This Just In: Rap Lyrics Are (Still) a Menace

It's that time again; Congress was about due to take the music and video game industries behind the woodshed and decry their objectionable content for a while.

On Tuesday the House subcommittee on commerce held a hearing entitled, "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images."

Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush—a former member of the Black Panthers who characterizes himself as "a fan of hip-hop"—was the force behind this latest session of finger-wagging over music and games that include racist or misogynistic content.

Rush assembled an impressive witness list, including Viacom C.E.O. Philippe Dauman; Ed Bronfman Jr., chairman and C.E.O. of Warner Music Group; Doug Morris, chairman and C.E.O. of Universal Music Group; Alfred Liggins, president and C.E.O. of Radio One; and Strauss Zelnick, a partner in ZelnickMedia and chairman of Take-Two Interactive. Rappers Percy Miller, a.k.a. Master P, and Levell Crump, a.k.a. David Banner were also on hand for the afternoon.

You can find a live blog of the proceedings here, but a brief summary of what we learned from the hearings:

• Everybody really dislikes dirty words in general, as long as it doesn't cost them anything.
• The First Amendment presents a pretty trunk-tight obstacle against lawmakers doing anything about them.
• But as long as the recording industry keeps facing piracy issues, bigwig C.E.O.'s will take time out of their day to show up on Capitol Hill so Congress can look good.

Gone are the days of Frank Zappa vs. Tipper Gore blowouts, and the Parents Music Resource Center making such a high-profile public stink about "protecting our children" that the recording industry found itself on the hook to do something about it.

Looks like the new hearings amounted to little more than an obligatory "shame on you," a piece of Congressional theater—and not a particularly exciting one at that.

by Liz Gunnison