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not have been held if we are not considering legislation or
regulations at this time, I emphasized earlier that they might follow.
I simply want to say to you that I suspect that, unless the industry
"cleans up their
Mr. ZAPPA. Well, I would object to that. I think first of all, I
believe it was you who asked the question of Mrs. Gore whether there
was any other indication on the album as to the contents. And I
would say that a buzzsaw blade between a guy's legs on the album
cover is a good indication that it is not for little Johnny.
Senator EXON. I do not believe I asked her that question, but the
point you made is a good one, because if that should not go to little
minds I think there should be at least some minimal activity or
attempt on the part of the producers and distributors, and indeed
possibly the performers, to see that that does not get to that little
mind.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
The CHAIRMAN. Senator Hollings.
Senator HOLLINGS. Mr. Zappa, I apologize for coming back in
late, but I am just hearing the latter part of it. I hear that you say
that perhaps we could print the words, and I think that is a good
suggestion, but it is unfair to have albums rated.
Now, it is not considered unfair in the movie industry, and I
want you to elaborate. I do not want to belabor you, but why is it
unfair? I mean, it is accurate, is it not?
Mr. ZAPPA. Well, I do not know whether it is accurate, because
sometimes they have trouble deciding how a film gets to be an X or
an R or whatever. And you have two problems. One is the quantity
of material, 325 films per year versus 25,000 4-minute songs per
year, OK.
You also have a problem that an album is a compilation of different
types of cuts. If one song on the album is sexually explicit and
all the rest of it sounds like Pat Boone, what do you get on the
album? How are you going to rate it?
There are little technical difficulties here, and also you have the
problem of having somebody in the position of deciding what's
good, what's bad, what's talking about the devil, what is too
violent, and the rest of that stuff.
But the point I made before is that when you rate the album you
are rating the individual, because he takes personal responsibility
for the music; and in the movies, the actors who are performing in
the movie, it does not hurt them.
Senator HOLLINGS. Well, very good. I think the actual printing of
the content itself is perhaps even better than the rating. Let everyone
else decide.
Mr. ZAPPA. I think you should leave it up to the parents, because
not all parents want to keep their children totally ignorant.
Senator HOLLINGS. Well, you and I would differ on what is ignorance
and education, I can see that. But if it was there, they could
see what they were buying and I think that is a step in the right
direction.
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