University of North Alabama - Diorama Yearbook (Florence, AL)

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FLOR-ALA ASSOCIATE EDITOR and music critic Arthur Kirkby picks up a copy of the con- troversial 2 Live Crew album As Nasty As They Wanna Be to review. Two versions of the album were released in an effort to subdue protests against the recording ' s allegedly obscene lyrics. (Photo by Mark A. Casteel) THOUGH CONTROVERSIAL, a few tapes considered suspect by conservatives are availa- ble at local video stores. (Photo by Mark A. Casteel) 24

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TAKING A BREAK to read The FhrAla and enjoy Ihe sunshine in front oi the University Center are Karen White and RocheOe Mayes The campus newspaper, now in its 60th year of pubticabon. b dislifcuted in racks all over campus every Thursday. (Photo by Arthur Kirfcby) THE OBVIOUS PLACE to find informaUon is the Informabon Desk m Guiot Univeisll y Center Telecommunications Coordinator ADcn Moore reads a copy of The Lion ' s Tale tfiat he picked up at the desk. (Photo by Anissa Palmer) emttmiHim 23

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CUT THAT OUT Censorship is a hot topic on campus md across the nation as artists begin to fight for their rights BY TARA WHTITLE « ' i June 6. music history was Tiade. For th« first ttme in America, it became iBegal to sing a song. U.S. District Court Judge Jose Gorualez. Jr. . mled that the afcum As Nasty as They Wanna Be by 2 Live Crew was iih ene, and therefore not pro- 1 by the First Amendment ijuarantee to free speech. In CiiKinnati. Ohio, the district Momey ' s office indicted the Con- temporary Arts Center and its direc- tor Dennis Barrie on misdemeanor obscenity charges for displaying a photography exhibition by the late Robert Mapplethorpc The jury acquitted Banie and the galery. stating that the photographs wore artistically valuable and there- fore could not be classified as obscene These two prominent events have ignited a debate over the state of censorship in America The First Amendment of the Constitution stales, XMn ess shaD make no law abridging the freedom of speech With this in mind, many people are strongly opposed to the idea of censorship. Allen Voss, a junior from Lawrenceburg. Tenn., said. Our country is based upon the idea that we are free to do whatever we choose as long as we don ' t interfere with the rights of others. No one forces people to buy or listen to music such as that performed by 2 Live Crew, so they should be able to sing about whatever they choose. English major Brooke Perry agreed, quoting the time-honored maxim. That government is best which governs least. According to Jay Webb, the issue is not so easily resolved. Many people have different ideas on what censorship is Some say it is not selling the records, while others see not playing a song on the radio as censorship. Further complicating the issue is the matter of record labeling For years the Parents ' Music Resource Center, headed by Tipper Gore, has lobbied Congress for mandatory labeling of records containing sex- ually explicit and or violent lyrics. While the PMRC has not found success in the form of national legis- lation, many record companies have begun voluntarily placing stickers reading Parental advisory, explicit lyrics on many recent releases, such as Prince ' s Graffiti Bridge and Warrant ' s Cherry Pie. Even scattered record labeling has caused dissention. Sophomore Ashley Savage said, I don ' t think it should be up to some bureaurocrat or the PMRC to decide what is offensive and what is not. That decision should be left up to each individual. However, Webb said that, when It comes to record labeling, censor- ship isn ' t the real issue. Many artists don ' t care about the Constitution: they just care about their record sales. It all boils down to money, not morals. The debate over censorship will cool in time, however. Americans will find some other issue to grap- ple over and they will forget about nasty records and dirty pictures. But not for long. ' smmmi WARNING IABF.1,S .vion ih.-v- .ilNmi ir,v.T . ■1 dii tttni()! iu .ipjvabt ' i.fnw ilTnidj t», M.irV A. IXXNONG OVER a Sktcad OOxmcr compact dtK k BaHy Fiaaonar CXComa ' t muric hat not ipmkad conttovmy. bul het acnont (tuch a rcfu ig to tpptm on Saturday Nighl Live ' w(h comedian Attdrcw Din day) have (Ptioto by Aithut Kiifcby) MC.i ' t- ' ■ ' 125