Frank Zappa's 30-odd albums include such rock classics as Lumpy Gravy, We're Only in It for the Money, Hot Rats, Sheik Yerbouti and Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Now his daughter Moon Unit has catapulted herself into the rock limelight with the father/ daughter collaboration Valley Girl.

David and Victoria Sheff cornered the father of musical weirdness and his daughter (he has three other children: Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva) in the Zappas' Hollywood Hills home recording studio. The Sheffs' report: "Never second guess a man wearing shocking-purple blousy pants, a gray-silk shirt, pink socks and red tennis shoes with a silver z on them who once composed a piece of music titled Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? And Moon seems like a very nice person, too."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: How have things changed in the Zappa household since Valley Girl became a hit?

Frank Zappa: When it started, it interfered greatly with Moon's school, coming at the end of the year right in the middle of finals. She had all these interviews to do while I was in Europe, and it was hard for her to study. Her friends helped her, calling her up and keeping her posted on what she had missed in school. Now that I'm back, I don't accept things without asking how she feels about doing them. I mean, she's 14 years old. She wants to have a good time.

Moon Unit Zappa: It's so weird. Like, when I get my hair cut and go out shopping, people look at me funny and say, "Oh, my God! She got her hair cut!" People who normally get their hair cut don't get that reaction. But on the other hand, record stores are a lot nicer to go into. The people at my school are pretty supportive. But the ones I never was very friendly with and the ones I didn't like are really negative. They finally have a chance to categorize me. They call me a soc or a snob--God knows what.

Frank Zappa: We've had calls from Universal, United Artists, even Norman Lear asking to do a film on Valley Girl. My manager and I will see about the best deal. Also, people have been sending Moon all these stupid fucking scripts; one was for a movie called Planet of the Teenagers. There have been a few others where they're looking for a voluptuous teenager who takes her clothes off and takes drugs. She's obviously passed on those. If we do Valley Girl as a movie, she'll be in it, so she'll have to miss some school. But she'll have a tutor. I refuse to let her just walk away from school.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: Now that Moon has her own income, is her allowance cut off? Is she going to save the money for college?

Frank Zappa: Well, she won't have any income from the song until the publishing period. Those royalties are paid only twice a year. When they come in, whatever they are, she can take the money and do whatever she wants with it. In the meantime, she still gets her allowance and does whatever she wants with that, too. For example, she bought a pair of shoes yesterday. That's a kind of teenage thing to do.

Moon Unit Zappa: I'm not going to college. I don't know what I'll be doing with the money. Now, when I need money--like, I desperately need it to go shopping--I get the money from my parents.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: What kind of guys are you interested in? And does your dad check out all potential suitors?

Moon Unit Zappa: I can't stand guys who are loudmouths. I like a guy who can make me laugh and keep me laughing. On dates, I like to go places and observe people. I love watching people eat. I particularly like to watch people eat who don't have any manners. As for checking my dates out, first, my mother meets them and talks to them. They're always really scared to meet my dad. My father will come in and look them up and down, head to toe, and he'll make a grunting noise and walk out. You have to take that grunt as either approval or disapproval, but you don't always know which. He is polite--I mean, don't get me wrong. He shakes their hand when he meets them.

Frank Zappa: I'm an Italian dad. Of course, I check them out. There are some types of people I wouldn't trust. But she's got pretty good taste. All the ones that I've met tend to be pretty much from the Leave It to Beaver school--people who could have gotten a part on My Three Sons.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: How does a Valley courtship proceed? Does sex happen or is it just talked about?

Moon Unit Zappa: You can never tell whether a Valley dude likes you or not, because he just doesn't make phone calls. The girls usually do the phoning, because girls have a better chance of getting their phone bills paid. Then, first, you have to go out in cliques. After you really get to know the guy and he's OK, you might want to go out to dinner somewhere affordable, like McDonald's. If he doesn't drive, you might go to a movie at a local theater; if he does drive, then it's on to Mulholland to watch drag races and to get a six-pack of beer.

As for sex, it's done. It's also talked about, but it's done--usually when your parents are in Palm Springs for the weekend. The girl will beat around the bush, just saying, "Yeah, we went all the way." The dude will have to describe it play by play for the guys.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: What's the biggest problem for Valley girls? And what do they do about it?

Moon Unit Zappa: Acne is the absolute worst unless you've got thunder thighs and stretch marks. Girls say "I'm so fat," hoping someone will say they're not fat. Then they go on the Beverly Hills diet, because it's the most effective and it gets the most attention, with Tupperware containers filled with pineapple and various tropical fruits. Acne you don't talk about. You just jump hearing the word zit. I know I do. [The phone rings. It's for Moon. She exits.]