Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins (January 24, 1927 – December 4, 2009) was an American Senator from 1981 to 1987. She was a member of the Republican Party.
PMRC meeting
On September 19, 1985 during an infamous PMRC hearing the following conversation between her and Zappa took place:
Senator Hawkins: "Mister Zappa, you say you have four children?"
FZ: "Yes."
Senator Hawkins: "Pardon me?"
FZ: "Four children."
Senator Hawkins: "Four children, have you ever purchased toys for those children?"
FZ: "No, my wife does."
Senator Hawkins: "Well, ah I might tell you that if you were to go in a toy store — which is very educational for fathers, by the way, it's not a- a maternal ah responsibility to buy toys for children — that you may look on the box and the box says, this is suitable for 5 to 7 years of age, or 8 to 15, or 15 and above, to give you some guidance ah for a toy for a child. Do you object to that?"
FZ: "In a way I do, because that means that somebody in an office someplace is tell[ing]- making a decision about how smart my child is."
[Laughters]
Senator Hawkins: "I'd be interested to see what toys your kids ever had."
FZ: "Why would you be interested?"
Senator Hawkins: "Just as a point of interest. In this ah total-"
FZ: "Well, come on over to the house. I will show 'em to you."
[More intense laughters]
FZ: "Really."
Senator Hawkins: "I- I might do that. Have you ever made- Do you make a profit from ah sales of rock records?"
FZ: "Yes."
Senator Hawkins: "So you do make a profit from the sales of rock records?"
FZ [interrupting Senator Hawkins between "profit" and "From"]: "Yes. Mm-hm."
Senator Hawkins: "Thank you. I think that statement tells the story to this committee. Thank you."
Other references
Hawkins' voice is sampled during Congress Shall Make No Law and Porn Wars. [1]
The toys' question was referenced again during A Few Moments With Brother A. West.
