In a new docuseries tentatively titled The Filthy Fifteen: Censorship & the War on Dirty Lyrics, Twisted Sister leader Dee Snider will discuss his personal fights against Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center, as reported by Deadline. The show is a collaboration between Snider and Magilla Entertainment (Moonshiners), with Magilla co-founder Matthew Ostrom serving as an EP alongside Laura Palumbo Johnson and Jason Fox. Both Snider and Ron Starrantino serve as executive producers. The documentary focuses on Gore and the PMRC’s efforts to limit “obscene” music in public spaces in 1985.
Hair metal bands like Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Snider’s own band were fiercely criticised when the genre spread into many American households during the MTV era for its allegedly objectionable lyrics and sound. The name of the series comes from a compilation of songs that Gore calls the “Filthy Fifteen,” which he claims he compiled to shock and appal the American people and lawmakers in order to advocate censorship. Songs like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister, “Dress You Up” by Madonna, and “Darling Nikki” by Prince were all on the list, along with some more family-friendly tunes. At one point, Snider, along with Frank Zappa and John Denver, took the fight to court to argue against the music restrictions suggested by Gore and the PMRC.
In the end, their argument for free speech prevailed, and the sole result was a completely ineffectual parental advice sticker that actually encouraged younger listeners to purchase the music. The series features never-before-seen films and interviews with politicians from the Reagan period who pushed for censorship and artists who fought back, giving viewers a complete picture of the struggle and its repercussions. During an interview with Deadline, Snider discussed the impact of the censoring effort on him and how it felt to have his art become a target of public derision. This unexpected bipartisan assault on my right to free expression took me off guard. The PMRC was trying to silence me at a time when all of my rock and roll wishes came true.
While several of my friends advocated ignoring them, I found that I couldn’t do that. According to the words of a wise man, “This is our life, this is our music!” Evidently, retaliation was inevitable. as well as I battled valiantly. The documentary Filthy Fifteen joins a growing canon of films that address contemporary concerns by looking back in time. It follows The Janes, a film about pre-Roe abortion advocates released during the height of the contemporary abortion laws that led to the eventual overthrow of Roe v. Wade. Critics of Republican politics like Snider and Magilla wanted to shed focus on contemporary censorship practices including book bans and conflicts over school curricula, which are similar to those used by Al Gore and the Progressive Media Reform Coalition (PMRC).
Ostrom, in a separate statement, repeated these thoughts, saying: The PMRC hearings are a great jumping-off point for capturing the zeitgeist of age and delving into a contentious public discussion that is as relevant now as it was back in 1985. The true roots and lyrical intent of each song on the “Filthy Fifteen” can be uncovered by digging further into the factors that led to its inclusion on the list. After more than 35 years have passed and the political atmosphere has changed, a new dialogue may provide answers to unanswered issues and perhaps help erstwhile adversaries find common ground.
The series is now being shopped around by Snider and Magilla.