COMMUNICATION:
Media, Arts, & Society | April 1, 1990
DISCLOSING
MUSIC
LYRICS
VS.
CENSORSHIP
A
Published Letter to
Calendar
Letters, in Los Angeles Times
Although the intolerance inherent in censorship
must not be tolerated, record companies can help parents govern
what their children are exposed to.
Requiring an album to bear a ratings label, akin
to the PG or R for movies, is not only unwanted by artists but
also is unneeded by parents. The lyrics for an album's songs
can usually fit on the album cover, and they often are printed
there already.
Recording companies should encourage this
practice or at least make lyric sheets available free in music
stores.
Musicians can continue to write whatever they
please. And without having to buy and listen to the entire album
and try to decipher the often garbled words, parents can simply
read the lyrics. No outsiders need to prejudge the material and
assign a rating.
Editor's Note: Because most albums now sold
are in small formats such as CD or audio cassette, lyrics often
cannot be printed on the outside. Some CDs and cassettes offer
lyrics printed on folded sheets or in booklets inside the
container.
My Note: I guess I'm getting old!
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