Freedom of Speech Warriors: 2 Live Crew
One of the biggest songs of 2020 was “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. The song was all over social media and it was impossible to avoid hearing it. Media outlets spent weeks writing about the song and the waves it sent throughout society. Critics praised the track for its positive sex message and feminist groups applauded the song as an example of woman’s empowerment and freedom.
There was backlash from conservatives, however, as they viewed the overtly sexual lyrics as obscene. Many viewed the track as an attention grab, designed to elicit the exact response it was receiving. There was criticism that the song’s strong sexual themes and messages were detrimental to young women who heard the song.
Regardless of what side you come down on in the discussion, there is no question that the song is protected as free speech. That protection is largely thanks to the efforts of artists nearly three decades ago.
Many people will remember that there was a push in the 80’s by conservative groups to censor music with explicit content. Groups like Parents Music Resource Center pushed to have labels placed on records with the questionable content to warn parents. They succeeded in having the Recording Industry Association of America place the now-widely recognizable black and white parental advisory stickers on the covers of albums.
Things were taken to another level in the early 90’s, though, with the involvement of law enforcement and the courts.
2 Live Crew’s fight for freedom of speech
In 1989, As Nasty As They Wanna Be was released by 2 Live Crew, the group’s third studio album. Sales of the album were boosted by the single “Me So Horny”, which received heavy airplay on Miami radio stations. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 200 and has been certified platinum, selling over one million copies.
Even though the album had a “Parental Advisory” sticker on it, the American Family Association felt it did not go far enough due to the extremely graphic nature of the album’s content. Broward County Sheriff Nick Navarro used a court ruling that labeled the album as obscene to arrest and prosecute music retailers who sold the album.
Luther Campbell, a member and manager of 2 Live Crew, sued Navarro and Broward County in response to the arrests. The case ended up in the U.S. Court of Appeals where the obscenity rulings of the lower courts were reversed. The ruling was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, who chose not to hear it, leaving the Appeals Court ruling in place.
While this is just a quick highlight of events, what’s really important is what the outcome meant. Just because a group of people didn’t like what was being said, they weren’t allowed to take away someone’s right to say it.
Nobody’s speech is getting ‘canceled’
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the rhetoric about modern day “cancel culture” and think that people are being stifled left and right. Conservative media would have you believe that their voices are being silenced by crazed liberals. They forget that Fox News is the most watched news network in America. GOP sycophant Sean Hannity gets over 15 million weekly listeners for his radio show. Nine of the top 20 radio programs in the US are conservative talk shows.
No, with the advent of the internet and social media, voices from all along the political spectrum are louder than ever. Anyone with access to the internet is free to blast their opinion out to anyone that will listen. Whether anyone will listen is up to the audience, but their freedom of speech hasn’t been trampled on.
The Ben Shapiro’s and Candace Owen ‘s of the world should be celebrating “WAP” for what it represents instead of criticizing it’s lyrics. They should be thanking 2 Live Crew for putting out “Me So Horny” and fighting back against censorship. The freedom that allows those songs to fill the airwaves is the same one that allows them to publicly criticize them without fear.
Like Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Originally published at https://tooforeignforhome.com on May 5, 2021.
