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No one has forced Mrs. Baker or Mrs. Gore to bring Prince or
Sheena Easton into their homes. Thanks to the Constitution, they
are free to buy other forms of music for their children. Apparently,
they insist on purchasing the works of contemporary recording
artists in order to support a personal illusion of aerobic sophistication.
Ladies, please be advised: The $8.98 purchase price does not entitle
you to a kiss on the foot from the composer or performer in
exchange for a spin on the family Victrola.
Taken as a whole, the complete list of PMRC demands reads like
an instruction manual for some sinister kind of toilet training
program to house-break all composers and performers because of the
lyrics of a few. Ladies, how dare you?
The ladies' shame must be shared by the bosses at the major
labels who, through the RIAA, chose to bargain away the rights of
composers, performers, and retailers in order to pass H.R. 2911,
The Blank Tape Tax, a private tax levied by an industry on
consumers for the benefit of a select group within that industry.
Is this a consumer issue? You bet it is. The major record labels
need to have H.R. 2911 whiz through a few committees before
anybody smells a rat. One of them is chaired by Senator Thurmond. Is
it a coincidence that Mrs. Thurmond is affiliated with the PMRC?
I cannot say she is a member, because the PMRC has no
members. Their secretary told me on the phone last Friday that the
PMRC has no members, only founders. I asked how many other
District of Columbia wives are nonmembers of an organization that
raises money by mail, has a tax-exempt status, and seems intent on
running the Constitution of the United States through the family
paper-shredder. I asked her if it was a cult. Finally, she said she
could not give me an answer and that she had to call their lawyer.
While the wife of the Secretary of the Treasury recites "Gonna
drive my love inside you" and Senator Gore's wife talks about
"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.
Is the basic issue morality? Is it mental health? Is it an issue at
all? The PMRC has created a lot of confusion with improper
comparisons between song lyrics, videos, record packaging, radio
broadcasting, and live performances. These are all different mediums
and the people who work in them have the right to conduct their
business without trade-restraining legislation, whipped up like an
instant pudding by "The wives of Big Brother."
Is it proper that the husband of a PMRC
Children in the vulnerable age bracket have a natural love for
music. If as a parent you believe they should be exposed to
something more uplifting than "Sugar Walls," support music appreciation
programs in schools. Why have you not considered your child's
need for consumer information? Music appreciation costs very little
. . .
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