Though it may disappoint certain content vultures who seemed quite excited when Bitscape talked about canceling his cable, due to recent events, I have decided to hold off on that, at least for a little while. (As Collective vultures already know, ever since I started considered canceling, my actual usage and enjoyment has oddly increased. Oh, and the farscape season finale airs this Friday. Gotta watch that!)

Tonight, I watched the VH1 made for tv movie Warning: Parental Advisory, documenting the censorship battle of the 80s, fought between a bunch of Senators' wives, and the music industry. It was amusing, if <understatement>a bit over the top at times</understatement>. (Right at the opening screen, the movie proclaimend that it was a "fictionalized version" of history, in which certain people, events, or details had been combined, altered, or even made up entirely. At least they were honest about it.)

Executive summary: A lobbying firm for the music industry is trying to get congress to pass a tax on blank tapes, in an effort to counter the scourge of rampant piracy which "threatens the existence of the entire industry". (Hmmmm... That line sounds familiar, doesn't it?) The unlikely hero of the story is introduced as a sleezebag Washington lobbyist, pulling all the strings he can find in Congress in an attempt to get his client's bill to pass.

Meanwhile, a bunch of busybodies (who also happen to be the wives of senators) apparently have nothing better to do than get together and complain to each other about the awful the lyrics in their kids' music. Led by none other than Tipper Gore, they decide to do more than just complain to one another, and form the unholy political action organization known as the PMRC. (Parents Music Resource Center)

To use the common cliché, the rest is history. With the ears of many congressmen in their corner (and their beds), the PMRC effectively managed to bring their case before a Senate judiciary hearing. Though no legislation was ever passed, the PMRC did eventually strick a deal with the recording industry, in which "objectionable" albums would get the infamous "Warning: Parental Advisory" stickers affixed.

Also interesting was the jockying by record companies, who were far more interested in getting their blank tape tax passed than protecting freedom of speech. (Of which virtually nothing would get to the real artists, as even a character in this movie pointed out.) Am I surprised by this fact? Not a bit, of course. Am I surprised that this part of the issue would get coverage in a mainstream outlet, such as this movie? Somewhat.

Some parts of the movie are so silly (intentionally so) that you just have to sit and laugh. The part near the beginning where they walk into the church where the PMRC's snakeoil speechmaker talks about the evils of music lyrics is LOL funny. (Initially, the main character thinks it's some sort of joke, akin to the apple conspiracy, but obviously, the people in the congregation were taking it seriously, which natually makes the whole thing even funnier.)

The inspirational speech by Frank Zappa in the record store, which turned the lobbyist hero around, and inspired the idealist in him to good was just... like I said before, over the top. The unlikely ragtag combination of the lobbyist dude, Frank Zappa, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and John Denver, all coming together to fight for what is right, like some sort of reference to... I dunno what. The Fellowship of Nine? (Or the 3 Stooges, perhaps.) True movie cliché insanity.

Oh well. It was good. For a VH1 production, anyway. Let that say what it may.

...

Despite their horribly slow server, I made it through the Battleground God quiz, where questions are asked to test the self-consistency of your belief system. Despite the fact that I have no adherence to any particular religion, I emerged with a "TPM medal of distinction."

"You suffered zero direct hits and bit 2 bullets.

"The fact that you progressed through this activity without being hit and biting very few bullets suggests that your beliefs about God are internally consistent and well thought out.

"A direct hit would have occurred had you answered in a way that implied a logical contradiction. The bitten bullets occurred because you responded in ways that required that you held views that most people would have found strange, incredible or unpalatable. However, because you bit only two bullets and avoided direct hits completely you still qualify for our second highest award. A good achievement!"

Good for me!

Now, with beans in my stomach, and batteries in my heart... errr... new batteries for my cd player, I shall conclude this rambling, and take a brief walk for fresh air before bed.