Potter Stewart Quotes

It is obvious that "obscenity" is not a term capable of exact legal definition; in the practice of the Courts, it means "anything that shocks the magistrate.

Sex and obscenity are not synonymous.

Sex and obscenity are not synonymous.

If something is too risque, don't watch it.

I may not be able to define pornography but I know it when I see it.

But I could never make a judgement that something was obscene.

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material but I know it when I see it.

I don't like swearing on the air. As a matter of fact, I'm not a prude, but... I watch HBO and some of the comedy stuff, and I'm constantly asking myself, 'Why have we gone there?' It seems like it's unfortunate. It's so cheap. It's so easy.

I do not want to see censorship, yet I don't believe a dime of taxpayer money should go into art that is clearly and visibly filth.

His conversations were very vivid. He spoke about acts that he had seen in pornographic films involving such matters as women having sex with animals and films showing group sex or rape scenes. He talked about pornographic materials depicting individuals with large penises or large breasts involved in various sex acts. On several occasions, Thomas told me graphically of his own sexual prowess.

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [hard-core pornography]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it

I would never condone anything which I thought was salacious, titillating, or gratuitous.

It looks like garbage, my ass. But trust me, you're lucky it's not full-frontal.

I don't believe in nudity for nudity's sake, nothing gratuitous.

They've also, the government's decided now, what sexual content is.

Sex and obscenity are not synonymous. Obscene material is material which deals with sex in a manner appealing to prurient interest.

Certain things were deemed to be offensive. It was usually bad language.

Are there any limitations? Are they going to allow fornication in Times Square at high noon?

Implicit in the history of the 1st Amendment is the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming social importance.

I wish to join the Legion of Decency, which condemns vile and unwholesome moving pictures. I unite with all who protest against them as a grave menace to youth, to home life, to country and to religion. I condemn absolutely those salacious motion pictures which, with other degrading agencies, are corrupting public morals and promoting a sex mania in our land ... considering those evils, I hereby promised to remain away from all motion pictures except those which do not offend decency and Christian morality.

So long as men are corrupt and revel in sewer filth, entertainers will sell them what they want. Laws may be passed, arrests may be made, lawyers may argue, courts may sentence and jails may harbor men of corrupt minds, but pornography and allied insults to decency will never cease until men have cleansed their minds and cease to require and pay for such vile stuff.

No one today knows what is indecent

I do not see a necessary connection between proletarian literature and some set percentage of words which bring the blushes to a maiden's cheek.

I always fought against vulgarity, double meaning dialogues and wearing la'dies' clothes.

I want you to see me naked and performing one or two dozen mad acts, which will take me less than half an hour, because if you have seen them with your own eyes, you can safely swear to any others you might wish to add.