'Utter foolishness' is what some members of the entertainment fraternity are calling the latest statement made by member of parliament (MP) for South West St Ann, Ernest Smith, in Parliament this week.

Smith, during the debate on the Sexual Offenders Bill on Tuesday, had said that musicians and producers should be prosecuted for breaching the Obscene Publications Act because of the lewd content of some of the recorded music. He also said: "Some of them have criminal records, why do you think our little children carry knives and guns to school? 'Cause they are being influenced by these songs."

His comments came a few days after the Broadcasting Commission banned all daggering songs and songs that require bleeping. Since then, the debate on the 'lewdness' of the music has been raging on.

Extremely offended

While some persons in the entertainment industry were already not satisfied with the new restrictions, they are now extremely offended by Smith's comments.

"I think he should apologise to the music industry, he was out of line in saying that. He's basically saying the music industry is a bunch of criminals, and as if they are responsible for the crime. A lot of these yutes are using music to get out of poverty and out of the ghetto," said publicist Ray Alexander from Khool Booking Agency.

Alexander also claims that Smith's comments are an insult to the musicians and ghetto people.

In the case of selector and producer Pennybling, he describes Smith's argument as being foolishness and sees the action of politicians as being hypocritical. He said that the ban and the prosecution for obscenity need to be made from the top of the system before working its way into the dancehall.

"Yuh see politicians a wine up on yuh television screen, nuff politicians use dancehall in their campaigns like Mavado's Pon Di Gullyside. In the 1980s when Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel weren't around in music, dat was the most violent time," he said.

Rambo wid him big gun

Selector Penny Bling

He continued, "When yuh have Rambo wid him big gun on children's lunch pan, and cartoons wid people a beat each other and kill each other, why dem nuh ban dat? Ban news weh show di most gun. Dem need to stop di violence in Jamaica and stop pick pon di music, 'cause the deejays couldn't sing bout dem ting deh if it wasn't going around."

CEO of Big Yard, Robert Livingston, also viewed Smith's comments as being drastic. "It was very drastic of him to say that without proof... how can you be prosecuted for your work? There is a need for music and that's why our musicians and music is so famous," said Livingston