inappropriate for minors. All such stickers—which
came to be nicknamed Tipper Stickers—would read
simply, “Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics.” There
was to be no indication of why the content was con-
sidered to be “explicit.” Albums’ lyrics, contrary to
the original demand, would not be printed on their
covers. Major record labels were allowed to deter-
mine which albums would receive the sticker, while
independent record labels did not have to use the
sticker at all.
Impact Many major retailers, including Wal-Mart,
Sears, and JCPenney refused to carry any album that
displayed the parental advisory sticker, and other
stores refused to sell any recordings bearing the
sticker to minors. In reaction to the boycott, many
record companies began releasing “clean” versions
of labeled albums that did not bear the sticker and
could be sold anywhere.
Ultimately, the effects of the sticker are debat-
able. While the parental advisory sticker does alert
parents to a potential problem, it does so in such a
vague way that further investigation is warranted,
and not all parents are willing to expend the time to
determine why each album has been labeled. It is
unclear how many people actually adhere to warn-
ings displayed on the sticker. Many critics argue that
the sticker has increased albums’ popularity pre-
cisely by making them taboo.
Further Reading
Carroll, Andrew, R. Torricelli, and D. Goodwin, eds.
In Our Words: Extraordinar y Speeches of the American
Centur y. New York: Washington Square Press,
- Includes excerpts from speeches by PMRC
members and their opponents.
Croteau, David R., and William Hoynes.Media/Soci-
ety: Industries, Images, and Audiences. Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, 2002. Thorough
look at who creates media, how media products
are sold, and their effects upon society.
Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella, and D. Charles
Whitney.Mediamaking: Mass Media in a Popular
Culture. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2006. In-
cludes a chronological history of the founding
and lifespan of the PMRC.
Sara Vidar
See also Crime; Drug Abuse Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E.); Heavy metal; Hip-hop and rap; MTV;
Music; Music videos; Pop music; Pornography.
Pauley, Jane
Identification American television journalist
Born October 31, 1950; Indianapolis, Indiana
A wholesome appearance and earnest, likable demeanor
made Pauley an unusually popular broadcast journalist
and an inspiration to women in 1980’s America.
Jane Pauley helped pave the way for the acceptance
of diversity in television journalism. Pauley, unlike
most of her female predecessors, did not try to emu-
late the journalistic style of her male colleagues and
thus provided an alternative role model for women
within television news programs, talk shows, and
other media venues. Pauley rose from obscurity in
1976, when she was hired by the National Broadcast-
ing Company (NBC) as cohost with Tom Brokaw of
The Today Show, an early-morning talk and news pro-
gram. Pauley was twenty-five years old. The position
had been most recently held by Barbara Walters, a
woman so experienced and successful in television
news reporting that she was touted as a superstar
journalist.
NBC’s decision to hire Pauley to replace Walters
was met with heavy criticism from industry insiders.
Critics cited her youth, relative inexperience in
broadcast media, cheery personality, and lack of an
aggressive style. The hiring decision was crucial, be-
causeThe Today Showwas an important component
of NBC’s programming schedule. Like all morning
talk shows of the 1980’s,The Today Showfeatured
both “hard” and “soft” news, combining interviews
with world leaders, authors, and other notables; re-
porting on world and national news; and human in-
terest stories. The show was in tense competition
with other morning news shows vying for viewer rat-
ings; chief among these rivals wasGood Morning
Americaon the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC).
Pauley remained a regular personality and co-
host ofThe Today Showfor thirteen years, from 1976
to 1989. Although her early years were marked by
pressure to measure up to women in broadcast me-
dia who were considered to be more “serious” jour-
nalists—such as Walters, Linda Ellerbee, Diane Saw-
yer, and Betty Rollin—Pauley was a huge hit with
American viewers. During only her second week on
the show, Pauley helped it achieve its best viewer rat-
ings in six months. Her down-to-earth delivery, whole-
some good looks, and midwestern values and de-The Eighties in America Pauley, Jane 749