared with 'Louie Louie,'
Cole Porter, Billie Holiday, etc. Cole Porter's 'The birds do it, the
bees do it' can hardly be compared with WASP's 'I F-U-C-K- Like a Beast.'"
-- Susan Baker, PMRC member
"The PMRC's demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff by
decapitation....While the wife of the secretary of the treasury recites,
'Gonna drahve my love insahde you,' and Senator Gore's wife talks about
'b-b-bondage' and oral sex at gunpoint, on the CBS Evening News, people in
high places work on a tax bill that is so ridiculous, the only way to
sneak it through is to keep the public's mind on something else: porn
rock." -- Frank Zappa
"Let me say, although I disagree with some of the statements that you
make, and have made on other occasions, I have been a fan of your music,
believe it or not, and I respect you as a true original and tremendously
talented musician." -- Senator Albert Gore Jr. (D-Tenn. ) to Frank Zappa
"There is nothing on the face of the album which would notify you if the
record has pornographics material or material glorifying violence?"
"No, there is nothing that wouild suggest that to me." -- PMRC member
Tipper Gore responding to Senator John Danforth (R-Mo.)
"I would say that a buzz saw blade between the guy's legs on the album
cover is good indication that it's not for little Johnny." -- Frank Zappa
"Mr. Zappa, you say you have four children?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever purchased toys for those children?"
"No, my wife does."
"Well, I might tell you that if you were to go in a toy store -- which is
very education for fathers, by the way, it's not a maternal responsibility
to buy toys for children -- that you may look on the box and the box says,
'This is suitable for 5 to 7 years of age,' or '8 to 15' which gives you
some guidance in toys for your child. Do you object to that?'"
"In a way, I do, because that means that somebody in an office
someplace is making a decision about how smart my child is."
"I'd be interested to see what toys your kids ever had."
"Why would you be interested?"
"Just as a point of interest in this."
"Well, come on over to my house and I'll show them to you. Really."
"I might do that. Do you make a profit from sales of rock records?"
"Yes."
"So you do make a profit from sales of rock records?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. I think that statement tells the story to this committee."
-- Senator Paula Hawkins (R.-Fla.) questioning Frank Zappa
"It's an honor to be able to ask questions. I've been a fan for a long
time, Mr. Denver." -- Albert Gore Jr. to John Denver
"How bad can it get? The list is endless. This album was released just
recently by a band called the Mentors ....The album includes songs like
'4-F Club (Find Her, Feel Her, Fuck Her, and Forget Her),' 'Free Fix for a
Fuck,' 'Clap Queen,' 'My Erection Is Over,' and the song 'Golden Showers,'
which said these words: 'Listen, you little slut/Do as you are told/Come
with Daddy for me to pour the gold/Golden showers/All through my
excrements you shall roam/Bend up and smell my anal vapor/Your face is my
toilet paper/On your face I leave a shit tower/Golden showers.'"
"Mr. Ling, I'm sorry. Your time has expired." -- John Danforth cutting
off the testimony of PMRC consultant Jeff Ling
"I think that a lot of deep digging was done in order to come up with the
song about the anal vapors." -- Frank Zappa
"Excuse me, are you gonna tell me you're a big fan of my music as well?"
-- Dee Snider to Albert Gore Jr.
"Mr. Snider, what is the name of your fan club?"
"The fan club is called the S.M.F. Friends of Twisted Sister."
"And what does S.M.F. stand for when it's spelled out?"
"It stands for the Sick Mother-Fucking Friends of Twisted Sister."
"Is this also a Christian group?"
"I don't believe that profanity has anything to do with Christianity."
-- Dee Snider to Albert Gore Jr.
"Let's suppose the lyrics aren't printed? Then what choice does a parent
have? To sit down and listen to every song on the album?"
"Well, if they're really concerned about it, I think that they have to."
"Do you think that's reasonable, to expect parents to do that?"
"Being a parent isn't a reasonable thing. It's a very hard thing....I'm a
new parent, I have only one child, but I'm learning that there's a lot to
being a parent that you didn't expect." -- Dee Snider to Albert Gore Jr.
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Larry Appleman ARPA: larry%mirror@cca
Mirror Systems, Inc. UUCP: {decvax!cca, ima!inmet, mit-eddie, wjh12}...
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