| Groups advocating for comprehensive expurgation are generally religious, generally Christian in nature, and generally fundamentalists, headed by such people as Bob Dole and Tipper Gore. They contend that music can be pleasurable to listen to without being suggestive or lewd in any way, yet they fail to recognize that procreation is impossible, if not impractical without intercourse, and people need to be reminded to take part in this experience by their culture, and, specifically their musical preference. If Amy Grant can implore her fans to �Sing Your Praise to the Lord�, why can�t she remind them to ensure the survival of the species, like Salt �n Pepa did in their timeless ballad, �Let�s Talk About Sex�? Wal-Mart is undoubtedly one of the nations leading retailers, and they account for a significant portion of the music industry�s revenues, even though it sells edited content. Perhaps they scare artists into cleaning up their music, but since the modifications are voluntary, it is considered �target-marketing�, and not �prior restraint� of liberty (Rolfe). Many factions sponsor bowdlerization based on the opinions of a few that some music is offensive to many. Even Frank Zappa, a recognized champion of civil liberties acknowledges that he comes across some music that is ��incredibly offensive, no matter what [the artists] are wearing, or what the lyrics are�� (Zappa), referring explicitly to the importance of attire in prejudicial editing, as discussed in the Congressional hearings in which he testified. It is contended by a scholarly few that suppression of musical freedom is unconstitutional, and that it violates the provisions of the First Amendment: �Congress shall make no law� abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press�� (Amendments). Since music is a form of speech, censorship also trounces on the Fifth Amendment, which states: �No person shall be� deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law�� (Amendments). Music is also artistic expression; most musicians have a flair for entertaining, and that cannot be compromised with any ethical substantiation. According to Eric Nuzum, a leading authority on the anti-regulatory perspective, �Censors believe that an artist�s right to self-expression is superseded by a community�s right to protect itself� (Nuzum). After all, �Censorship is based on fear,� says South African musician Johnny Clegg (Clegg). The ACLU, another proponent of laissez-faire music, has the following to say on the subject: �The groups and individuals who have been attacking popular music want to impose their personal moral and political standards on the rest of us.� (Popular�) |
| Page 3 |