From: adamsr@netcom.com (Rick Adams)
Subject: Re: Tipper Gore for Vice Lady! (Was: Clinton's VP list gets shorter
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 18:45:59 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <27JUL199215290950@summa.tamu.edu> srf6200@summa.tamu.edu (Steven R. Fennell) writes:
>In article <c2lmq1#.adamsr@netcom.com>, adamsr@netcom.com (Rick Adams) writes...
>>	Given the extremes to which modern music _is_ going (i.e., music
>>videos which glorify the whipping/rape/killing of women, etc.), little doubt
>>remains that _something_ will be done to limit access by children in the
>>near future.
>
>Hmmm, and to what videos are you referring?  I must admit I haven't seen 
>any that so patently glorify the abuse of women.  Most deal with women as 
>objects of sex, not violence (unless you're dealing with social conscious 
>subjects such as wife or child abuse.)  Lyrically, you could say that such 
>groups as 2 Live Crew deal in these subjects, but most rock/pop groups 
>avoid these glorifications of violence (except, perhaps, warfare.)
>
	The following are extracted from Tipper Gore's book:

			(VIDEOS)

	Billy Idol's _Dancing_with_Myself shows the star using electricity
to blow people off a building. A man sharpens a straight-edge razor as if to
kill a naked woman in chains behind a translucent sheet. A man with a hammer
sneaks up on a woman to kill her.

	Motley Crue's _Looks_that_Kill_ involves women incages being
attacked by the studded-leather - clad male band. 

	Def Leppard's _Fooling_ shows an eyeless woman playing a harp, a man
in bondage tortured three times by a woman, and skulls on fire.

			(CONCERTS)

	Past performances of the group W.A.S.P. have included simulated acts
of extreme violence against half-nude women involving torture racks, attacks
with knives and circular saw blades, and of course, much fake blood.

	A videocassette tape of a concert by the band Lizzy Borden shows one
of the band members putting a woman into a long box and then chopping down
into the box with an ax. He fills his mouth with the "blood" that spurts
into the air and spits it out at the autdience.

	The stage shows of some bands [cited later in the book] include
reproductions of torture racks, skulls, and ghouls-images of death and
destruction that make Dante's description of hell look like a nursery school
playground. Using these visual props, the stars simulate all kinds of acts
of violence, almost always perpetrated against women.

			(LYRICS)

	[From Motley Crue's _Live_wire_]

	I'll either break her face
	Or take down her legs,
	Get my ways at will.
	Go for the throat,
	Never let loose,
	Going in for the kill.

	[From Carnivore's _Predator_]

	I sense that living human beings dwell below my feet
	an important source of protein you are what you eat
	................
	broken splintered bones, boiling blood
	torn and bleeding skin
	blackened burning flesh melting fat
	amputated limbs
	eviscerated, lungs torn out
	heart ripped from the chest
	decapitated, a meal of vaginas and breasts.

	I could continue with the citations, but the ones given are enough
to illustrate the point. The concept of torture and brutality to women (you
notice it is WOMEN being cannibalized in _Predator_), is enough in itself to
warrant attention. Add to it the concepts of suicide (which I won't waste
bandwidth by quoting - Gore lists several examples in her book), and the
extreme calls to violence in much rap music (read any recent newspaper) -
nearly all of which are based on the financial benefit of voicing them
instead of on any real political commitment - and the idea that _some_
method of informing parents as to the content of the music must be createdd
becomes rather important.

	Incidently, for those who would like to read Gore's book themselves
before attacking it (which seems a pretty reasonable approach to take), the
bibliographic reference is:

	Gore, T. (1987). _Raising_PG_Kids_in_an_X-Rated_Society_. 
		Nashville: Abingdon Press.

	I don't claim to agree with everything she says. I am violently
opposed to censorship, and strongly support children's rights. Otoh, I _do_
believe that young (pre-teen) children are not as capable of interpreting
this kind of material as are older youths and adults, and that _something_
must be done to insure that parents know what is appearing in their music. I
totally oppose the senseless violence and rampart sexism in these works, and
feel if more people were aware of the content (and not all parents DO listen
to their kid's music - nor to the music of their kid's friends) the drop in
sales (for, ultimately, the parents control the purchasing power of the
younger kids) would result in a radical reduction in the production of such
albums by groups whose only real "message" is "spend money on our albums,
suckers!" Even more, I oppose the concept of castigating Gore - or anyone
else - based solely on heresay evidence, when primary sources are available
at the local library - as is the case with Gore's book.


-- 
    Rick Adams | KE8HH    /|\        You are right from your side,         
      adamsr@ais.org    /  |  \        And I am right from mine.           
     adamsr@netcom.com  \ /|\ /  We're both just one too many mornings,    
    rick.adams on GEnie   \|/  And a thousand miles behind. (c Bob Dylan)