Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home

From Charlie Deitch, the bizarre story of the first print obscenity prosecution case since 1973 involves the reason cover boys from South Park, Col.

Several pages of Walters' 81-page motion also deal with South Park. Several episodes are mentioned, including one where Eric Cartman, one of the main characters, joins the North American Man Boy Love Association. In another, Cartman plays a prank on a classmate by putting his penis in his mouth. Still another involves a 5-year-old character having a sexual relationship with his teacher; when she gets bail at the end of the episode, student and teacher run off together.

"The show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have been accepted into mainstream entertainment and, rather than being subjected to prosecution … have been the recipients of national awards for quality in arts and entertainment," writes Walters. "Meanwhile, Karen Fletcher is subjected to federal obscenity prosecution for comparable works involving no visualizations."

At this point I wonder if it's simply easier to bring an obscenity case against online porn than any other type of obscenity. Juries are a little savvier about cool media these, but after a decade plus of hype about how the internet is going to jump off your screen and mind-meld your kid into pervert status they're less savvy about the internet. And obviously more than one website will be impacted if/when the U.S. Attorney wins this case.