1985 “PORN ROCK” SENATE HEARING COMES TO LIFE AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
Porn Rock: An Unintentional Comedy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
1985 “Porn Rock” Senate Hearing Comes to Life at Hollywood Fringe
Hollywood, CA – June 1, 2016 – The controversial and unintentionally hilarious hearing, engineered by Tipper Gore of the Parents’ Music Resource Center, comes to HFF in an intentionally hilarious re-staging.
In 1985, Tipper Gore and three women with strong ties to Washington politicians formed the Parents’ Music Resource Center (PMRC). Their goal was to slap warning stickers on heavy metal albums that contained content that was “inappropriate for children”, and to raise the political profile of Sen. Al Gore.
The PMRC leveraged their political power and secured a Senate Committee hearing…and the Congressional record was never the same.
On C-SPAN, and in front of international media, the PMRC provided examples of the very language and imagery they objected to. Consequently, the most outrageous and ridiculously over-the-top rock lyrics were read aloud to the entire world.
The unintentionally hilarious transcript reads like a 1985 version of a hot S&M novel, with phrases that could have been pulled from a Satanist cult meeting.
Opposing the PMRC’s desire for album stickers were three of America’s most famous musicians – the late Frank Zappa, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and the late John Denver.
From Denver’s respectful, soft-spoken, yet vehement comparisons to Nazi Germany, to Snider’s forcefully sarcastic jabs at his attackers, to Zappa’s scathing rancor, the artists delivered an unforgettable blow against government over-reach.
PORN ROCK is a re-staging of that infamous hearing.
Playwright Lawrence Meyers (Picket Fences, The Pretender, Outer Limits) says, “It seems harmless now, because labeling is standard procedure, and lyrics have become exponentially more explicit. However, in 1985 it caused an uproar. The music industry was a cash cow, so there was far more at stake than now.”
Meyers’ inspiration came from “the obvious, and regrettable, parallels between 1985 and present day regarding assaults on free speech. Back then, the threat was from the government. Today, it’s even worse, with attacks, bomb threats, and disruptions conducted at college campuses to shut down speaking events.”
PORN ROCK is for everyone who believes in free speech, for the rights of artists and citizens everywhere to speak their minds, and for those who just like a good laugh.
PORN ROCK: AN UNINTENTIONAL COMEDY is the first play from veteran TV writer-producer Lawrence Meyers, and is directed by veteran theatre and TV producer/director Fred Keller.
FIVE SHOWS ONLY!
Produced by The Ichabod’s Cranium Players, the show runs 60 minutes and will be presented for a limited run in the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival:
Sacred Fools (Main Stage), 1078 Lillian Way
Sunday, June 5 @ 4pm, Sunday, June 12 @ 3pm, Wednesday, June 15 @ 9pm, Thursday, June 23 @ 11pm, and Saturday, June 25 @ 8:30pm.
Tickets are $12.00 each (seating is limited).
