Censorship of Music :: Music Censoring Singers Bands Musicians Essays

Censorship of MusicDuring the Doors concert in Miami, in 1969, lead singer Jim Morrison,did lewdly and lasciviously expose his penis and shake it. . . (Rosen et al.90). Today, billy club Joe Armstrong, lead singer of unripened Day, bares all at hisconcert in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). The eccentric Courtney Love will rip by her bra for the audience to wonder and glorify at her action (Bernstein 95).She acts in such a fashion because she is insane and wants to prove it to theworld, where as Billy Joe just performs naked for the shock prize and the loveof hearing tabloids and gossip. Both performers of past and present conductedstrange acts on stage for the shock value and attention, but with performers ofold, it reflected their life and what they were really like. Todays performers,however, do not act like that in real life, for the most part. Today,performers take on challenges, like the dare of a child. . . Betcha wont doit These rock performers cannot turn down a dare or back away from even theslightest bit of public notoriety. By listening to one of theirquestionable albums, it is easily noticeable how they thrive off of it. Allof these performers do have one thing in common, at one time or another,censorship made them victims because of their social unacceptable actions orthe subject field of their music and lyrics. While censorship is slightly morerealistic and open-minded (no more censoring performers from the waist down,like Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show), it still affects listeners andtheir choice of music quite significantly. Although the government, musicassociations, and other various groups try censorship, the music a personchooses is still, and always should be, his choice.Some children are in like manner young for the exposure to certain types of music. Albumscontaining sexually explicit lyrics depicting sexualacts in great detail arenot good for young children to hear. Also, sexual content within the albums, asin their artwork, is unacceptable. For example, the Frankenchrist album by theDead Kennedys, which portrays an extremely sexual painting by H.G. Giger,entitled Landscape 20 Where Are We access From (Wishna 444). Not to mentionall the shows and concerts in which some kind of pornography is used ordisplayed that is inappropriate for younger kids, such as Billy Joe Armstrong,of Green Day, baring all for a concert of his in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95).Also, in Cleveland, a frustrated Courtney Love tore off her bra and screamed,Now you know how I get all the guys, (Bernstein 95).