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A voluntary labeling is not censorship. Censorship implies
restricting access or suppressing content. This proposal does neither.
Moreover, it involves no Government action. Voluntary labeling in
no way infringes upon first amendment rights. Labeling is little
more than truth in packaging, by now, a time honored principle in
our free enterprise system, and without labeling, parental guidance
is virtually impossible.
Most importantly, the committee should understand the Parents
Music Resource Center is not advocating any Federal intervention
or legislation whatsoever. The excesses that we are discussing were
allowed to develop in the marketplace, and we believe the solutions
to these excesses should come from the industry who has allowed
them to develop and not from the Government.
The issue here is larger than violent and sexually explicit lyrics.
It is one of ideas and ideal freedoms and responsibility in our society.
Clearly, there is a tension here, and in a free society there
always will be. We are simply asking that these corporate and
artistic rights be exercised with responsibility, with sensitivity, and
some measure of self-restraint, especially since young minds are at
stake. We are talking about preteenagers and young teenagers
having access to this material. That is our point of departure and
our concern.
Now, Mr. Chairman, one point we have already made, that the
material that has caused the concern is new and different. It is not
just a continuation of controversies of past generations. To illustrate
this point, we would like to show a slide presentation, and to
this end I turn the microphone over to Jeff Ling, who is a consultant
to our group, and he will show you some of the material that
we are talking about.
Thank you.
Mr. LING. Mr. Chairman, if we could have the lights
turned down.
[Slides were then shown.]
Mr. LING. Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the
committee, thank you for allowing me to speak to you today. The
purpose of this presentation is to acquaint you with the type of material
that is in question.
I will be covering the themes of violence and sexuality. Bear in
mind that what you are about to see and hear is a small sample of
the abundant material available today. Today the element of
violent, brutal erotica has exploded in rock music in an unprecedented
way. Many albums today include songs that encourage suicide,
violent revenge, sexual violence, and violence just for violence's
sake.
This is Steve Boucher. Steve died while listening to AC/DC's
"Shoot to Thrill." Steve fired his father's gun into his mouth.
A few days ago I was speaking in San Antonio. The day before I
arrived, they buried a young high school student. This young man
had taken his tape deck to the football field.
He hung himself while listening to AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill."
Suicide has become epidemic in our country among teenagers.
Some 6,000 will take their lives this year. Many of these young
people find encouragement from some rock stars who present death
as a positive, almost attractive alternative.
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