Gigs to be rated?

[M Holmes]

This one just came down the libernet pipe. I like Senator Tripp's
comment that he looks at rock gigs as he does pornography. It's one way
to guarantee nobody will block the view I guess.


---- Start of forwarded text ----
> Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 20:31:09 -0500
> From: freematt at coil.com (Matthew Gaylor)
> Subject: Libernet: CONCERT RATINGS: The New Attack On Free Speech & Music
>
> ROCK OUT CENSORSHIP (R.O.C.
> P.O. Box 147, Jewett,OH 43986
> Press Release
> December 8, 1997
> For Immediate Release
>
> Contact: John Woods:  roc at eohio.net,
> PH: 740-946-2011
>
> CONCERT RATINGS: The New Attack On Free Speech & Music
>
> Immediately following last month's Senate Subcommittee Hearings on
> "violent lyrics" a group of concert hall operators held a meeting to
> brew up their own brand of censorship called "Concert Rating."  Based
> on what a few who attended that meeting have said, we can expect to
> see a major push after the first of the year to initiate some form of
> rating system for live shows. Currently every idea imaginable has been
> thrown on the table ranging from warning labels on tickets, warning
> labels on all advertising or promotions material, barring anyone under
> 18 from attending "objectionable" shows unless accompanied by a parent
> to outright banning of shows by "objectionable" bands. Just who is
> going to decide what is "objectionable" is still unclear, but likely
> will include any and every act that celebrates non-conformity in any
> way.
>
> All of the above schemes of censorship are in part or all included in
> several pieces of legislation being drafted and proposed in a few
> states. Daniel Tripp, a Republican state representative from South
> Carolina is preparing a bill that will forbid "explicit" concerts from
> being held in any venue that is owned or financed by the state. Tripp
> claims he "looks at rock concerts in the same way he does
> pornography." No doubt where he's coming from.  This is nothing short
> of outright governmental censorship.  Each of the targeted venues
> would be considered "arena level" concerts where thousands of people
> happily come to the shows without being remotely offended.  So why are
> the opinions of these thousands of taxpaying music fans being ignored
> in favor of the opinions of radical religious organizations such as
> the Christian Coalition and the American Family Association that seem
> to be offended by any music other than gospel hymns?  Quite simply,
> the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Governments are
> very skillfully using the controversy created by these religious
> organizations in an effort to completely render the First Amendment of
> the United States Constitution to be a relic from the past in the
> interest of gaining greater control over society as a whole, as
> governments throughout mankind's history tend to do.  Somehow, these
> religious groups, together with their political allies, are convincing
> the nation that their actions are not censorship, but instead the much
> nicer sounding term "protecting the children".  We must take a stand
> NOW against this blatant assault on our rights to free expression.
>
> In Michigan, State Senator Dale Shugers(R) is drafting a bill that
> will criminalize venue owners who allow minors into shows that
> contain what he calls, "offending acts or speech" if they are
> unaccompanied by an adult. Venue owners could face up to 90 days in
> jail and/or a fine up to $5000. Shugers bill is expected to come
> before the full Michigan legislature early next year.  Think about
> this, folks.  If legislation such as this was in place in the 1950's,
> Rock and Roll music would have NEVER HAPPENED!  This is not about
> protecting children, this is about silencing opinions and preventing
> cultural change.  Those in control quite like the status quo and seek
> to eliminate any and all forms of rebellion from society.
> "Offensive" bands such as the often targeted Marilyn Manson refuse to
> conform to that status quo, and so politicians and religious groups
> are seeking to silence their thoughts systematically.
>
> In the wake of all this legislative activity it's no wonder the venue
> owners are scurrying around trying to devise their own "lesser evil"
> form of censorship. But is it a lesser evil? We at ROC certainly think
> not. Censorship is censorship, regardless of the dosage you're
> subjected to.   Any attempts to appease the censors only gives them
> the "taste of blood" for more attacks.  We intend to vigorously oppose
> any and all concert rating schemes that come down the pike, be they
> from the politicians or the venues and promoters, and we strongly
> encourage fans to do likewise.
>
> There is some encouraging news though. On December 3, Pearl Jam
> announced, through their manager Kelly Curtis, that they would boycott
> any state that enacts legislation that restricts concert attendance
> based on age. Curtis also manages L-7 and Rage Against The Machine who
> we hope will also follow the lead set by Pearl Jam.  We STRONGLY
> encourage all other musical acts to take a strong, vocal stand firmly
> against concert ratings. It is impairative that musicians, bands and
> fans in both Michigan and South Carolina begin to organize actions
> against Concert Ratings NOW!!!  The music industry's "corporate
> types" will only continue to appease these censoring bastards as
> they've been doing all along, so it's up to the artists to provide a
> much-needed spine for the industry by using their celebrity status to
> effectively draw the line in the sand to tell the would be censors to
> stuff it up their asses if they are offended because we have a First
> Amendment guaranteeing our freedom of expression in this country that
> does not allow political authorities to rid the nation's landscape of
> material that happens to offend certain people in power as they are
> attempting to do here.
>
>                                                  -30-
>
> ROCK OUT CENSORSHIP
>
>
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