Posts Tagged ‘Public Forum’
Case 10
Posted on: May 13, 2011
Jeffrey Shearn recently put together and edited a short independent film. He obtained the correct license in order to show the film at the Sundance Festival. A scene in his motion picture shows an adult man urinating on the side of a Catholic church. A few people who had seen the film prior to its showing at Sundance have complained that it is sacrilegious. Should Shearn be able to show his picture at the festival? Can the license he obtained in order to show the film be revoked due to the reaction to this particular scene in the film? Leave your comments and then see what we think.
Case 5
Posted on: May 11, 2011
A public art gallery in a small town debuts a new exhibit featuring video clips which are projected onto a blank gallery wall. These video clips show explicit sexual acts between adults, and the local court finds the exhibit obscene according to the community standards test. The art gallery, which is losing a great deal of money after being forced to close its main exhibit early, appeals to the Supreme Court. Gallery officials claim that the surrounding community is too conservative, and had the exhibit been shown in a more culturally diverse location, it would have been able to stay open to the public. They argue that the artistic expression of their exhibit can not be censored based on its content.
Should the gallery win the lawsuit? Leave your comments and then see our thoughts.
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