{"id":72,"date":"2017-05-16T02:44:46","date_gmt":"2017-05-16T02:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/?p=72"},"modified":"2017-05-31T20:27:32","modified_gmt":"2017-05-31T20:27:32","slug":"lets-talk-about-sex-parental-advisory-explicit-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/uncategorized\/lets-talk-about-sex-parental-advisory-explicit-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Let&#8217;s Talk About Sex: Parental Advisory Explicit Content"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>**Warning: the sound quality on this podcast is a bit uneven. The music is much louder than the talking segments. Please adjust your volume accordingly.**<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Abstract:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We researched the connections between music and sexuality in an attempt to understand \u00a0modern notions of sex, sexuality, and censorship and how they are related to representation in music. We also explored how individual artists in the music industry as a whole responded to censorship and how their responses influenced the sexual narrative of audiences. Through an intersectional approach, we also \u00a0analyzed how other aspects of the \u201cAmerican\u201d identity (i.e. race, class, gender, etc.) worked in conversation with the development of sexual discourse in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Author Bios:<\/p>\n<p>Marisa Leib-Neri: Marisa is an independent major in disability studies with a concentration in policy studies. She grew up in a household that avidly listened to uncensored rock and rap music and she turned out just fine.<\/p>\n<p>Denisha Renovales: Denisha is a Sociology and Gender, Women&#8217;s, and Sexuality Studies double major. The daughter of two &#8220;hip-hop heads&#8221;, she hopes that this podcast will shed a light on the ridiculous double standards that the music industry adhered to in regards to censorship.<\/p>\n<p>Jamie Schaforth: Jamie is a Psychology major with a concentration in Neuroscience. Jamie grew up with Tipper Gore as a father and hopes that her father listens to this podcast and is humbled.<\/p>\n<p>Chanyce Wiliams: Chanyce is a Psychology major and interested in analyzing the psychological affects of music censorship. As a mom herself, she hopes that artistic freedom, particularly for marginalized identities, continues to be maintained in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s Talk About Sex: Parental Advisory Explicit Content<\/p>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-72-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lets-Talk-About-Sex_Parental-Advisory-Explicit-Content.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lets-Talk-About-Sex_Parental-Advisory-Explicit-Content.mp3\">http:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lets-Talk-About-Sex_Parental-Advisory-Explicit-Content.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>**Special Thanks to Carolyn Lewis and Gina Donovan for their constant support and guidance throughout this process.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Bibliography<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Primary:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 Live Crew, \u201cThe Fuck Shop\u201d, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Banned in the USA, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atlantic Records. 1989, Youtube. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guns N\u2019 Roses, \u201cIt\u2019s So Easy\u201d, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appetite for Destruction, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Geffen Records. 1987, Youtube. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kendrick Lamar, \u201cDNA,\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DAMN, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aftermath, 2017, Youtube.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kendrick Lamar, \u201cHumble,\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DAMN, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aftermath, 2017, Youtube<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kulp, Denise, &#8216;Music Videos: Friday Night Sexism&#8217;, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Off Our Backs<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 14 (4), 1984, 21.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MTV News. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tipper Gore Interview About Parents Music Resource Council | #TBMTV\u201d [1988] YouTube Video, 1:34. [October 2016]\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/youtu.be\/Vjxe2lj1DZc<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Winfield, Betty Houchin, and Sandra Davidson. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bleep! censoring rock and rap music<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prince, \u201cDarling Nikki\u201d, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purple Rain, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warner Bros. 1984, Youtube.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rolling Stones,\u201dCan\u2019t Get No Satisfaction,\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out of Our Heads.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> London. 1965,Youtube.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WordsWithMeaning<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cThe PMRC Hearing (Full) &#8211; Tipper Gore VS. Explicit Content. Feat Dee Snider, Zappa, Denver&#8230;\u201d. [August 1985] \u00a0YouTube <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video, 1:12:05. [May 2012]. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/d65BxvSNa2o\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/d65BxvSNa2o<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Secondary: <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agbo-Quaye, S\u00e9na, and Toby Robertson. &#8220;The motorway to adulthood: Music preference as the sex and relationships roadmap.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 10, no. 4 (2010): 359-371.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Binder, Amy. &#8220;Constructing racial rhetoric: Media depictions of harm in heavy metal and rap music.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American sociological review<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1993): 753-767.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Herd, \u201cConflicting paradigms on gender and sexuality in rap music: A systematic review,\u201d <\/span><i style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sexuality &amp; Culture <\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">19 (2015): 577 &#8211; 589.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hall, P. Cougar, Joshua H. West, and Shane Hill. &#8220;Sexualization in lyrics of popular music from 1959 to 2009: Implications for sexuality educators.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexuality &amp; Culture<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 16, no. 2 (2012): 103-117. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heins, Marjorie. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not in front of the children: indecency, censorship, and the innocence of youth<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Korpe, Marie. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shoot the singer!: music censorship today<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. London: Zed Books, 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kulp, Denise, &#8216;Music Videos: Friday Night Sexism&#8217;, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Off Our Backs<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 14 (4), 1984, 21.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roberson, \u201cSex and music : Love in the club,\u201d <\/span><i style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Men&#8217;s Health <\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(2012):<\/span><i style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> 27<\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 159.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McClane-Bunn, A. S. &#8220;Sex in the hillbilly field: Objectification of women in country music videos.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Media Report to Women<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 38, no. 4 (2010): 6-21.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuzum, Eric D. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parental advisory: music censorship in America<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. New York, NY: Perennial, 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schippers, Mimi. &#8220;The social organization of sexuality and gender in alternative hard rock: An analysis of intersectionality.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gender &amp; Society<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 14, no. 6 (2000): 747-764.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Sexist Rap Music = Endorsing Sexism!&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women in Higher Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 17, no. 4 (04, 2008): 5.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stephens, Dionne P., and April L. Few. &#8220;The effects of images of African American women in hip hop on early adolescents\u2019 attitudes toward <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physical attractiveness and interpersonal relationships.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex Roles<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 56, no. 3-4 (2007): 251-264.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turner, Jacob S. &#8220;Sex and the spectacle of music videos: An examination of the portrayal of race and sexuality in music videos.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex Roles<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 64, no. 3-4 (2011): 173-191.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wallis, Cara. &#8220;Performing gender: A content analysis of gender display in music videos.&#8221; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex Roles<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 64, no. 3-4 (2011): 160-172.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whiteley, Sheila. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexing the groove: Popular music and gender<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Routledge, 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Winfield, Betty Houchin, and Sandra Davidson. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bleep! censoring rock and rap music<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><i>PODCAST TRANSCRIPT<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 1:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Plays Kendrick song \u201cHumble\u201d clean version**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In recent weeks rapper Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album. Entitled Damn, it provides a critique on current events in the U.S., including the current state of hip hop. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What else does the critically acclaimed album include? If you look at the bottom right corner of the cover you will notice a little black and white label that reads, \u201cParental Advisory Explicit Content\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Almost thirty years since the label made its debut, its presence in pop culture has become so normalized that people rarely think twice when they see it on an album. \u00a0But what does this label really mean? How do we define explicit? Where does this label even come from? On this episode of <\/span><b>*Let\u2019s Talk about Sex* <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we are going to take a look at the history of the case that lead to the implementation of the Parental Advisory Label, the Tipper Gore case. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As we look at the moment that defined our notion of what it means for a song to be \u201cexplicit\u201d , we will also explore the history of censorship in the music industry. With a focus on the censorship of sexually suggestive lyrics, we hope to tackle the impact that the the Tipper Gore case and the parental advisory label that followed it have on present day discourse on music, sexuality, obscenity, and the freedom to express oneself. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Play \u201cAs Nasty as They Want to Be\u201d from the 2 Live Crew album**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The parental advisory explicit content \u00a0label didn\u2019t just appear from an onslaught of so-called explicit music. There was a major push for music censorship in politics that created a movement to censor music, specifically rap and heavy metal<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This censorship movement was led by Tipper Gore who was married to Al Gore at the time and Susan Baker who was married to then Treasury Secretary James Baker, These two women and their comrades were called the washington wives. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wives and their witnesses testified that this type of \u00a0music filled youthful ears with pornography and violence and glorified risky behaviors ranging from suicide and drug use to occultism and anti-patriotic activities. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tipper and the rest of her gang heavily encouraged censorship for God and country and the protection of precious children, of course we say that sarcastically. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0At the heart of this movement in 1987, Tipper Gore was quoted saying \u201cWe feel as we do because we know that children are special gifts, and deserve to be treated with love and respect, gentleness and honesty. They deserve security and guidance about living, loving, and relating to other people. And they deserve vigilant protection from the excesses of adult society.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As we\u2019ll get into later, there was a stark difference between why heavy metal was censored and rap was censored. Briefly, heavy metal music was censored in order to protect children from the apparent dangers of adult society. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is pretty different from rap music because rap music was thought to be a reflection of black culture that was inaccurately depicted as being riddled with sexual promiscuity, gang violence, drugs, and alcohol. So rather than protecting youth, Tipper Gore wanted to protect only the white side of society from the so-called dangers of black culture. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 3: <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**\u201dCan\u2019t Get No Satisfaction\u201d Rolling Stone plays**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In 1965 the infamous rock band The Rolling Stones released the song \u201cI can\u2019t get no satisfaction\u201d detailing the lead singer\u2019s sexual desires and other taboo topics like menstruation. The song was banned on the U.S radio almost immediately. Despite the initial censorship the song still rose to immense popularity around the world and is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how did we get here? And perhaps more importantly, how did the United States that explicitly protects free speech as a founding principle of its constitution end up with a widespread censorship of artistic expression?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The motives for censorship laws have not changed drastically over time. Historically, censorship was justified as a way to protect children from indecent content and maintain their youthful innocence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Censorship of sexual content in \u00a0music began as a form of social control: the lyrics and sounds of music, particularly of rock and roll in the 1950\u2019s and later in the 1980\u2019s \u00a0rap, were highly suggestive to children. Leading them towards deviant, taboo, even violent behaviors that would taint society as a whole and create a generation of youth that was ungovernable. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not all music was censored; only music deemed to be deviant, or rather not reflective of the larger cultural demographic: Christian Euro-Americans. Starting in the early 1920\u2019s when the radio was at the height of popularity, African American artists were subjected to forms of music censorship not applied to white artists. African Americans could write and perform songs in intimate small platforms, but any national broadcasts of this same music would have to be performed by white artists. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">African American music, largely based in jazz rhythms and sounds, were determined shocking and disruptive in comparison to traditional European melodies. What isn\u2019t shocking is that the same jazz, soul, and bluegrass music banned from performance in the early 1900\u2019s became the inspiration for rock and roll and later rap. Music generated by the African American community was automatically labelled as deviant from the moment black artists began to express themselves. In many ways music became a culture clash&#8211;one that continues to this day. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 4:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Plays Prince Song \u201cDarling Nikki\u201d**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The lyrics you just heard are from Prince\u2019s 1984 hit album <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purple Rain. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Titled, \u201cDarling Nikki\u201d, Prince openly describes an encounter he had in which he finds a young woman masturbating. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not even half way through the song, the single verse was all it took for as Tipper Gore, to decide that a change needed to be made in the music industry. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The former wife of Politician Al Gore, Tipper\u2019s position within politics allowed her, alongside a few other \u201cwashington wives\u201d to bring their concerns about explicit content in music to the forefront, catapulting a movement that later became the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> During the case, witnesses brought in to testify in favor of Gore, shared their sentiments toward a group of songs brought into question. Informally labeled the \u201cfilthy fifteen\u201d, witnesses described their content as violent and pornographic, going as far as to say that the group of songs glorified self harm and sexual deviance. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In efforts to bring these potentially harmful lyrics to light, Tipper Gore and the PMRC suggested that albums should have a detailed label that included categories of obscenity. While the proposed label was not fully accepted, the Recording Industry Association of America agreed to create a label that stated \u201cParental Advisory\u201d on albums. This label however, and to the dismay of Gore and the PMRC would remain at the discretion of the artist and their record label.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The label we know today made its first appearance in the highly controversial 1990 release of rap group 2 Live Crew\u2019s fourth album, cynically titled \u201cBanned in the U.S.A.\u201d after the original title, \u201cAs Nasty As They wanna Be\u201d was labeled salacious. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 5: <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>** Plays \u201cDNA\u201d by Kendrick snippet**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So what exactly makes a song explicit and requiring censorship? A lot of it has to do with how music is framed by people in power &#8211; aka white Christian god-fearing Americans &#8211; and the media. \u00a0As previously mentioned, the two music genres that were heavily censored were heavy metal and rap music. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Heavy metal was censored to protect children from exposure to taboo topics like anti-patriotism, drug addiction, and violence. Rap was censored to protect society from black culture that was depicted as being violent and sexually promiscuous. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The media framed rap music as a threat to authorities, which suggested that people in positions of political power felt most threatened by contemporary music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike the referent images of &#8220;my daughter&#8221; and &#8220;our own kids&#8221; that appeared in articles and speeches about heavy metal, the prominent rap frames referred to a very different young listener: a young, urban, black male, or more often a group of urban, black male youths. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> George Will who is a conservative commentator invoked in the Summer 1990 trial of the alleged Central Park rapists, wrote: Fact: some members of a particular age and social group-the one making 2 Live Crew rich- stomped and raped [a] jogger to the razor edge of death, for the fun of it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Politicians, albeit white ones, stated that listeners of rap music were lamented not because their activities were a concern to their safety, but because they would probably travel in packs, rape women, and terrorize society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Commentators also drew on the fact rap songs tended to be more explicit than heavy metal songs. Rap songs depict graphic sex, and no heavy metal songs and two rap songs portrayed violence against the police. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For example, using George Will\u2019s example from the rap group the 2 Live Crew&#8217;s rap song, &#8220;The Fuck Shop&#8221; \u00a0the lyrics were considered \u00a0more explicit. Some examples include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Plays \u201cThe Fuck Shop\u201d 2 Live Crew**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, mainstream writers were not concerned about the detrimental effects of the graphic music on teenaged listeners, as they had been for heavy metal, but were concerned about the dangers black youths posed to the society at large. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The societal belief that black kids pose more of a threat to society than &#8220;our kids&#8221; was reflected in the arguments about &#8220;black&#8221; teenagers&#8217; cultural objects. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 6: <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Guns and Roses \u201cIt\u2019s So Easy\u201d <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">**<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So why are some songs censored so heavily while others pass without much controversy from mainstream society? The answer lies in the implicit biases that shape what we define as explicit content and therefore what needs to be censored. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Scholar, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George Shaw said that censorship is an inherently conservative action performed by those who desire to preserve tradition. He Pointed out that musical censorship is based on morality phenomenons that are solely dependent on the majority- making this censorship inherently raced, classes, and gendered. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Therefore, the reason songs like Guns and Roses \u201cIt\u2019s so easy\u201d remained on the radio, while songs like Prince\u2019s \u201cDarling Nikki\u201d quickly hit the United States banned list is because despite the fact that these songs are filled with sexist sexual lyrics these lyrics still reinforce traditional gender roles by portraying women as subordinate passive characters and men as dominant authoritative actors in sexual encounters. Darling Nikki on the other hand presents a woman who not only masturbates and has casual sex, but she initiates these encounters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This style of gender binding and overt sexual expression is not unique to Prince however. In fact, studies show that Black Entertainment Television, or BET, \u00a0videos depicted significantly more \u201cdiscouraged sexual behaviors\u201d than videos from CMT, VH1, and MTV<\/span><b>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, African American videos were significantly more likely to portray sexual content and female characters in provocative clothing than White videos. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In his article, Shaw notes that whatever is contrary to established manners, customs, and ideologies is immoral and therefore is considered deviant. But again who is the majority and decides what is immoral? The answer is again a very upper class Christian white population who explains their \u00a0inherent racial and gendered \u00a0biases as deviant and deflecting away from traditional customs, ideologies, and morals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 7:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**CLIP of Tipper Gore Interview (Speaking on Children)**<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So was Tipper Gore correct? Does music shape individual\u2019s sexual identities? And more importantly, if music does shape an individual\u2019s sexual identity what effect does censoring music that reflects and reinforces a person\u2019s sexual identity have on that group? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To answer the first question, we will look at an article from Sex Education titled \u201cThe motorway to adulthood&#8221; This article found that young people&#8217;s \u00a0preferred genre and artists were found to be associated with all aspects of their \u00a0lives and culture, with music functioning specifically as an educational tool for adult relationships. Thus, music influences sexual decisions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The findings from these studies indicate that the norms portrayed by young people&#8217;s preferred genres reinforce beliefs about sex and adult relationships. This can be both empowering or degrading to an individual\u2019s identity formation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Take African American girls for example: Hip Hop music has a long history of hyper sexualizing African-American female bodies This causes an internalized struggle for African-American women to fulfill \u00a0European as well as African-American beauty standards. Studies show that this internalize and very physical search for beauty has caused negative health outcomes, higher levels of stress, more promiscuous behavior, and greater acceptance of abuse in African-American woman. African-American women are also found to engage in more disease causing sexual behaviors when associated with high consumerism of hip-hop music. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, hip-hop directly shapes and limits African-American women&#8217;s choice and identity formation by reinforcing stereotypes. Such evidence could possibly be used as a tool for censorship. On the other hand some studies prove that hip-hop music also serves as a form of empowerment and reclaiming \u00a0of African American bodies and sexuality. Some artist like Mary J. Blige, Beyonc\u00e9, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj are consistent advocates \u00a0of embracing and loving not only the African-American American body but the African-American experience as well. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Therefore although music may have negative effects on sexual identity formation, for some censoring sexualized music may Delegitimize some underrepresented identities that \u00a0have used music as a platform to say that their lives, their experiences, and their identities are important and should be recognized. Censoring music may tell teenagers as their sexual identity and choices form, that they aren\u2019t valid or acceptable. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 8:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Plays \u201cHumble\u201d by Kendrick Lamar*** <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Denisha: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did the Tipper Gore case and the parental advisory label and the accomplish what it intended? In some ways yes. Artists voluntarily put the label on their albums, or per the suggestion of their agents. Artists who use explicit lyrics put the label on their CDs to avoid potential lawsuits. In this way, music that is explicit, is at least labeled as such.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chanyce:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, what the parental advisory label actually accomplished is a type of protection for artists. As long as they place the advisory label on their albums, they are free to express themselves in whatever ways they want. While certain retailers can refuse to carry the album due to its content, the actual content itself isn\u2019t censored. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jamie: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the parental advisory label did not affect album sales. There is no evidence that \u201cclean\u201d versions of an album sell more copies than its explicit counterpart. The parental advisory label also didn\u2019t serve its original purpose to protect youth or protect youth from something as there\u2019s been no evidence that censoring music equates to a safer and happier society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marisa: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All in all, it actually could be argued that the advisory label actually increased the sales of certain rock and rap albums. While the impact of music on young listeners, whether negative or positive, will continue to be disputed, what started as a way to control a form of artistic expression may have actually turned out to unlock the pathway for artists to openly contribute to sexual discourse and distribute it to the masses. In turn, this allowed listeners of all ages to access a multitude of sexual narratives as they begin to develop their own. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Everyone:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So here\u2019s a special shout out to you Tipper Gore<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>**Ends with \u201cHumble\u201d by Kendrick Lamar** <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Warning: the sound quality on this podcast is a bit uneven. The music is much louder than the talking segments. Please adjust your volume accordingly.** Abstract: We researched the connections between music and sexuality in an attempt to understand \u00a0modern notions of sex, sexuality, and censorship and how they are related to representation in music.&hellip; <span class=\"kuorinka-read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/uncategorized\/lets-talk-about-sex-parental-advisory-explicit-content\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Let&#8217;s Talk About Sex: Parental Advisory Explicit Content<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-72","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions\/141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lewiscar.sites.grinnell.edu\/SexInAmericanHistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}