Parental Advisories on Bway CD's

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 9:25am

Hey guys. After watching Avenue Q the night after the black out I've been anxiously awaiting the release of their CD. Today I got to wondering whether the Avenue Q CD will carry the infamous "Parental Advisory Explict Lyrics". I don't believe this has ever happened before on a cast recording...has it? Anyway...who/what determines a label like this? Would Avenue Q be deserving? Is it worth it? When the label first came out I believe any recording with one of the Big 7 dirty words included the advisory...times have changed though. Under the old ways Rent for example would have carried the label. Anyway...my thoughts are that the CD should in fact carry some kind of advisory. "Naughty" words are one thing but I do believe the sexual content is much too much for children and even young teenagers. It doesn't have to be the traditional black and white label but something to tell those parents not-in-the-know that this isn't your traditional Muppets CD. Anyway...what does everyone think about this? Will the CD have some kind of advisory? Should it? Will we ever see a cast recording with an advisory (who knows...maybe we already have one)?

[QueenS]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 9:45am

I'm pretty sure that Hedwig contained an advisory label when it first came out. Don't know if it still does.

Cast recordings can seem so innocuous, I don't think its a bad idea that parents of younger children are forewarned that not all show music is as innocent as The Sound of Music. I remember buying the album of Hair when I was pretty young, taking it home and getting quite an earful.

But it's a fine, fine line (refernece intended) and I don't know who draws it. Should Sweeney have a warning? There's no offensive language, but it IS about serial killing and canibalism...

Ave Q has been very good in their own marketing about stressing that it is not a show for children. It very well could be that they include their own "warning" in the art/packaging of the CD.

Posted: 9/11/03 at 9:48am

In the ad it does state :Full Frontal Puppet Nudity:

I am sure that (and I hate to admit this) most young people are not going to rush out to buy a new musical cast album as they would say Evensense or 50 Cents.

Those who purchase new cast albums (or re-issues) know pretty much what they will be getting. (Just wish the rest of the world did)

[WOSQ]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 11:14am

Oh please.

We sang "Sodomy" from Hair at the top of our drunken lungs at midnight in the campus quad at the end of the 60s and now we are the parents.

Our glass house is pretty big.

We can't get too huffy now, can we?

[QueenS]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 11:33am

There's a big difference in what you sing at midnight in the campus quad and what you listen to when you're 10.

Who's getting huffy?

Posted: 9/11/03 at 11:59am

I love Sodomy....



Oh sh.t I mean from Hair. Yeah from Hair. That's it.

[emmamia]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 12:46pm

funny ya all mention this ... im writing a paper for class that deals with this issue and i was actually using ave q. as my theatre example. I emailed the musical director and he told me that there will be no warning on the packaging but the song titles will be on there so people will have a warning that it has "adult topics/themes"
hope this helps ya all out like it did for me :)

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:05pm

lol, where's broadwayguy's response when you need it, lol Updated On: 9/11/03 at 01:05 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:11pm

I am being an angel and refraining from comment at this time, though John, I agree 100% with your post :) Updated On: 9/11/03 at 01:11 PM

[Max Bialystock]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:12pm

It's 50 cent --- period -- no s --- as in Sodomy!

I do miss my late wife....


And, as the song says: "THE INTERNET IS FOR PORN!"

Updated On: 9/11/03 at 01:12 PM

[Jack42]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:30pm

The Producers CD didn't carry a label and they used the F word.. so I doubt a warning label will go on it

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:52pm

Jack...the f-word said once compared to "up all night honking your horn" and "double click your d***" (I believe those are the quotes) for example are completely different things. The songs from Avenue Q are very explicit compared to one of Nathan's lines in The Producers. If I had kids (not yet though...I'm only 18 days shy of 26) I'd let them see The Producers way before Avenue Q.

Emmamia...thanks for the info. Thats funny that your writing a paper on it at the same time I'm questioning it. By the way...what's your thesis? Do you think a warning should go on? I think any concerned parent would look at the track listing which would alert them.

[Jack42]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 1:55pm

oh.. I'd agree with you on that one.. but we are talking the cd, not a video of the performance.. out of "context" - not sure it would qualify for a CD Labeling it Mature Audiences Only...

Have you HEARD some of the songs that are out there that DON'T have the label...? Avenue Q is Sesame Street in comparison

[emmamia]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 2:23pm

my topic as of right now (this is a semester long research project) is how parental advisory warnings or the rating of PG13/R/NC-17 is not detouring the youth from buying the music or seeing the movie and then "brainwashing" them because the parents want to blame the music/movie for the problems with todays youth.

I dont think Ave Q needs a warning label because every song title will be listed on the CD and its hopefully obvious to the consumer that the lyrics will not be appropriate for young children. If you were to pick up a CD and it had songs The Internet is For Porn and Everyone's a Lil Bit Racist ... wouldnt you assume that the content isnt appropriate for the young???

hopefully my assumptions are right but we all know there is the one moron out there that will try to proove everyone wrong... kinda like the kids that tried to sue mcdonalds cuz it made them fat ... or cuz the coffe they spilled on them was hot ...

oh and the quote doubledown is "grab your d*ck and double click" (its been stuck in my head for ages)

[Max Bialystock]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 3:57pm

No more durty words.....

Amen!

Updated On: 9/11/03 at 03:57 PM

[CJR]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 4:27pm

HAHHAHHAHHAAA LMAO that was a good laugh -- thank you

[Hello Gorgeous]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 5:00pm

How about the Full Monty?

Posted: 9/11/03 at 5:08pm

Did "Debbie Does Dallas" have a warning label?

[bernadette88]

Posted: 9/11/03 at 6:42pm

what is Sodomy???

[JO125]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 12:20am

I thought that "Debbie Does Dallas" had an advisory label, but in checking the CD, I don't see one. However, there might have been one on the outerwrap which is long discarded. Interestingly, they play an audio parental advisory on the first track of the CD. With titles such as "The Locker Room Orgy", how necessary is the advisory anyway?

As for Avenue Q, when they did "The Internet is for Porn" in Bryant Park, they kept all lines intact, no parental warnings given. My nine year old has, therefore, heard the song, even though I would not have wanted him to.

Would most people bother buying the CD if they were not already fans of the show? And since fans of the show already are aware of the song lyrics, advisory may not be necessary anyway. Unless some unsuspecting parent comes upon the CD, sees the puppets, and assumes it's a new children's CD by a Sesame Street like group. Won't they be unpleasantly surprised?

[JO125]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 12:23am

Bernadette88, "Sodomy" is a song from the musical "Hair".

Posted: 9/12/03 at 12:24am

Okay JO....I have to say I agree with you on the if they are fans of the show they would know. And I have to say that I buy a show cause ....well.... I have this OBSESSION for theatre and all.

And I think I would not take a child to either show The Producer's or Avenue Q. Some shows were meant to be adult shows. I have some personal issues with Producer's but that is not for this board. Have no desire to see it at all. NONE. Cannot make me at all. No matter how hard you try.

[emmamia]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 1:48am

thank you max!!!!!! thats the best :)