It didn’t take Washington DC politicians
long to grab onto a Federal Trade Commission report issued last Tuesday
(April 24), that claims the entertainment industry continues to market
adult-rated material to minors through television programs and in magazines
with a large under-17 audience. Perhaps they were dreaming of the news-bites
and editorials when former Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman
(D-Conn.), former first lady Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen.
Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) decided to cash in on the publicity of the issue by
introducing a bill to the Senate that would allow the Federal Trade Commission
to fine companies that intentionally market adult-rated material to children.
The bill, the Media Marketing Accountability
Act would classify the marketing of adult-rated films, music and video
games to minors as a deceptive trade practice. This would allow the FTC
to issue fines up to $11,000 for each incident, by exposing a loophole
in current law.
The ink had barely a chance to dry on the
FTC’s report before the Senators jumped into action. The FTC report was
a follow up to last September’s Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Children
study which gave the entertainment industry six months to voluntarily change
their marketing practices that target children for adult entertainment
products.
The follow-up report issued last week states
that although the film and gaming industry has adopted some measures to
change these marketing practices, the entertainment companies, especially
the music industry still continue to aggressively market products that
are not suitable to minors in venues that cater to young people and continue
to ignore any kind of rating system for music.
The thrust of the new Senate bill would
impose a rating system on music, much like the one currently used for films.
Under the Marketing Accountability Act the music industry would be responsible
for developing a self-imposed rating system and guidelines for marketing
“adult-rated” material and penalties for non-compliance.
While Sen. Lieberman tried to deflect criticism
that this bill would in fact raise serious First Amendment issues, he wants
to have his cake and eat it too by claiming that the bill asks only that
the industry voluntarily rate their music products, set up marketing guidelines
and face the music if they violate these voluntarily guidelines.
This begs the question, what will happen if the record industry refuses
to voluntarily impose these new measures? Will big brother make these provisions
mandatory, thus sparking off a debate on freedom of speech and cries of
censorship?
Lieberman countered these claims with the
following: “Some will claim [the Marketing Accountability Act] is censorship,"
he said. "But the truth is we're not empowering the FTC to regulate content
in any way or even to make judgments about what products are appropriate
for children. We are simply saying that if you voluntarily label a product
as being unsuitable for kids, and then turn around and market it in a way
that directly contradicts that rating, you should be held accountable,
just like any other company that misleads consumers.
This bill appears to be smoke in mirrors,
sneaking in government’s indirect censorship of music through the backdoor
by calling it voluntary. The marketing of music that may be inappropriate
to children is a serious problem, the Senators seem to be forgetting one
important thing; it is the parents responsibility not the government’s
to determine what their children and can and can not listen to. This
issue was debated in the Senate in the 80’s when former Vice President,
then Senator Al Gore held hearings on this issue. The result of those hearings
was the voluntary warning stickering of music products that contain content
inappropriate for children.
I would hope that the Senate would have
better things to do than to revisit this divisive issue, with a sagging
economy, medicare and Social Security facing an uncertain future when the
baby boomer’s begin retiring in the near future, these Senator’s choose
instead to make a political issue out of a parental responsibility. Today
it may be music, but if the public accepts the proposition of the Government
usurping this parental responsibility than what is next? You can call it
voluntary all you wish, but it still boils down to the government exerting
control over music and that my friends is censorship.
While it can be argued that the marketing
of inappropriate material to children is a serious issue, the Libertarian
in me hates the idea of government becoming involved, because a) this is
really a parental responsibility issue, it is up to the parent’s to regulate
what their children do and do not listen to. B) Once the government because
involved, even in the slightest way, through voluntary measures, it is
only a matter of time before these politician’s facing reelection determine
that these “voluntary” measure have failed and it’s time for the government
to take a more hands-on role. This isn’t a Democrat vs. Republican
issue, politicians on both sides can see the political advantages of jumping
on the band wagon to “protect children”, but if they are successful they
will have taken yet another step towards undermining the American family
in favor of government taking yet another parental responsibility away.
If this is in deed a government of the people and by the people, then let
the people decide what is and isn’t appropriate for their children to listen
to. But to Washington DC politicians, the people can’t handle that task,
they need the Federal government to take charge because they do not trust
parents to raise their own children.
You can call this what ever you like but
if the government steps in to regulate music content it is nothing more
than good old fashion censorship. The government isn’t the answer, strong
parenting is! Don’t let these Senator’s take away yet one more responsibly
from parents, it won’t accomplish their goals, but it will further the
undermining of the American family.
Fan Speak Here is your chance
to agree or disagree, call me names or praise me for my insight. Everyone
has an opinion. You just read mine, now lets hear yours!
Fan
Speak:
Posted by Jason:
this is why i hate democrats...i have no love for g.w. but to quote jello biafra "culturaly jo leiberman is like tipper gore on crack!"
Posted by J.R.:
I think that all of those pencil pushing officials who know absolutly nothing about music should lay off all ready. They have no idea what they are talking about. Music should not be censored, by doing so they are taking away people's God given right to freedom of speech and thus causing more of a problem than any music industry or group ever could. Look, I see it like this, the only way to actually put an end to all the nonsense, is to stop taking music, and any other form of entertainment so seriously and see it for what it really is... entertainment.
Posted by mezz: You are both talking utter sh*t. Goodnight.
Posted by Zer0: to quote George Carlin "save the children,
feed the children, help the children [...] fukk the children![...] you
want to know how to help the children? leave them the fukk alone"... end
quote... -0
Posted by getty: i'm typing on a compute_ without the lette_
"_" so you'll have to fo_give that it's missing... it's the lette between
'e' and 't' on the keyboa_d, fo_ those who didn't figu_e it out... heh...
my pa_ents we_e ve_y cool and unde_standing when it came to music... and
so i had access to whateve_ i needed to hear... but if they hadn't been,
i would've wanted my _ed hot chili peppe_s taken away in the name of annoying
child_en a_ound me who wanted to be the then counte_pa_ts of eminem....
make sense... can senato_s tell the diffe_ence?
Posted by Andy: Don't worry about it, all the dinosaur
rock bands and shallow, naff as f*ck eighties-style bands are probably
quite safe from the clutches of 'big brother'. Yawn.
Posted by DV: TeeHee! Sanchez you is the funny one dude.
Posted by DURTY SANCHEZ: durty sanchez sez:wow this post has been
dead for awhile now,durty sanchez is disappointed that no one cares enough
to post here.also i hate that bastard greenmoose,he thinks hs all cool
and stuff.
Posted by SubXavier: Just to get this stagnant post going...
"Hold on, stay inside... this holy reality... this holy experience... choosing
to be here in... this body, this body holding me... be my reminder here
that I am not alone... In this body, this body holding me... Feeling eternal,
all this pain is an illusion..."
