The People vs. Larry Flynt - 1332 Words

Freedom of expression has always been a heated and heavily debated topic throughout our society, more so in recent times due to the increasing amount of freedoms that we gain. However, it is only natural that free speech be something of extreme amounts of conflict since this right is expressed in the very first amendment of the Constitution. But, how loosely should such an important document within our history be interpreted? This has been a question for years, and it is obvious that this particular amendment presents itself through our day-to-day activities. The real issue with freedom of speech is that, even though it is presented to us, there are obviously people who would abuse it to invoke emotional distress, or even to invoke acts of†¦show more content†¦Larry Flynt, is definitely protected under this amendment that was actually created by the United States government. How is it justified that the government takes away this basic freedom, freedom of speech and of the p ress, from Larry Flynt, creator of Hustler, if it goes against the morals that they created for society? According to Mills, if this political right is infringed upon, it is completely justified that resistance occurs, as it did. Mills goes on later in his work to state, â€Å"†¦there needs to be protection also against the tyrant of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose†¦its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development†¦of any individuality not in harmony with its ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own.† (Mills 116) By Mills bringing up the idea behind falling into society’s stereotypes and expectations, it is further validated that one should not be silenced, whether literally or figuratively, due to society’s â€Å"discomfort.† Individuals should not be forced into the fads in which society finds accep table. People are entitled to their own opinions, and that is truly the beginnings of individuality. John Stuart Mills is one such philosopher who, very graciously and rightly, defends such individualityShow MoreRelated People V. Larry Flynt Essay examples1385 Words   |  6 Pagesmovie of focus, ‘People vs. Larry Flynt’, is a film by Milos Forman which stars Woody Harrelson as Flynt. Larry Flynt is the president and publisher of Hustler magazine. Hustler is sort of the Mad magazine of written pornography which was started in the early 1970’s. The interest for me was seeing how this movie depicts the sexual exploitation of women in the sex industry with a specific look at how the material devalues women. The movie starts out in 1952 with a young Larry Flynt along with his youngerRead More Larry Flynt: Confronting Sex and Politics in America Essay3993 Words   |  16 PagesLarry Flynt: Confronting Sex and Politics in America What has changed in the media and political culture? Why is exploitation of sex and politics on front burner of the American agenda? The private matters of the President were once just that — private matters. Now they are published and are accessible to the American public by way of the Starr Report (http://CNN.com/starr.report/)and the mainstream media. The impeachment of the President symbolizes the pinnacle of the integration of sex andRead MoreThe Right Of Free Speech Is A Citizen Of The United States Of America Essay1861 Words   |  8 Pagesright gives people the opportunity to speak their mind and give their opinions of what they think should happen. These rights have been questioned and debated throughout history, and have produced extremely positive things in a lot of cases. The controversy of these rights are not secluded to one era of time; they have been questioned many different times, in many different ways. In modern times, people are always protesting somethin g and in the colonial times it was the same. People wanted theirRead MoreEssay Film Ratings Should Not Substitute Parental Guidance2697 Words   |  11 Pagessystem  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (12)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wes Craven is a Hollywood director who works primarily with the horror genre.   The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) routinely gives his films R ratings because of their intense violence and gore.   While very few people would argue with these ratings, Craven is critical of the MPAA: We of course do not have government censors-that would be totalitarian.   It would also be unnecessary.   What we do have is the MPAA.   The MPAA purportedly exists to save us from having