Parental Advisory

March 15, 2001
Nuzum, program director at WKSU-FM, Kent State University's National Public Radio affiliate, here offers a concise history of the censorship of rock'n'roll. After defining censorship as biased, myopic judgment, he describes the rise and subsequent activities of the premier watchdog organization, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). In a series of brief, telling chapters, the author shows how critics blamed rock for the spread of drugs, the antireligious behavior of youth, and such violent tragedies as teen suicides and the Columbine killings. He outlines the racist attacks against African American rockers from Little Richard to Ice-T and the swipes made by the cultural right at liberal musicians armed with a political message. Nuzum also details the attempts to squelch any hint of sex in music from Elvis to Madonna, the censorship of album cover art, and the basic elements of the obscenity law. Fascinating interviews with representatives of the PMRC and another noted censor, Wal-Mart, as well as a chronology of music censorship from the 1950s to the present, complete the work. Though Nuzum unearths few new incidences of rock bashing, he weaves hundreds of antirock diatribes, accusations, and activities into a breezy and informative book, that should be read by anyone interested in U.S. popular culture. Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2001
Adult/High School-This book "should appear on the required reading list for every high school civics course," opines anti-censorship activist Nina Crowley in a cover blurb. Failing that, it should certainly appear on the shelves of every high school library. Its wonderfully thorough history of music censorship-case by case and fight by fight-focuses on the 1950s to the present, but includes incidents dating back to the 19th century. Part one is organized thematically, with chapters on the main hot-potato issues that music (especially rock, heavy metal, and gangsta rap) has drawn fire for: "excessive" violence, sex, and drugs; political protests perceived as threatening; and religious "blasphemy." A chapter on race asks some provocative questions: Why, for example, was there absolute outrage over Ice-T's "Cop Killer" when Eric Clapton's similarly themed "I Shot the Sheriff" not only created no controversy, but also went on to become a number one hit? Part two is a nearly year-by-year chronology, beginning in 1865, of notable censorship cases. Both formats make Parental Advisory ideal for reference and research. Nuzum's witty, well-thought-out prose and numerous anecdotes insure that it will also be read for pleasure. The author is clearly against censorship, but he doesn't rave against it. The book is a good demonstration of how to feel passionately about a point but remain cool when one argues it, backing it up with facts instead of froth.-Emily Lloyd, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2001
Nuzum's instructive stroll down Censorship Lane is a two-part excursion. Part 1 traces the crusade against offensive ditties thematically. Coverage is brisk but comprehensive. The account of the congressional hearings provoked by Tipper Gore's Parents Music Resource Center features her then senator husband, the then senator John Ashcroft, Frank Zappa (who asked, "Where do you stop and start? Does 'Puppy Love' mean bestiality? Does 'On the Good Ship Lollipop' mean a psychedelic trip?"), John Denver, and Twisted Sister's lead singer, Dee Snider, who is said to be "the only person testifying that day whose recordings would be subject" to ratings or warning labels. The chronological second part breaks down this theater of the culture wars year by year. Music marketed to the young is likely to always feature gratuitous shocks to their elders' sensibilities, and minions of decency are just as likely always to fight it. Nuzum's work is an excellent resource for gaining perspective on both phenomena.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)