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Iowa bans performances of 'The Champion' DES MOINES — Iowa legislators took action March 29 to ban all performances of Carman's "The Champion" in public. The move is in response to what critics call the overuse of the dramatic song by church youth groups. "If you've been through public high school, or visited a mall, you know what I'm talking about, and you're probably as sick of this thing as I am," said Frank Buzbee, Independent senator from Cedar Rapids, in floor debate. "It's become a menace." He produced estimates from a private tracking company that show the drama has been performed more than one million times in Iowa since 1983. "It just gets ridiculous after a while, seeing another bunch of kids paint their faces and dance around acting like angels and devils," he said. "I'm all for free speech, but enough is enough. We're leading the nation in drawing the line." The measure passed with the support of two-thirds of the senate. Some senators vehemently opposed curtailing first amendment rights just because some had grown tired of the song. One senator brought a tape player to the floor and tried to play "The Champion," but was quickly overwhelmed by his colleagues, who smashed and unspooled the tape. One female senator vomited and fled. Upon returning she said the message of the song didn't bother her, but the sheer number of times she's had to listen to it now causes a psychosomatic response. She estimated she'd seen 220 performances in her lifetime "and maybe this vote will lay the thing to rest." "The Champion" portrays the battle between Jesus and Satan as a boxing match. Typically, youth groups act out the story to convey the gospel message to their audience. The song has maintained a cult following among aspiring Christian thespians. •