• quick_snail@feddit.nl
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    7 days ago

    In Miller v. California, the Supreme Court ruled that expression is legally obscene only if it satisfies three elements. First, the material, taken as a whole, must appeal to the “prurient interest” (an excessive interest in sex). Second, it must depict sexual conduct in a patently offensive way as defined by law. And third, the material must lack any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. It’s a demanding standard.

    If a work fails to meet even one of these three elements, the First Amendment protects it.

    God, I can’t wait for them to hire someone with an art degree as an expert witness to testify on the artistic value of the image of Shrek jerking it

    • P03 Locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      6 days ago

      the material must lack any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value

      It’s already politically significant. Instant fail right there.

    • taiyang@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      We can also get into the social and political commentary, as that is protected speech too. What does Shrek represent? Let’s get a film buff, historian and a political analyst on board to discuss.