Parental Advisory Lyrics
Ah yes, Tipper Gore. Back when some Democrats were at the forefront of being conservative Christians, the former wife of then Senator Al Gore was a leading member of the Parents Music Resource Center and advocating to protect children from damaging song lyrics. She took on acts like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Twisted Sister, The Dead Kennedys, Frank Zappa, Prince and (gasp) John Denver in court. Eventually, a label was slapped on album covers to advise parents their children were listening to potentially damaging music.
Those artists defended their art. Specifically, Dee Snider made an unexpected testimony where he defended the music and the art that it was. It was clear and very articulate. If you’ve never seen or heard his testimony, go check it out.
The music world cried out in horror for a very short period of time…until sales of records with that black and white label on the front skyrocketed. EVERY kid wanted to listen to what was so “offensive” to the PMRC. Acts like 2LiveCrew, Ice-T, and NWA were suddenly selling records to suburban white kids where they talked about selling drugs, killing cops, carrying guns, and having sex. Bands like Aerosmith were singing songs like Janie’s Got a Gun where a girl sexually abused by her father, kills him. Pearl Jam wrote Jeremy about a middle school kid who commits suicide in front of his class after being neglected and bullied. The albums had the label on them, so the content was cleared to be released and sold.
Music continued to evolve, as it does. Sex, drugs, and violence was selling records. It wasn’t the Eagles singing Life in the Fastlane or Eric Clapton singing Cocaine or Jefferson Airplane using White Rabbit to talk subtly about tripping on acid. These were songs about hard core gang violence, sexual exploitation, and death. There is an endless list of rappers from both coasts who talked about their lives in places like Brooklyn and South-Central Los Angeles, where they not only saw crimes, but participated in them. It was life expressed through art.
Music producers were still bound by the FCC regulations about specific words that could be played on the radio, so they released “radio friendly” versions of songs with altered or deleted lyrics so the songs that were selling records could still be played on the airwaves.
It all became more acceptable and embraced by the general public. Fans were applauding these artists for their strength and courage. The content of the songs was irrelevant. These artists and songs are winning awards. They are being inducted into different musical halls of fame. All this while expressing themselves through their art. And all of it is acceptable because it is art and it has that little black and white label on it.
But now, we sit here canceling Jason Aldean for writing a song about life in a small town and how that life is. He’s not from South-Central or the Bronx. He isn’t a gangster. He isn’t singing about killing cops. He didn’t write a song about using or selling drugs. He doesn’t talk about Satan. He doesn’t drop an “N-Bomb” anywhere in the song or make a single racist comment. He is expressing the views of small towns and their opinion of what is going on in America today.
He is expressing life through art.
So, do we support art? Or don’t we? Or do we just support some art? Or do we just support some artists?
Look, if you don’t like the song…turn the station or don’t buy it or don’t put it in your playlist. If you don’t like the content, the answer remains the same.
But, seriously, don’t be a massive hypocrite and cry out in agony when people talk about taking books off shelves, while you’re listening to Cardi B sing Wet Ass Pussy (yes, that’s a song), and getting high…and at the same time advocating to cancel Jason Aldean because you don’t like what his song says.
Support art or don’t. Or just slap a label on it. I’m sure Mr. Aldean will appreciate the record sales.