Dangerous Music? - 'Explicit' Lyrics in the United States of America

This book discusses the history of the Parental Advisory Label (PAL) in the USA and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). The book aims to answer these questions: How could the PMRC, a group consisting of only a couple of activists, have such a profound and lasting impact? What did the implementation of such a warning mean for the artists and how had the perception of music changed so that warning stickers were deemed necessary? The central thesis is that through the discourse on explicit lyrics, certain music was marked as an actual threat to children and society and then started to be perceived as such. By the way in which the discourse evolved, and how the actors conducted themselves in this context, this understanding of certain music was repeatedly (re-)negotiated and connected to other current discourses. This way, the understanding of certain music as a threat to children and society was constantly renewed. The PMRC is considered to be a central actor that helped make the issue of music as a danger to children and society an item of debate on a national level. The book gives a detailed history of the PMRC and offers new insights regarding the analysis of the PMRC's strategy and success from a historical perspective.

Author: Julian Weller

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Publication Date: Jul 22, 2024

Number of Pages: NA pages

Language: English

Binding: Hardcover

ISBN-10: 3111328805

ISBN-13: 9783111328805