Warning: Parental Advisory

After just watching this VH1 Movie that rocked, I must say that It was pretty good. In Fact It's the best movie that VH1 produced...of course that's not saing much. Of course there are some set backs. Frank Zappa is Portrayed as this Guru and the actor that played him was not very good and the congressional hearings could have been a little longer (The transcripts had some great questions after All the prepared speeches between the Witnesses and the seneate comittee) But this is a really fine movie for what it is.

I was somewhat interested in watching this movie, especially after seeing a little "Behind the Music"-esque VH1 show about the PMRC and Senate Hearing. Unfortunately, that 30 minute blurb was more interesting than this movie.

Warning: Parental Advisory fails for several reasons. First, it starts off wasting a LOT of time explaining the Blank Tape Tax the Record Industry was so interested in. This has some importance to the story but could have been simply explained quickly. During this waste of time we also have a "love interest" introduced for no good reason. I tuned in to see a dramatization of the events leading to those annoying stickers, not a predictable "love story".

Another big problem was that since they managed to get Dee Snider himself to appear the movie seems to be written around him. We get to hear Dee's entire speech. The real travesty of the movie is that they butchered the best speech of the whole affair: Frank Zappa's! If interested you should do a Google search to find a copy of this. I guess maybe he copywrited it and they could only use an excerpt.

The scenes involving the creation of the PMRC were ok, and in general, the movie moved along at an ok pace. The senate hearing itself should have taken up a LOT more time. The most important part of the story was rushed.

I guess VH1 felt like getting into the "fighting censorship" action by letting Dee Snider actually say "motherf***er" with no "bleep" or "mute". Ewwww, controversial!

Not.

Yes, it was campy. Yes, it may have taken a few liberties with the actual historical events. But it made a great movie. The cartoonish tone fits in with what me and most of my friends were saying about the PMRC at the time..."You're kidding me, right?"

Whether you love or hate the movie, the closing credits are a Must See... I wonder if Tipper is going to be after whoever leaked her personal fantasies?

Loegaire

This was a great movie about censor ship and generation gaps. Unfortunately I think the point of this movie will be lost on most people. Those Senate hearings happened in 1985, that is close to 20 years ago now. Basically a full generation has passed. But it doesn't matter, there will still be people that will complain about todays music and movies and how everything is corrupting the children. Back in the 80's it was Prince, Twisted Sister, Cyndi Lauper, 2 Live Crew, and NWA. Today it's Eminem, DMX, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails.

Every generation laughs at the pop culture of the previous generation, and every generation despises the pop culture of the next. Back in the 80's people accused kids of hanging out at the mall, wasting time infront of video games and school violence. It's the same thing today. Things never change. People just get older and more mature, but generations don't change.

Again, I bet the message of this fantastic film will be lost on most. To quote The Simpsons, there are too many people running around with the---"What about the children!? Has anyone thought how this will effect the children!? My God what about the children!!!!?" Thinking about the children is fine, but this fantastic movie shows the hyporicsy of certain "moralistic grown ups". The Silent Generation despised the Elvis and Beatles music of the Baby Boomers. And the Baby Boomers like Al and Tipper Gore hated the Generation Xers. Now those Gen X kids from 1985 condem the pop music of Gen Y.

I first saw "Warning Parentel Advisory" on VH1. And I must say I loved it!!! The cast was great and it had a great subject too. The movie tells on how Tipper Gore (yes that is Al's wife) and some of her Washington D.C. housewife friends stride to have labels put on records that have bad lyrics or porn. Well Charlie (Jason Priestly) opposes. So Frank Zappa, John Denver (it was 1985, so he was alive) and Dee Snyder from Twisted Sister all join to fight.