Obscenity Laws and Music-Part 3: Solutions

Overall, that the government has handled the cases involving music and obscenity well. Sex and violence affect every medium, so there needs to be some sort of regulation, otherwise things would get out of control. But the problem is how can limits be made without violating free speech? Ratings and parental advisories have worked well.

So, the government, courts, and parents find it a problem trying to restrict music in their lyrics and message. Many people hope that the musicians will use self-censorship. Perhaps it would help if musicians were encouraged to create music that is positive and inspires.

Self-censorship can be an option. It would not restrict adults from buying sound recordings, nor restrict artists from creating recordings. Labeling records does not constitute prior restraint for the artists (Soundgarden v. Eikenberry, 123 Wash. 2D 750 (1994)).

Wal-Mart censors the music that they sell. This is not a big problem, because people can still purchase the unedited versions somewhere else. However, there is a problem in rural areas because locally owned shops cannot compete with Wal-Mart’s low prices (Nichols, 2003). Wal-Mart is good if the customer wants an edited version of an album.

The government needs to update the Miller test or any other tests that are used on music. Society is not as conservative as it was when the Miller test came to be. It should be up to each state or even city, because some areas of the country are more conservative than others.

An important part of this is to decide who will determine if a work is obscene. Perhaps people from different backgrounds. With music, it could include musicians of different styles. A panel of people could evaluate the works.

All people are different, so some things will offend some, and not offend others. Most would agree on certain things to be offensive, such as pedophilia. Those who evaluate can build upon this, as well as if a work has value or lacks it.

Obscenity is a hot topic, and it is important that it be addressed. Many in society blame obscenity in music for being the cause of law breaking. This needs to stop. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and be accountable. Everyone should be his/her own judge when it comes to which mediums, he or she would pay attention to. We always have choices when it comes to our actions.

The government has made the laws about obscenity and music. A reason for this is that structure is good. Musicians should be mindful of their music and put effort into creating something artistic, not sound that will shock or offend. There needs to be a new test for music and other media to find out if it is obscene. The Miller test should be modified or updated.

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