Jezebel: Obscenity

New Law Will Ruin Sexting for Pakistanis

Erin Gloria Ryan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

If you were hoping to send the following frustrated text in Pakistan— "Jesus Christ— It's harder than ever to find good chicken breasts these days"— think again. Several words in that sentence have been placed on a list that Pakistan's communications agency says indicate spam, and soon, texts containing those words may be blocked. Also on the list? Sex words, swears, and, curiously, the phrase "monkey crotch." (Or, as you'll soon have to text: "m0nk3y cr0+More »

Michigan Is Safe For "Raging Bitch" Beer

Irin Carmon — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:50:00 EDT

A brewery prevailed in court against Michigan, which had objected to language on its "Raging Bitch" beer. The label "depicts a crazed dog," and reads, "Remember, enjoying a RAGING BITCH, unleashed, untamed, unbridled — and in heat — is pure GONZO." More »

Breaking: Perez Hilton Is Obscene

Anna North — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EDT

Perez Hilton may face obscenity charges, but not for his practice of drawing cum-drops with Microsoft Paint. Rather, he could get in trouble for posting a hardcore clip featuring Chelsea Handler sidekick Chuy Bravo. [True/Slant] More »

Girls Alewd

Maria — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:20:00 EDT

Darryn Walker is accused of violating England's obscenity laws by blogging about the fictional rape and murder of the all-female English pop group Girls Aloud. Walker appeared in court on Wednesday and was granted unconditional bail until the trial, which is scheduled for March 16, 2009. Walker's case will be the first case to involve the written word and is also the first "real test" of the obscenity law since pornography has become popular on the internet. [UPI] More »

You Wanna Be On Top

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

The Parents Television Council has filed an indecency complaint against complaint with the FCC about America's Next Top Model and the show's March 26 episode, in which contestant Anya modeled nude for Nigel Barker (as her reward for winning a challenge). The image to the left is a still taken from the episode and it's about as racy as the imagery got. Any other nudity was completely blurred out. However, PTC president Tim Winter said the show was "irresponsible" and "crossed the legal threshold for broadcast indecency." Whatevs. [TV Guide] More »

In Defense Of Joe Francis (Sort Of)

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Don't get me wrong, Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis is a douche nozzle. He has a lot of idiot friends (Tara Reid, Paris Hilton), he's bristling with entitlement, and probably worst of all, he's under the assumption that his brand of objectification is merely the observation of women's sexual liberation. But people shouldn't have to go to jail just because we aren't fans of them or their work. Joe's legal problems have been going on for years, a lot of which has been at the hands of the Justice Department's Obscenity Prosecution Task Force. Here's the thing about that: The government doesn't give a fuck that drunk girls are flashing their tits for frat guys to jerk off to. They care that they don't get a cut of the action it's bringing in. (Stuff like firearms, tobacco, and alcohol all have hefty government taxes.) The business of sex is a lucrative one, and the Obscenity Task Force was formed to catch smut peddlers on shit like sloppy record keeping, in order to fine them or seize their assets. "It's terrifying, honestly," Vivid Alt's Eon McKai* told us. "It's a bit like a witch hunt." More »

Indian actress Shilpa Shetty has been arrested...

Jennifer — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:45:00 EDT

Indian actress Shilpa Shetty has been arrested at the Mumbai, India airport. Her crime? Obscenity. The act? Being the recipient of that overly demonstrative kiss on the cheek from Richard Gere. [Daily Mail] More »