The Parental Advisory label begins to become ignored when one out of every five rock albums and three out of every five rap albums carry the label (Stapp 3). Most music listeners would agree that many albums with the Parental Advisory label are more offensive than others may be. There are particular albums that certainly are not appropriate for children under the age of seventeen, however there also are albums that may only be inappropriate for children under thirteen. The Parental Advisory label doe

According to RIAA President Hilary Rosen, when it comes to deciding whether or not a label should be administered on an album “There’s no one f---, two f---s test,” referring to the MPAA’s rules for deciding if a movie will be rated PG-13 or R (Willman 1). Perhaps this is exactly what the RIAA should do. Rather than merely offer a suggestion for record labels and artists to put the warning label on the albums, the RIAA should create a ratings board that would actively assign a rating to any album that is to be nationally distributed. The RIAA currently is not interested in modifying its Parental Advisory system. They say that they are “not interested in reforms, because they feel that artistic freedom is above this concern and that there’s no purpose to be served by reacting to consumer or legislative demands” (Holland 1). How can further warning consumers of the types of material that will be found on an album obstructing the artist’s freedom? As a strong advocate of the First Amendment, I would in no way suggest a method in which an artist’s right to free speech was jeopardized. Adopting a ratings system will in no way involve censorship, but will be a way for music buyers to become better informed about the product they are purchasing. Most artists should not see this as a problem whatsoever.

Along with a rating of age appropriateness, the RIAA ratings board could include content elements that may be of concern. For example, if the “R-like” rating for music hypothetically was “A” for adult, an album could carry a label that says “Rated ‘A’ for graphic language, sexual content, and violence.” This way, consumers who do not want to purchase an album with these types of materials on it, or do not want to purchase it for their child, will be fully aware of what they are buying before they buy it.

Overall, a standardized ratings system would be a much better tool than the current Parental Advisory label for parents who want to be informed on what kind of music their children are listening to. While the Parental Advisory label does give parents an idea of the material that will be on a record, it simply is not specific enough. It would further help music consumers including parents to know more about the product that they are buying if the RIAA would administer a ratings system in place of the current Parental Advisory label.

s not distinctly tell parents how much or what kinds of objectionable material may be on an album. When interviewed, an anonymous employee of T

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