Zappa Debates the Parents Music Research Council

This past Friday we covered this story on the 2 Assholes Talking Music podcast. It's almost 31 years to the date the late, great Frank Zappa went on ABC News with Ted Koppel to debate censorship in music with Kandy Stroud from the PMRC and bubble gum popstar Donny Osmond. This is 1985, just years before we'd see Parental Advisory stickers become the norm in the music industry as part of censoring music for certain age groups. The debate concentrates mostly on the PMRC crafting a rating system for albums just like the ratings we see in films and now television. You can probably imagine where Zappa stands on all this and where Kandy Stroud from the PMRC stands as well. Funny thing is that ABC brought on Donny Osmond to represent the clean side of music but he ends up agreeing with Frank on most of the issues. It's a fascinating watch if for nothing else to watch Ted Koppel, a true journalist and broadcaster moderate the shit out of this debate. Something that is sorely missing from news broadcasts this day in age. Part 1 is embedded below and you can find parts 2 & 3 here and here.