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Should concerts come with a rating?

We all know from using common sense that any show that Lady Gaga performs isn't going to be sweet and lovely with rainbows and butterflies. So why was a parent compelled to take her 9 year old daughter to a Lady Gaga show? The shows of which are reported to be comprised of sex, blood and eating disorders.

When Linda Fitzsimmons took her daughter Jessica to the opening show on Wednesday, she said that she was "shocked and suprised" by it. "I couldn't believe it. Jessica likes her songs and I'm okay with her listening to them. There's no swearing in them and she's too young to understand the hidden meaning", she said. "But if I tried to take her to an MA 15+ movie, someone would stop me at the counter. Why not with concerts?"


The promoter of the Lady Gaga concerts in Australia, Michael Coppel said that it's nearly impossible to put a classification on a concert and the responsibility lies with the parent. "It's hard to rate a show. What someone might see as risque differs from person to person," he said.

I disagree and agree with him. If you can classify a movie, why can't you classify a concert? Michael Coppel also said that he doubts if Australian concerts will ever carry a classification because most promoters don't see the show before they book it. Surely though, the classification can be added before tickets go on sale? Even if the promoter hasn't seen the full concert, surely they can get video recording of rehearsals and a run down on  what elements the show is going to involve? It can't be that difficult, surely. I think classifying concerts is probably a good idea in the long run. CD's are classified if there's swearing so if the songs on the CD are going to be in the concert, there's a minimum classification right there. 



 I do agree with him however, that it is the parents responsibility. Obviously Linda Fitzsimmons has been living under a rock for the past year or so. If she realised that Lady Gaga's songs had hidden meanings, perhaps it would have been wise to do a quick google or YouTube search to get a bit of background on her?

"But if I tried to take her to an MA 15+ movie, someone would stop me at the counter. Why not with concerts?" Quite simply, if you turned up to a concert that you'd paid a few hundred dollars for tickets and they said "You can go inside, but your daughter has to stay out here", you'd be making a very different story to the Daily Telegraph and possibly every other news outlet.


What do you guys think? Should concerts carry a classification?

full story at the daily telegraph

photos found at imbringingbloggingback
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6 comments:

Ncc Tardis said...

Classifications become difficult when you're dealing with live improv as well.
(I swear, Pete Wentz must think he's a goddamn preacher sometimes)
So the fact that most performers won't bother to censor themselves when rambling through a mid-show rant kinda hampers the whole classification thing.

Forget classifications, they should just place a 'recommendation' on all advertising to cover themselves, but in the end, it's down the the parent. And if they're too ignorant in this day and age to not see that a 9 year old girl really shouldn't be sitting through ANYTHING to do with Lady Gaga, I kinda feel sorry for the kid.
/rant.

Kez said...

I don't know how I feel about concert ratings. Concerts are live and I think Lady Gaga's outfits and performances have been widely publicised already.
I think that woman is daft! If the songs have hidden meanings, there's a clue right there. DUH!
If I was a parent I would be googling the people my kids wanted to watch on stage. Just sayin'.

Death Wears Diamond Jewellery said...

Actually, it would be VERY difficult for a promoter to classify a concert. when bringing an overseas act over, they might not preform the same routine as they did overseas, that's if it is a world tour. they will be rehearsing in their home town with their dancers etc and the technicians setting up the stage here will be following written instructions... plus, tickets can be sold before the concert routine is even finalised. the effort for a promoter to get footage of the rehearsals? almost impossible.

Death Wears Diamond Jewellery said...

i suppose to classify concerts, there would need to be a list of things that would make it 'R' or 'MA'. gyrating? flash of boobs? implied nudity? maybe the director of a concert would have to submit it to a board of classification, like they do in films. and then they would take out elements so to make it more suitable to all ages and get a PG rating... eww, not thanks!

Rhiannon Kimberley said...

well here in australia they already have some concert ratings, such as 18+ and things. one concert of late has a rating of ages 14-18 only. which is a bit silly if you ask me, limiting your audience/profit like that. and i guess thats what theyre afraid of too. they probably dont mind that so many little kids went to see lady gaga, because a sold ticket is a sold ticket.

but i think yes, general/broad ratings are the way to go in the future.

Stacey said...

Personally, I think that people should exercise more common sense before taking their children into situations that they are unsure about. It would have taken her five minutes to google/youtube "Lady Gaga Performance" and see that her concert wouldn't be child-appropriate.