I need help

[The Beast]

My essay is based on the arguement of parental advisory labels...I am against them, and here is what I have wrote:

 

 

  A couple years ago, I was trying to figure a problem out after seeing as though my brother couldn’t get a CD from Target and so I took the Michael Moore approach to document buying an album. I picked out the new Slipknot CD and walked to the cash register. While waiting in line to buy it, I had some weird looks being thrown at me because they thought I was a lot younger than I really was. I laid it down on the grocery board and watched as it slid into the employee’s hand. 

He surprised me when he said, “I’m sorry son, but you can’t buy this without your parents consent.”

Stunned, I responded, “Excuse me?”    He pointed out a little label at the bottom of the CD.    “I’m sure you’ve seen this label before, and this means you need your parental consent.”

 

      With that being said, furious, I slammed the CD down and walked angrily out of the store.    My first question was, is it constitutional to restrict me from buying a CD at a local store? 

 

      At first I thought yes, but then I knew the apparent answer was no. The labels are just saying, “Viewer discretion advised,” and not “you can’t buy this.” A quote from the constitution clearly states, “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the press.” Therefore, Congress really could not have made a law about Parental Advisory because your rights are guaranteed in the constitution of the United States.   

 

  However, who is to say what is legally right and wrong to be labeled? The law states sex, lies, and violence, but which one of these is hurting you? There is really nothing that could be hurting you or something that you could do to hurt someone. The labels are just warnings, not restrictions, and so I could purchase my CD, the clerk was wrong. Music is an influence of the mind, not an influence to harm others.   

      People could counter by saying that parents have the right to monitor what music you listen to, though you have your own constitutional rights as well. They are the parent’s responsibility until the age of 18, and it is not your right to control what they do, but a responsibility of what they do. Invading your privacy and trying to control your life would be unconstitutional and then our society would be corrupt.

The “experts” who say what is right and wrong to say in a clean album must consider the business standpoint of the music industry. There would be declining sales in CD’s throughout the country if there was the same thing that happened to me consistently. If the buyers can’t hear the lyrics they want to hear because of some label, why should they buy it? Then they can look to the internet and can get the tracks off Napster. When the artists go broke, and then we’ll see who gets the last laugh.   

 

There is a question to be pondered, however. What if there could be some sort of compromise to satisfy the artists, the opposition and listeners? I’d think there could be a possibility from a business standpoint. If everyone was compensated somehow, as in the artists get money for not being able to sell their CD’s, the listeners get their music with consent from parents sparingly and the opposition of this backs off in an effort to gain more revenue.

 

I feel my argument is very weak and I don't know what else to say, maybe someone could argue against it, or use some of my argument to give me some ideas...need lots of help on this one...

[LowerCaseRepublican]

I got this offline http://www.cla.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97.htm

 

The musicians’ standpoint was represented by Frank Zappa, John Denver, and Dee Snider. After Frank Zappa had read out the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, he argued forcefully against the PMRC’s demands which he considered "equivalent to treating dandruff by decapitation,... whipped up like an instant pudding by "the Wives of Big brother" (pp.52-53). He argued that there was simply no reason at all to call the record industry to self-restraint. Zappa argued that the RIAA had given in to the record label merely because it sought to have the "Blank Tape Tax" passed. Zappa here referred to the Home Audio Recording Act, which would levy a 10-15% tax on home taping and give royalties to the recording industry for sales of tape recorders and blank tapes. The Home Audio Recording Act is the proposed bill H.R. 2911 and is sponsored by the RIAA (Gray 1989a:154). Zappa noticed that Senator Strom Thurmond ran the committee responsible for legislation, and that his wife was affiliated with the PMRC (Roldan 1987:231). Zappa also alluded to the fact that three Senators on the Committee had their wives in the PMRC, and therefore later in the hearings stated: "I don’t think this is private action" (quote from Frank Zappa’s song "Porn Wars", which includes several samples of the Senate Hearing testimony; not in transcripts). Finally, Zappa indicated the danger of the stigmatization effects for the musicians that might result from the label system, and the fact that voluntary labeling could lead to "opening the door to an endless parade of moral quality control programs based on things certain Christians do not like" (p.54).

 

The next musicians’ witness was John Denver. Somewhat more moderate than Zappa, Denver stated that he had unfortunately been the victim of censorship following the release of his song "Rocky Mountain High" which, Denver stated, "was banned from many radio stations as a drug-related song. This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains" (p.65). Denver acknowledged the concerns raised by the PMRC, but attacked the attempts to suppress ideas and the spoken word in a democratic society, drawing a comparison with Nazi Germany.

 

The last musicians’ testimony was provided by Dee Snider, lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Snider referred to his Christian beliefs and that fact that all his songs were written in that spirit. He specified that all of Twisted Sisters’ songs the PMRC had condemned as containing references to sadomasochism, bondage, and rape, were all misquoted or misinterpreted. Snider also insisted that it is the parents’ job alone to take full responsibility over their children’s upbringing.

--

Here's some of Frank Zappa's comments about censorship -- http://www.freemuse.org/sw4213.asp Plus the influence of music in the degredation of society was shot down with the Judas Priest case where they were found innocent [some parents whose kids shot themselves after supposedly getting subliminal messages from JP tunes they listened to sued the band saying their music was liable]. Plus Ozzy Osbourne was found innocent in a trial, I believe as well, when they tried pinning the same sort of BS on him.

 

There's also a book "Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America" by Eric Nuzum

[HighHeat45]

ouch..essay over xmas break :puke

[SnB]

ouch..essay over xmas break  :puke

one of the many reasons i don't miss high school

i used to get a s***load over break.

senior year i had a 10 pg paper and a 10 pg physics lab.

talk about fun.

[SoxAce]

Had homework as well... Not doing any of it..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Plus I forgot the s*** in school..)

[2OutRally]

ouch..essay over xmas break  :puke

I had one over thanksgiving break..my topic was how there should be harsher punishments for steroid users. And what do ya know? Giambi admits the day it's due. I just found that a little bit weird.

 

I got a 97 on it, though.

[AngelasDaddy0427]

I had to do my research paper over thanksgiving break...

Wasn't too bad though...

[WilliamTell]

Not even a year removed from high school, until this post, I had forgotten about all the stupid stuff due during breaks. It pissed me off.

[Heads22]

We're finished with first semester. Is this the entire essay?

[bmags]

i think what confuses me in you're paper is i'm not sure if you are against the labels or the stores using the labels as a reason to not sell it to minors. Also, in terms of writing, i'd steer clear of the "yous"...you can say "we" , and i suppose from the format of your paper you can say I, but i'd steer clear of the "yous". Also, the first sentence is a little awkward...

 

the line of of saying "w'e'll see who gets the last laugh" is more an example of emotional arguing than rational arguing, you could word it a little different...

 

on the plus side,

 

i've seen kids post their essays, *i'm in high school too by the way* on the message boards and they were absolutely terrible...while i enjoyed reading yours and i think with some tweaking you could make it a more formitable, rational, and engaging persuasive essay...

 

i'm pushing off having to write a paper on Henry V...good luck on yours!

[Heads22]

Well, I know for instance in my Comp class we cannot use I or you in any essay unless specified. They is also weak sentence construction.

[YASNY]

Legal precedence for this "censorship" was established long ago by the motion picture ratings. I really do not know if it is illegal for a movie theatre to allow a 14 year old kid to see an R rated movie without being accompanied by an adult, but they do have the right to refuse to admit that same 14 year old kid. Also, the local bookstore or magazine stand has the right to refuse to sell Playboy to the same kid. The store in which you attempted to buy the CD also has the right to refuse to sell it to you.

[chimpy2121]

We're finished with first semester. Is this the entire essay?

Same here, we seperate the semesters by winter break. So many of my friends have finals after winter break, and i have no idea how they can remember all of that stuff over break.

[raff]

high school was silly. college is a fun time, with lots less work. and more time for other more important things :sleep . i think you should concentrate more on why you think it is wrong and your reasons for it. give examples of other situations where similiar restrictions are in place. draw a line on what is too far and what is ok to restrict. talk about situations where music has caused people to do things (acdc scandal, eminem). those kind of things will take up some room. and plus, if you havent heard of this little trick before, it helps on papers- USE 12.5 font.

[HighHeat45]

Same here, we seperate the semesters by winter break. So many of my friends have finals after winter break, and i have no idea how they can remember all of that stuff over break.

My first year in high school we did that and it sucked. But now we do em before break so i dont have anything either

[knightni]

Well, I know for instance in my Comp class we cannot use I or you in any essay unless specified. They is also weak sentence construction.

Yes, you need to give three examples outside of your own personal experience.

 

I would suggest interviewing older adults and looking up censorship articles for ideas.

 

Frank Zappa, 2 Live Crew... etc.

[southsider2k5]

Wow, HW over break? Im a senior and I left my backpack at school, we didnt have anything, and even if we did, my backpack would still be a school.

Wait until college... You will have at least one prof who assigns work over breaks, on purpose.

[SnB]

Wait until college...  You will have at least one prof who assigns work over breaks, on purpose.

no not really, since most school's finals are before break, the break is inbetween semesters

[YASNY]

Break? What the hell is a break? Wait till guys get out in the real world. Get your education ... kick ass at it ... then be grateful for it.

[southsider2k5]

no not really, since most school's finals are before break, the break is inbetween semesters 

Over Thanksgiving or especially over Spring Break are the most common times. Maybe not your first years, but once you hit the 300, 400, 500 level classes, it will happen.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I agree you should look into the PMRC hearings for more history. Zappa's "treating dandruff by decapitation" quip was priceless, and it's one I've used here on some occassions to describe some of the more draconian solutions our legislators have arrived at for certain societal ills.

 

Zappa (a lifelong personal favforite of mine) was very eloquent during the PMRC hearings, despite the attempts by a lot of people to make him look silly. Interestingly, he actually developed somewhat of a friendship with the Gores through this, and I know he was touched when they sent him their well wishes when he was in the advanced stages of his prostate cancer. His participation in the hearings was all the more meaningful because he asked to be included and his music was never itself very much 'on trial.' FCC regulations already pretty much had his airplay at effectively zero, and his target demographic was considerably older than the pre-teen and teenage audience whose very souls were placed in jeopardy with each repeated listening of Prince's "Darling Nikki".

 

The 'blank tape tax' conspiracy alluded to was actually dead-on, but it has little bearing on the issue today other than helping to paint a picture of the RIAA being a strictly profit-motivated entity.

 

Zappa's thoughts on the stigmatizing nature of rock music sensorship were cogent, and he noted that unlike actors that may play roles in R-rated films, the musicians pretty much ARE their own product and so the threat of being branded may be more real. It also came out in the hearings and often alsewhere that the FCC already is in place to make sure objectionable material is not broadcast over the airwaves. That is as close a parallel to the MPAA ratings system as we have.

 

I have the 'luxury' of hindsight in all of this and have to admit that age has made me moderate my views a little. I think that sales outlets have the right to not sell music they deem objectionable, and I won't go so far as to say barring sales of objectionable music to minore is unconstitutional because minore are sadly still a gray area where constitutional protections are concerned. 20 years ago I would have been up in arms over the potrntial for a trickle-down here in which the sellers force the labels to produce a certain product, and the labels turn around and impinge on the artistic integrity of its stable of musicians so that squeaky clean products are produced. Now, I still wince at the thought of artistic compromise (and I truly do believe it is for the artist to decide what is art - even if others wish to regulate it and call it audio pornography). But today the internet and self-produced small label music are the great equalizers. Musicians can get their unadaulterated versions of their music out more easily now than 20 years ago.

 

I'll finish with another FZ quip that came out during all of this - one that relates to the historic Judas Priest teen suicide cases etc. In reference to all the 'power' the PMRC was suggesting "bad" music had to persuade impressionable young minds, Zappa opined that, seeing as 90% of the songs on the radio at the time were love songs, based on all the influence music was supposed to have America should have been a big happy love fest. Which, obviously it wasn't.

 

I'll end with Frank's warning label that he put on the "Them or Us" and "Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention" albums. It still gives me a chuckle.

 

WARNING/GUARANTEE

This album contains material which a truly free society would neither

fear nor surpress.

 

In some socially retarded areas, religious fanatics and

ultra-conservative political organizations violate your First Amendment

Rights by attempting to censor rock & roll albums.  We feel that this is

un-Constitutional and un-American.

 

As an alternative to these government-supported programs (designed to

keep you docile and ignorant), Barking Pumpkin is pleased to provide

stimulating digital audio entertainment for those of you who have

outgrown -the ordinary-.

 

The language and concepts contained herein are GUARANTEED NOT TO CAUSE

ETERNAL TORMENT IN THE PLACE WHERE THE GUY WITH THE HORNS AND THE

POINTED STICK CONDUCTS HIS BUSINESS.

 

This guarantee is as real as the threats of the video fundamentalists

who use attacks on rock music in their attempt to transform America into

a nation of check-mailing nincompoops (in the name of Jesus Christ).

 

If there is a hell, its fires wait for them, not us.

[Texsox]

Stores have the right to not sell you anything. They can refuse service to anyone for almost any reason. For example, if they have prior knowledge that kids will be egging the school on January 4th, because kids have been egging Enormous High on January 4th for 145 years, they can refuse to sell eggs to kids on January 3rd and 4th.

 

ANother case, a guy was seen arguing with his girlfriend, he went into a store and tried buying a 6" Buck Knife. The store refused. The store won the resulting court case.

 

Getting back to your essay,

 

What are the three top reasons you feel that anyone should be allowed to buy any music they want? It is unclear in your persuasive essay.

[Queen Prawn]

For example, if they have prior knowledge that kids will be egging the school on January 4th, because kids have been egging Enormous High on January 4th for 145 years, they can refuse to sell eggs to kids on January 3rd and 4th.

At the grocery store I worked at in HS and college, we refused to sell eggs and shaving cream to anyone under the age of 18 for a week before Halloween because of egging and shaving cream attacks between the kids.

[Purdue129]

Over Thanksgiving or especially over Spring Break are the most common times.  Maybe not your first years, but once you hit the 300, 400, 500 level classes, it will happen.

Yeah, I had a couple large group or individual projects that were assigned at the beginning of the semester and due shortly after Thanksgiving/Spring break. The worst is the Prof. that throws an exam on the Friday before break so you can't go home early.

[jackie hayes]

Just to be an echo.... Use the Zappa stuff. I can't stomach his music, but he is damn sharp, and funny. He's using a slippery slope argument. You might also want to question how effective these restrictions are. B/c the restrictions are voluntary, the effects-on-business argument is weak, IMO.