New York-based unscripted prodco, Magilla Entertainment (Moonshiners, prison redemption) is partnering with heavy metal singer-songwriter and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider to develop a new documentary series. The Filthy Fifteen: Censorship & the War on Dirty Lyrics (w/t).
The series explores a bitter censorship battle between the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and various musicians that infamously culminated in hearings in the US Senate in the mid-1908s.
In 1985, Tipper Gore, wife of then-U.S. Senator Al Gore, along with a group of other prominent wives of politicians, founded the PMRC with the aim of raising parental awareness of explicit music. did. The group identified 15 of her least liked songs, with “The Filthy Fifteen” among them being Motley Crue, AC/DC, Black on His Sabbath, Prince, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper.
The PMRC sought to create an MPAA-like music rating system to warn consumers about lyrical content featuring sex, violence, or the “occult.” The unlikely trio of Snyder, Frank Zappa, and John Denver were set to testify on behalf of the music industry at the final congressional hearings in Washington, DC.
Featuring never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with artists, politicians and others, this documentary series examines the musicians and songs included in PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen.” . Examine the hearing’s lasting impact on music, pop culture, and free speech.
executive produce The Filthy Fifteen: Censorship & the War on Dirty Lyrics for Magilla Entertainment are Magilla co-founders Matthew Ostrom, Laura Palumbo Johnson, Jason Fox, Snyder and Ron Starantino. Magilla and Snider are currently purchasing the project.