America needs to, "take drastic steps to control an epidemic of teenage drinking that is costing $53 billion a year, the National Academy of Sciences said yesterday" .

Demanding "harsh penalties on stores that sell alcohol to teenagers, and steep increases in taxes on beer," it's the lead in a Washington Post story here and it went on to say that more than merely telling teenagers not to drink, "adults must take action to deglamorize alcohol, and society must punish companies that profit from underage drinking".

As you'd expect, "It is warmed-over, tired solutions," said David Rehr, president of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. "If you look at what the report says, most of the stuff - raising alcohol taxes, having a national media campaign, urging law enforcement to be more involved - we've already known, and some of them haven't worked."

What's that got to do with you?

The report also calls for, "curbs on glamorous references to alcohol in hip-hop music and movies" and a crackdown on entertainment, "especially on the recording industry.

"References to liquor brands and glamorous portrayals of drinking are especially common in hip-hop music and music videos, the report said. Lyrics frequently link drinking with wealth, violence and sexual activity.

"The report called for a more stringent rating system to help parents control what music their children listen to." [Our italics]

But, also as you'd expect, "The Recording Industry Association of America rejected the recommendation, saying that '75 percent of parents find the current parental advisory label program adequate'," says the WP report.

this will neaver fly no matter how much ya'll would like it two but it is nice to see some one takeing no more fight to the riaa keeping them spending there money while no one is buying there product so all in all it's a grate thing

I wonder if those 75 percent of parents that find the current program adequate also check what their kids are listening to in order to see if it meets their parental standards... How many parents do you think would be completely shocked by the amount of cursing, references to sex, etc. etc. etc.? I'd bet it'd be higher than 75%...

Who would of guessed, the RIAA doesn't take any suggestions, whether or not they would be beneficial. Which is exactly what will procure their imminent demise.

Suikio

Back when I actually listened to mainstream, and purchased a few cds my father found one of my cds. It had a parental advisory on it, but after he read the back of the case he wanted to dispose of it.

Name change...

GOT to read this..http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=12467
this one is goos too http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=3429542

I'm actually with the RIAA on this one. Freedom of speech is what it's all about. When they start censoring music then it's time to start knocking on some doors and stomping some idiots butt.

This is (of course) another example of the Prohibitionist Lobby to advance THEIR cause incremental step by incremental step.

They’re trying to tie it in to all the other socially frowned upon activities.

In the televised news reporting (CNN?) they could be heard BRAGGING that they had successfully raised the Legal Drinking Age to 21.

Meanwhile citizens of the rest of the world include a large number who allow their children to drink wine (generally watered down) with meals are LAUGHING AT US.

Red wine (in particular) and alcohol in general, have been reliably shown to have health benefiting qualities.

Steep increases in taxes (particularly in a society that runs huge deficits) may seem a palatable solution to the agenda of fear that special interest groups whip up to justify their ideology, but it has all the hallmarks of any other “throw the baby out with the bathwater solution” that appeals to the attention-ally deficit dysfunctional.

Consequently, I expect the ‘news media’ and the ‘legislators’ to LOVE IT.

But: Hey, people! Can’t we do just a little better than this?

lol

justed

lol...yea, I find it adequate. AS a parent, I'm saying "if it has riaa on the label, no way!"

to justed:
Yes there are health benefits, but why do young kids drink? to get drunk...why do most peopel drink? to get drunk. You ever tasted that stuff its nasty man. Drinking is to me just bad. There are some health pro's, I admit it but remember back in the 1900's when coca-cola contained cocaine? people thought it was good because it relaxed you...

What does red wine help us do...hmmm interesting to me. But yea we do have better knowledge and research, but to over use these products like most people do...well it sucks. Kind of like fast food. You wonder why the obesity rate increases...wheres the surgeon's general warning on McDonalds?

I think that censoring is wrong. But if the RIAA does allow these words, than what is the difference between that and porn? I really do not see one. Both are considered "bad" by society, both have the same effect on people, they are addictive...where is the difference.

I think this just shows that they are just as bad as the porn industry! Except there is no obscene pictures, just obscene words! I am not saying to edit it, but they need to realize that words effect people as much if not more than pictures. THis part just seems irrelevant to helping out their case to me.

-ravenance (justed...in no way was I being deragorty just stating my opinion sorry if it came off that way!) =)

I'm for that rating system, so I don't have to look things up on RIAA radar. Just a big sticker with bright Yellow letters on a black background saying
"RIAA". That'll make it easy to know what NOT to buy.

Steep increases in taxes (particularly in a society that runs huge deficits) may seem a palatable solution to the agenda of fear that special interest groups whip up to justify their ideology, but it has all the hallmarks of any other “throw the baby out with the bathwater solution” that appeals to the attention-ally deficit dysfunctional.

justed said it better than i could. I was going to say the same. These groups always cause a crisis to raise taxes. They did it with tobacco and they will do it with alcohol.

The RIAA doesn't want any changes. You gotta be drunk or high to enjoy that crap they are peddling as music these days and they know it!!!!

Starting with Elvis Presley, the bad boy image, with sex, has been a big draw, it was Rock and Roll (from a euphemism from blues musing to mean sexual intercourse, the old Rocking and Rolling . Then, the Beatles and flower power came along, and with their experimental with mind expanding drugs...it was Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll. The country side of things has always celebrated booze, even stressing certain brands like Jim Beam. One of my favorite country songs was "What made Milwaukee famous, made a fool out of me." So, with country, which in the old days, appealed to an older, more agrarian, conservative segment, you had songs about infidelity, trains, booze, and jail.
The trend of course is for music to reflect the life of a certain culture, and vice versa. Popular culture before the Beatles and Elvis, mainly stressed plain vanilla love songs, and seemed to be emotionally vapid. You can only take so many songs by Bobby Vinton with word "Blue" in them , before you pull your hair out. The polish polka never really hit the big time, except for the skit on Second City TV with the rock polka act.
So, popular music has generally been either expressing angst and the tortures of unrequited or lost love combined with booze, as in the Country music of the 50s, or it was about love, sex, and just odd themes or drug related themes like "Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In" (First Edition featuring Kenny Rogers). Happy Happy good times, although occasionally being the theme of some rare hits like those by The Turtles, have generally not been the fodder for popular music. The melancholy of the Long and Winding Road by the Beatles is an example that songs that have some sort of conflict, are usually much better received commercially than conversative songs of "Good Morning Starshine".

Some groups have cultivated a bad boy image, and some performers genuinely had problems conforming to societal norms. The outrageous behavior of the Who may have been an example of the former, although the acts of Keith Moon, the drummer, seemed to be more an example of the latter.

But, like everything else in movies and other things, it seems in the 21st century, to be outrageous, you have to be more and more out there.
The association between big names in Rap, under the RIAA wings, seem particularly troublesome. I believe right now, 50 cent is being sought in connection with a shooting.

The RIAA labels are more than willing to promote a young female singer scantily clad, shaking her butt, and singing risque lyrics that would have been banned just 30 years ago, or a black rapper, throwing down gang signs, trying to project a gang related criminal image, and occasionally getting mixed up in murder or shootings, as long as the image makes them money. But, they want to become Puritans when it comes to something that they think doesn't make them money, like P2P networks. If the word hypocritical fits RIAA, then wear it. As ILUVELPEES said "You gotta be drunk or high to enjoy that crap they are peddling as music these days and they know it!!!!"

sorry for all the typos

I think the answer is to not try to continue this hypocrasy of allowing "adults" to drink but allowing other "adults" to not drink. To allow ppl to kill themselves on cigarettes which is one of the most habit forming substances in this world short of crack and heroin. Just get over it and legalize most drugs, alcohol and everything and make it like cigarettes. Illegal to sell to people under 18 but not illegal to use. and of course tax the hell out of it.

That will:
1. create money to rebuild iraq
2. creates 1000s-10,000s-100,000s of new jobs
3. make people happier
4. allow the cops to stop "fighting the war on drugs" and protect us from like threats like lunatics in a car with a sniper rifle

oh wait if theres no more war on drugs the cops wont have anything to do and every one will realize they are just a waste and dont protect or serve any thing except thier stations bottom line... and of course for bolstering statistics on the war on drugs trying to prove they actually do something positive when they are making the world far worse than it would be with out thier help.

But they feel responsible to need to control P2P because it shares kiddie porn.

Uhmm yea ok

I agree with you, darkened03. Fact is, if the Riaa had not been "pushing" this garbage music on young-uns, and filtering the music that they deemed, "unprofitable," I think we would have a much different musical culture these days. A lot of different artists, in all genres, have had a lot of good stuff to say, but because of the Riaa distribution clampdown, you would never hear it. Thank God for the internet and the ability to finally circumvent this cartel, and to get good music out again. Then you can decide for yourself, as an adult, what you like. Same goes for drugs, sex, etc. etc. Code, the only way that "more and more out there" seems to work is in a completely Machavellian culture, where the dolla rules. It is a drug, in and of it self, this greed thing. And worshipped by executives, trusts, corporations,lobbyists, religions, militarys, and governments alike. Not to get too deep here, but the arts is a wide array of creativity, much of which we never see..

The world would be a better place if the riaa had the way.....the fith reich!!!! if they could only rule the world!

What's that statment about being doomed to repeat history? Prohibition didn't work before. It has now led to an obscene profit margin and the incarceration of nonviolent offenders. Decriminalize drugs and the profit margin disappears. Then nobody will risk their life to import them. And for Pete's sake, let me grow my own medicinal herbs in my garden. Regarding alcohol, the justification for raising the drinking age was to curb teen drunk driving. So raise the driving age! If 18 is old enough to vote and join the military, it's old enough to drink. An yes, I'm way over 30.

Another thought...it's the music of the RIAA which has caused this culture to proliferate so!
The RIAA, controlling far-too-many percent of what we hear, has played these rap tunes and shown these videos, depicting drink, drugs and sex. Small wonder they're against this!

Off topic, but I hope they find 50 cent, find a connection and lock him up for life. I read a Rolling Stone article talking about on tour he has his 5 year old son come on stage and banter obscenties left and right while the crowd cheers this crap on!! They ought to arrest him for child abuse too!! This lowlife piece of dung has no talent. Even my 14 year old who likes this crap says 50 cent is a waste.

Listen why the hell is our drinking age so high. I just turned 21 last may, but why was I able to be drafted into the army, and ordered to kill US enemies, but still unable to have a beer? Explain the idiot logic to me.

What a load of $%@#. Most country music is about either drinking or cheating; one in particular about drinking round after round of tequilla until he cannot think straight anymore. That song was played many a times on the radio.

Or how about Jimmy Buffett's "Why Don't We Get Dunk and Screw," a popular artist among middle-aged Americans. Oh, but it has a "friendlier" tone to it...

But really, these issues have always popped up, this is nothing new, just let the issues die off like it usually does.


Addressing other issues here; music is a reflection of our culture, not the other way around. In other words, don't blame society's problems on the music industry.

ILUVELPEES - agreed!

You know, when a tick or any parasite becomes so irritating, or threatening to health that the host cannot stand it anymore, if it is an external parasite, a smart host will extract it, and mash it to death. If the parasitic infection is internal, often strong medicine is required, or even surgical intervention. The RIAA is getting really irritating and so full of our blood, it's about to pop.

The parasite needs to be removed from the host, for the health of the body.

Code, Don't forget one of the first anti-drug songs of the sixties - the not so thinly veiled 'Kicks' by Paul Revere and the Raiders:

Girl, you thought you found the answer on that magic carpet ride last night

But when you wake up in the mornin' the world still gets you uptight

Well, here's nothin' that you ain't tried to fill the emptiness inside

But when you come back down, girl
Still ain't feelin' right

Chorus:
Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
Oh, you don't need kicks, girl

And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind

You just need help, girl
Before you find out it's too late, girl

You better get straight

Careful, kyodylee... If the RIAA owns rights to that song, they might sue you.

Then lets all sing it together!!!!

I didn't post the "entire" song lyrics, only an excerpt and according to their own rules, that's fair use.

Accipiter777
I have been on the
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid .asp?id=12467 and I have put www.boycott-riaa.com at the foot of my message. If you go to the page you will see. That is the word spread a little further.

the link went wrong here it is again http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=12467

That was the link to the articla This is the opinion page. http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/forum/readThread.asp?id=1198&sessionkey=1%3A47%3A54+AM&page=2

You will here http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/forum/readThread.asp?id=1198 The opinions of the people are the same as we feel.


I have put www.boycott-riaa.com at the foot on a message you will see on the second page by clicking '2' at the very bottom. I have spread out word a lttle further.

I think the best way to solve the underage drinking problem is to lower the legal drinking age from 21. Up here in Canada, the drinking age is either 18 or 19 (depending on the province) and we don't have an "epidemic".

It doesn't matter what they do. No matter what, no matter where, if someone, even a kid want to alter their perception through the use of chemicals, they will find a way. If they make it more difficult to consume alcohol, they will just move to street drugs. Personally, I think it better that they smoke marijuana over alcohol anyway. Less harmful physically, won't make you violent or agressive, and won't make you drive recklesly when you can't even see straight. Oh yeah, SCREW THE RIAA!

kyodylee- Big Smile..I remember Paul Revere and the Raiders, Mark was the singer, and Paul Revere was the blond haired dude playing keyboards...
they also did Cherokee Nation, which I liked, since I am part Cherokee.

i don't see what these people are talking about.. i am a teen and i listen to this stuff... the only thing is I am intellagent enough to know that it is only a song, movie,tv show etc..
-O