Frank Zappa vs the FCC

American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer, and film director Frank Zappa composed the song “Jewish Princess.” After reviewing the lyrics, this song enacts stereotypical factors that misrepresent a religious and sex group.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is commissioning this event as obscene under respective standards. Herein, an average citizen has applied contemporary community standards to find this material is imprudent and it describes in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value.

I classified it as obscene after reading the lyrics; at first the name of the song does not seem too offensive even though without conducting much research, the song itself will independently communicate the prejudice and bias mentality towards a particular group of women whom are Jewish. Although there is an urban meaning or slang definition to “Jewish Princess” there is more than one area in which the song directly subordinates a stereotype.

There is the question on whether the material is profane or indecent however, the networks know that if they play this material they are broadcasting profanity and indecency. On the other hand, the author was obscene by creating the song and directly judging and disrespecting a sex and religious group. Within the song, Zappa relates to Yemenite in a very disrespectful way therefore, it is at this point that beyond classifying it as obscene it is considered as racist, too.

The only stipulation is applying contemporary community standards. If someone is a different generation then as long as he/she is contemporized as to how profane and indecent is regulated then it either can be regulated or if past those lines, then considered obscene. There is FCC staff that reviews the material and condemns it or declines the request. The reason any one can come to an agreement is because there is a neutral agency that takes in consideration the effect it had on that part of the community.