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
She can be heard on the tracks Congress Shall Make No Law and Porn Wars. The toys' question was referenced again during A Few Moments With Brother A. West.
