10 More Hugely Outspoken Men In Rock And Metal Music
7. Dee Snider
Having covered punk, modern pop rock and classic rock n roll, we now venture into the realms of glam metal with our next entrant.
Dee Snider is a well known figure in rock music, with his crowning moment coming in 1985 when he put the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) to the sword in front of the US senate. The PMRC were a group of parents in the United States who were concerned with children getting exposed to profanely themed music. Some of the artists singled out in PMRC's so-called 'Filthy 15' included Prince, W.A.S.P, Madonna and Dee Snider's Twisted Sister.
Arriving at the hearing in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, Snider effortlessly proved that rockstars weren't the empty headed, aggressive drunks the PMRC perceived them to be. In regards to Tipper Gore's accusation that 'Under the Blade's lyrics were about rape and bondage, Snider smartly replied with the following:
“The lyrics she [Tipper Gore] quoted have absolutely nothing to do with these topics. On the contrary, the words in question are about surgery and the fear that it instills in people. … I can say categorically that the only sadomasochism, bondage and rape in this song is in the mind of Ms. Gore.”
The senate and PMRC boiled with rage as their accusations harmlessly bounced off the calm Snider, who dismissed them as being secretly dirty minded and even corrected a senator's inaccurate remark on supreme court ruling. Snider also argued they had overstated lyrical importance, demonstrating by saying AC/DC "sings a lot of songs glorifying hell and damnation", yet they were Snider's favourite band despite him being Christian.