Mike Muir and Jello Biafra Debate Obscenity on ‘Donahue’

With the August 18 passing of legendary talk show host Phil Donahue, we reflect on some of his most memorable rock-centric episodes. One notable episode from 1990 revolved around the controversy of indecency and obscenity in music.

This episode primarily highlighted Luther Campbell, leader of the rap group 2 Live Crew, focusing on the debated obscenity present in the group’s music and performances. Donahue assembled a diverse panel of musicians, lawyers, and special interest leaders to discuss and debate how society determines what is considered obscene.

Donahue began by introducing Jello Biafra, who faced charges for distributing obscene material to minors through the artwork on the Dead Kennedys’ Frankenchrist posters. Donahue emphasized the sexual nature of the poster, prompting Biafra to argue that “not everyone interpreted it that way.” By the time of the show, Biafra had been cleared of the charges but detailed the substantial impact it had on his life.

“It took about a year and a half out of my life. The police broke through a window near my front door and tore my house apart, going through my address book page by page comparing notes. I felt like I was in the Soviet Union two or three years ago,” Biafra recounted. He also mentioned the hardships his band faced getting their albums into stores. “Free publicity does no good if the stores are afraid of getting attacked by a publicity-hungry prosecutor or fundamentalist preacher,” Biafra noted, adding that all his music, regardless of content, was being stickered for 18+ audiences. “In other words, I have been blacklisted just like they did to people in the 1950s,” he concluded.

Biafra also shared an incident where Ministry was charged $0.03 per sticker by their label after their album was questioned for its suitability for younger audiences.

Wendy O. Williams, singer of The Plastmatics, was another guest on the episode. She fought charges in Cleveland for allegedly simulating a sex act onstage and making obscene motions during her show. Although the charges were dropped, Williams described police harassment, including being beaten by officers who saw her as the devil incarnate due to her stage actions.

Suicidal Tendencies’ Mike Muir was also part of the panel, discussing an informal ban in California preventing his band from playing to large groups due to concerns over lyrical content. “Basically, you need a permit to play, and it’s not attainable, and we’ll leave it at that,” Muir explained.

Additionally, Muir recounted a visit from the Secret Service concerning their song “I Shot the Devil.” “They didn’t appreciate the lyrics and made me fill out a 30-page form and did a handwriting analysis. If I go to D.C., I’m supposed to inform them that I’m going there,” Muir shared, clarifying that the song was hyperbolic and its interpretation was subjective.

Audience participation played a significant role in this episode, with one woman expressing her desire to shield her children from certain musical content and questioning how she could achieve that. Donahue responded by playing a clip of Bon Jovi’s “Living in Sin” video, which was popular at the time.

Muir addressed the issue, stating, “The point is not whether somebody finds something obscene, but where do you draw the line? You show her one video, then another. I don’t want to see how far it goes. Who is going to decide?”

During the episode, Biafra also confronted fellow panelist Bob DeMoss of the Focus on the Family organization, who claimed he’d been labeled a “devil worshipper” merely for writing a song critiquing the Religious Right’s corruption.

Phil Donahue’s talk show often tackled contemporary issues rather than focusing solely on promoting celebrity projects. His show, which began in 1967 and ran until 1996, achieved national syndication in 1970 and maintained popularity for decades, inspiring numerous daytime talk shows that followed. After ending his daytime run, Donahue hosted a self-titled talk show on MSNBC in 2002, though it was short-lived.

Throughout his career, Donahue received numerous accolades, including 20 Emmy Awards (10 for Outstanding Talk Show Host), a Peabody Award in 1980, and an induction into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1993. Earlier this year, Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

Phil Donahue passed away on Sunday, August 18, in Manhattan at the age of 88.

Source: Loudwire