RECORD LABELING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1985
U.S. Senate, Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation, Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:40 a.m., in room SR-253,
Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John Danforth (chariman of the
committee) presiding.
Staff members assigned to this hearing: Kathy Meier, staff counsel;
Dale Brown, professional staff member; and Cheryl Wallace,
minority staff counsel.
OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN
The CHAIRMAN. Ladies and gentlemen, this hearing is on
the subject of the content of some, and I want to underscore the word
"some," not all rock music, which it has been pointed out by a number of
people as having really broken new ground as to the content of music and
the lyrics that are used in music.
There have, I suppose, always been cases of songs that are suggestive
in one way or another. However, certain rock music that is now being sold
deals very explicitly with sexual subjects. Some music glorifies violence
in various forms, sexual violence. Some music advocates the use of drugs,
drug abuse, and so on.
And so, the reason for this hearing is not to promote any legislation.
Indeed, I do not know of any suggestion that any legislation be passed.
But to simply provide a forum for airing the issue itself, for ventilating
the issue, for bringing it out into the public domain.
The concern is that the public at large should be aware of the existence
of this kind of music, and the fact that it is now available to kids, and
that kids of all ages are able to buy it.
It is my understanding that various private groups have been holding
discussions with people who are in the music publishing and music industry
to try to achieve some sort of understanding with respect to the labeling
of records so that at least the whole family knows what is in them, and not
just the child who buys the record.
That seems to me to be a reasonable suggestion, but the point of this
hearing is not for me to make any particular suggestions, but to simply
provide forum so that the whole issue can be brought to the attention of
the American people.
I want to say a word about this hearing. We have a number of witnesses. They
have all been given specific time limits for their testimony, as is always
the case in Commerce Committee hearings. ...
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