Tipper Gore on Prince’s ‘vulgar lyrics’ in 1987
Tipper Gore formed the Parents Resource Music Center with other Washington wives to go after explicit lyrics.
Click here for reuse options!There was a whole Senate hearing about the matter featuring testimony from Frank Zappa, John Denver, and Dee Snider.
So where does Prince come in? Well, the PRMC––headed by Gore and three other prominent D.C. women––released a “Filthy Fifteen” list of the top 15 songs they were offended by. And atop the list was none other than Prince’s “Darling Nikki” for themes of sex and masturbation.
That list dropped in 1985, but two years later in her book Raising PG Kids in a X Rated Society, Gore wrote about how shocked, SHOCKED she was by the lyrics.
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
12 responses to Tipper Gore on Prince’s ‘vulgar lyrics’ in 1987
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Suzanne McFly April 22nd, 2016 at 10:21
I thought she was the devil at that time, and I still think so.
Roctuna April 22nd, 2016 at 10:28
There’s “save the planet” morality that Al promotes and then there’s “get my panties in a twist” morality like monitoring lyrics. I wonder if that had anything to do with their divorce?
Suzanne McFly April 22nd, 2016 at 21:04
I could take Al, but I remember her trying to take on artists and the lyrics they used. I have always loved music and for someone to have the nerve to sensor it pissed off music lovers world wide. I have no idea what Al seen in her, maybe she was someone who would help his political career, other than that I don’t see the draw.
clemans April 23rd, 2016 at 08:44
I seriously doubt that it did.
clemans April 23rd, 2016 at 08:44
why? A lot of mothers objected to things like that. My mother told me I couldn’t BUY comic books…..I read them by borrowing my friend’s……and she wouldn’t let me see Cleopatra or the Days of Wine or Roses at the theater. I controlled what my kids wore and they couldn’t have clothes that were too skimpy.
What Tipper did was legal that I am aware of and probably helped sell records for Prince. At the time you were young and it was natural for you to have seen her as the devil…but we know how badly women have been treated, unequal pay, men come on here and try to blame women for being raped, or say they lied and were never raped, I don’t blame Tipper for caring about anything that helps belittle or sexualize young women. With HIV and STD’s, I think she was just being a mother and using her position to do what she felt correct for our kids. It didn’t seem to hurt Prince.
You know about Prince and his music, you would know better than me if his words fell into that category or not, but I support what Tipper did to try to bring awareness to parents about something that influences kids as much as music seems to do.
Twain once pointed out that a library in Concord once banned his story on Huck, calling it “trash and suitable only for the slums”. And Twain was glad, saying it will probably sell at least 25,000 copies for him. Tipper didn’t stop you from loving the music he made. smiles
Parents have to do the hard stuff.
Suzanne McFly April 23rd, 2016 at 11:05
I just think the government has no place in banning language. It killed the radio IMO. When you hear a song now, half the lyrics are beeped out. I know a lot of the songs objectify woman and I don’t favor those songs, but just because a singers music contains certain words it does not mean a typical woman will match those descriptions. We need to raise stronger women who will not feel the need to conform. It isn’t he musics fault people do what they do, it is the persons fault, we need to quit excusing them.
Prince did not objectify women, he used graphic lyrics to create a sensual scene and a lot of the time he spoke of religion in the same song. This made a lot of people uncomfortable, it is the same type of people who didn’t want to see Elvis swivel his hips. It is parents who need to be better parents that are the problem, not singers who need to sing “proper” songs .
clemans April 23rd, 2016 at 12:40
it was within her legal rights to try to have her grievances addressed, I do not support censorship, but as a parent, I know a great number of parents have been concerned about lyrics and things like that, which actually do influence our kids, often in a negative way. They are often to young to hear about sensual things.
I also don’t think that government should ban language, outside of the limits already imposed….not being able to scream fire in a crowded theater when there is no fire is a good thing.
I didn’t say I would support a ban, just that to call her a devil as an adult is hyperbole. Most parents don’t want their kids to hear those things. Most parents can not prevent them from doing so. I am saying it is natural what she tried and natural that she didn’t get what she wanted. And as it didn’t hurt Prince, or his listeners, it is much ado about nothing to go after Tipper now.
We get people on sites like this who want to go crazy over flagging posts with words or thoughts they don’t like, and we are all mostly adults here. It makes more sense to me to want to protect children from adult situations than it does to try to flag offensive posts on an adult sight. But adults do it, they complain about wanting monitors to remove people and posts. And often they get what they want. So trying to protect young children from adult situations makes one a devil but trying to censor adults from being exposed to offensive words is okay. That sounds like it might need a rethink to me. As an adult, I don’t need someone else deciding what I can or can’t read.
I once worked to get Jerry Springer off the air during the time when parents wouldn’t be home but school age kids were coming in from school. Took me less than 2 weeks but it got moved to a time frame where it was more appropriate. I didn’t ask for it to be removed but for it to be in a time frame where parents had a chance to monitor what their kids watched.
I have never heard songs on the radio blanked out. What region do you live in?
I am all for raising strong women, and strong sons, I did both so I am with you on that. I do strongly disagree that it is okay for our girls to hear themselves being called words like slut and for it to sound as if women should be punching bags, mistreated, have sex early, and not think of things like being scientists and positive things like that. I am not saying that was in his words……never heard his words…I don’t see that as healthy for sons or daughters, and Tipper at least made parents aware and get them talking to help counter that culture.
This might be too soon for you. Someone you just lost that seems to have been tied to your younger years just passed. And it seems understandable for you to be reliving your youth and for this to be raw. As a kid, you should have thought her a devil. I am saddened and overwhelmed that so many people are hurting and there isn’t anything we can do. I felt like this when Robin Williams died so in part I do understand.
I don’t see how anybody was harmed. We have 9 million American kids who are homeless…..let me show you a real devil.
I am an atheist, if he promoted religion on his songs. I might have helped Tipper. SMILES.
The main point is, Tipper wasn’t able to stop you hearing the songs.
Um Cara April 22nd, 2016 at 11:34
All that stupid ‘porn rock’ stuff – I never forgave Tipper or Al for that debacle.
whatthe46 April 22nd, 2016 at 13:42
um, here’s an idea, don’t listen. oh, and it’s called freedom of expression, deal.
Bunya April 22nd, 2016 at 13:51
I find it hilarious that the godless heathen rockers are being chastised for promoting filthy sex, when it’s usually the religious nutjobs who are actually CAUGHT engaging in kinky sex practices. Hell, the rockers could get some pointers from the likes of David “Diaperman” Vitter, Mark “Appalachian trail” Sanford and, of course, Ted Cruz’ newest assertion that transgenders will be stalking and raping little children in restrooms.
clemans April 23rd, 2016 at 08:29
gee, I can’t think of Ted Cruz without a visual image of dildos floating across my imagination. I see them in purple, giant, glow-in-the-dark, and throbbing with an endless supply of batteries, going along a 6′ wide conveyor belt with Cruz trying to grab them and stuff them into boxes so he can hide them from the public……sort of like Lucy and Ethel working in the candy factory. He is stuffing dildos…..wherever, to hide them from sight before a horde of sex-craved dissatisfied wives can grab them up and find self-fulfillment on their own without permission from a husband…..the more he grabs at the dildos, the more come out along the conveyor belt……and all is lost and in despair, he flees from the public, never to smirk for the camera again.
You can see, I have put a lot of thought into this……smiles
Bunya April 25th, 2016 at 10:15
Thanks for the visual. I’m still trying to bleach my brain of the thought of Denny “family values guy” Hastert having sex with little boys.