The FTC Pushes Music Censorship As Consumer Protection: ‘First there was the September
Federal Trade Commission report entitled “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children.” Then there
was a wild hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, in which Lynne Cheney submitted her
review of Eminem’s new album: “It is despicable. It is horrible. This is dreadful. This is shameful. This
is awful.” Then last Tuesday the FTC released a follow-up report, singling out the record industry for
pernicious marketing practices. Thursday, Joe Lieberman, along with senators Herb Kohl
(D-Wisconsin) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York), introduced the Media Marketing
Accountability Act of 2001. The bill would “treat the marketing of adult-rated movies, music, and
video games to children like any other deceptive act that harms consumers . . . [I]t would give the
FTC the authority . . . to penalize companies that violate this provision with civil fines up to $11,000
per offense.” ‘

And “saving kids from offensive lyrics is nothing new, as this time line demonstrates.” Village Voice