HOLLYWOOD, Calif — Donny Osmond is questioning Lady Gaga's steamy new "Telephone" music video, which features fellow pop diva Beyoncé Knowles.
On his radio show Tuesday, Osmond jumped into the controversy surrounding the video, which has been criticized for its depiction of graphic violence and explicit sex.
"I'm all for freedom of speech and against any form of censorship, but all I know is that I'm a parent and I'm upset about this," said Osmond. "Unlike 20 years ago, in today's modern, viral world in which content becomes instantaneously available irrespective of age, I wonder whether the music industry might need to rethink its marketing policies with regard to making an explicit music video containing profanity, sexual exploitation, nudity, and graphic violence available to anyone with Internet access."
"I wouldn't want my child to watch this video," he added.
Osmond, 52, then wondered if Lady Gaga and Beyoncé had failed to represent themselves in a positive light.
"Should these two extremely gifted female role models for millions of young girls, maybe, have given a little more thought to the effect it might have on their core audience?" he asked.
Osmond was quite active during the record industry censorship debates of the late 1980s, taking a public stand against the Parents Music Resource Center founded by Tipper Gore and the group's crusade for explicit lyric package labeling. He appeared before Congress in support of the RIAA and recording artists.
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