148: Freedom Of Song

If I had been younger when record companies began putting warning labels on albums and tapes, responding to pressure from the Parents Music Resource Center and others, I'm sure I would have responded like almost every teenager I observed while working in a record store. The "Tipper sticker" served as a beacon, telling them which albums to buy. Only very rarely did I observe this attempt at censorship (some associated with the PMRC openly hoped their approach would lead to album bans) go in the other direction, with the sticker telling "concerned parents" not to fund a purchase. It did reveal some significant ethics and intelligence lapses within the United States Senate. In that respect, the sad spectacle delivered some nominal value.

Different Drummer: Frank Zappa