Show 4 Standard-Examin- Friday April 1 9 2002 IWCMAiaiVl Song-lyri- c battle on Capitol Hill now a made-for-T- V cable t I The Filthy Fifteen” Charlie has to I television station VH1 takes choose between saving his job or JL allight look at the saving rock music movie music-oriente- d beginnings of the Parental Advisory labels this weekend “Warning: Parental Advisory” a VH1 original movie debuts at 10 pm Sunday on the cable channel The movie which is being billed as “A Comedy of Censors” looks and laughs at the battle between the wives of Washington politicians and rock music’s dirty little ditties It’s 1986 and all lobbyist Charlie Burner wants is his blank tape tax passed But when Tipper Gore wife of a prominent senator hears some bad stuff on her kids’ stereo she leads a group of Washington wives on a crusade to ban “porn rock” After the Gore-le- d group the Parents Music Resource Center creates a banned song wish list called “The Advisory From 3 and slams the door and turns up the volume to 10” Rock According to VHl’s promotional materials: “Charlie makes a choice and looks for rock and roll rebels to join the cause amassing the most unlikely crew of freedom fighters ever What else could bring together Frank Zappa Dee Snider and John Denver? It’s musicians vs mothers on Capitol Hill Once in awhile you gotta stand tall open your mouth and let freedom material in music lyrics before the Senate Commerce Committee sing” According to pop culture critic Eric Nuzum author of “Parental Advisory” VH1 will also be promos all running weekend featuring interviews with artists who came under fire from the PMRC The movie will air several times throughout the next week in Washington DC in this 1985 file on-a- ir such as what you allow your children to wear the programs they’re allowed to watch how late they’re allowed to stay out “With anything as parents you’re always walking a fine line” Bird said “You have to be reasonable you can’t be dogmatic This is youth culture they have to be able to express themselves But as long as the parent is being reasonable you need to be able to say ‘This is my value this is how I’m going to raise my children’ ” Admittedly Bird says it’s not easy But that’s part of parenting He compares it to reeling in a fish “You need to know when to let the line out and when to pull it in” he said “And nobody can tell you when to do that” photo Associated Press file photo I’m not listening to Listen don’t the words’ ” condemn While most of her advice is reserved for parents Nelson offers a couple of tips to children and teens “Be kind to your parents” she said Pick your battles “Remember they don’t know what’s Nelson says she and her husband out there so help them understand made a habit of listening to their chilwhy you like what you like And redren’s music with them They commember they’re still th( parents” Seventeen-year-ol- d Kevin Gros promise on car trips alternating between playing what the kids and shans of Layton says he and his paradults wanted to hear ents don’t often clash over his music “And variety is important in listenbut when they do it usually involves them seeing the Parental Advisory ing to music” she said “Every genre has something to offer” stickers on his albums His advice to Nelson also says a sense of humor parents? Don’t go by the warning lais important in keeping music battles bels listen to your kids’ music before in perspective And perspective in you condemn it “I think that parents should listen dealing with children is critical what think you “I really don’t like Dr Laura but I Say to the music and see what the mudo like some of the advice she gave” sic’s about first” Grosshans said Although Nelson doesn’t believe Nelson said “She says ‘Everything Most of the “bad stuff’ in his colparents should tell their children what to listen to they can and should lection is subtle so Grosshans says your kid does ask yourself is this it’s pretty easy to hide it from his the hill you want to die on?’ That’s express their opinions to their children good advice” parents: “If we’re in the car listening “You do have to be the parent” she to one of my CDs I’ll just flip it to Bird agrees that parents need to said “You can say ‘I don’t appreciate tracks that I know aren’t asbad” give and take when it comes to their children’s music and allow them to this music’ but then explain why you Teresa Jordan of North Ogden make some decisions To maintain don’t think it’s appropriate I’m a nedaughsays she and her ter don’t argue over musical cho °s perspective he advises looking at the gotiating parent” total package Bird sees music as an area to talk they simply agree to disagree Jordan likes FM-10- 0 “You should always be looking at about some weighty moral issues easy listening and oldies rock her daughter Tera Fackrell the big picture” he said “How is my with children child’s total behavior? What about “If for example a CD is degrading is more into rap and hard rock Their friends school performance attitude to women you can say to the child solution is simple toward life?” ‘Wait a minute do you believe in de“I have my tastes my daughter has her tastes so when we’re togethBut Bird also tells parents: “Stick grading women? You’re buying a CD that advocates degrading women’ It er we never play music” Jordan said by your values” If you have certain values that you adhere to in your Jordan says she hasn’t tried to may change their attitude” he said home it’s important not to comproAnd on the subject of lyrics Bird censor some of the rougher music mise them He compares music to offers one other piece of advice: her daughter listens to d situation “No because the bottom line is “Don’t buy into the statement ‘Well any other value-oriente- star Frank Zappa testifies about censorship and objectionable let’s say you tell them they can’t listen to a certain CD she can turn the radio on and get the same music there” Jordan said “In so many ways the music really is out of the parents’ control” Lighten up? Her daughter seconds that thought “My mom really has had no say” Fackrell said “If she told me ‘I don’t want you listening to that’ I’d go out and buy it anyway” Fackrell offers her own advice to parents: Just because a song’s lyrics talk about something like murder or suicide doesn’t mean a kid’s going to go out and do it “It’s your upbringing your surroundings” she said “Music doesn’t influence teens to do anything I don’t hear a song about a murder and say ‘Hmmm I think I’ll go out and kill someone’ ” Eric Nuzum underscores that point saying that although music can be a powerful emotional tool it doesn’t cause people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do No one heard Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” or Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and suddenly decided they were against the Vietnam War he said But if they were already against the war these songs might have solidified those feelings “I just can’t overemphasize that if you raise a good kid music is never going to make them bad” Nuzum said “It is a parent’s responsibility and there really isn’t any other way around that” |