Censorship In Music

Censorship in music has been a major problem plaguing America since the early nineteen forties. It came to a head during the nineteen sixties with the Vietnam War and the hippie movement. During the nineteen seventies and eighties heavy metal and hard rock were getting the brunt of the censorship heat. Now in the nineteen nineties the major focus of censorship is rap; primarily gangster rap. In our history classic books have been burned, news stories have been edited, and music has been turned off.   What’s interesting about this group is that the latter is not covered by the first amendment.   When the majority of the population thinks of music censorship the first amendment comes to mind.   Americans are mislead in this assumption.   The first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law representing an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”   From this one may assume that the censorship of music is prohibited based on the law of our constitution.   However, when music is censored, our government does not do it, but instead by special interest groups.   In the instances that court hearings are conducted to determine whether or not an artist or artists have the right to produce and mass market their work, the court hearings are rarely tried as a civil rights hearing.   According to existing laws, art is constitutionally protected speech.   But music is not censored on the basis of art; it is censored on the basis of obscenity. Special interest groups and corporations claiming to be protecting the interests of their consumers have enforced most of the censorship that has been placed on music in the United States.

      Censorship done by corporations is evident in history.   In nineteen eighty-five the seeds of censorship were sewn. It began by the Recording Industry Association...