It’s been around for quite some time, and it used to make buying music such a hassle for anyone not old enough to go to the record store on his or her own. But in this new day and age, where people are no longer buying music in person anymore, does the “Parental Advisory” sticker on the cover of albums even matter anymore?
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the entity that regulates the content of music, it most certainly still is.
The RIAA, paired with the National Parent Teacher Association and the Parents Music Resource Center, started mandating that record companies label their products with the “Parental Advisory: Explicit Content” sticker in 1985.
Fast forward to 2011. It’s sad to say, but people don’t necessarily go out and buy albums anymore. And now, as a full-time college student/full-fledged adult, does the explicit content label even matter anymore?
“No they don’t matter,” said criminal justice sophmore Michael Robertson. “Maybe if you’re in junior high, but not while you’re in college. Even our professors cuss in class.”
The real problem is not whether or not content should be labeled for its explicitness. Most people can agree it is not feasible or appropriate for a preteen to be listening to hardcore gangster rap, or death metal.
The real problem is the circulation of such inappropriate content.
Perhaps a better method of calling attention to questionable lyrics is needed. Putting a sticker on a CD case — when people don’t even buy them anymore — is pointless.
With a fair number of people under the age 25 acquiring music for their libraries online through downloads and file sharing, it is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to monitor whether or not their children are listening to obscene music.
In an archived article from Billboard.com, “In an effort to update its ‘Parental Advisory’” labeling program, the RIAA is asking online music companies to implement “effective parental-control filters to provide parents more information and control over what their children can download.”
The move was an effort by RIAA CEO Mitch Bainwol to “reinforce the importance of consistent descriptors across all services and help parents draw a distinction between the pirate peer-to-peer networks and legitimate online music services.”
With so much music coming from the Internet, parents have a hard time policing what music their children consume.
“I feel that an artist should be able to say whatever they want to say, but I do believe that a parent has a right not to show their kid something,” said JV San Martin, a psychology and pre-law sophomore.
Yes, there is a time for all of us to grow up, and have the freedom to pick and choose whatever music we want to listen to, explicit or not.
But in a time of your life when you are still worrying about growing up and transitioning, it is not such a good idea to be blasting vulgarities from your iPod.
Reach the columnist at jermac@asu.edu
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