The Story
The story of Hustler Magazine vs Falwell begins with two men who were and still are polar opposites of one another. Larry Flynt is the well-known founder of the magazine Hustler who has evidently been in many lawsuits regarding the first amendment. This is just another legal notch on the belt for him. Jerry Falwell is a nationally known Baptist preacher who also is the host of his own On-air show “Old Time Gospel Hour” (site)who does address politics on the show. In this particular case, he publically condemned pornography which was only the beginning of the debacle between the two.
Larry Flynt raged against Falwell and other leaders resenting them and their moral denunciations of pornography and angrily mocked them as blowhard hypocrites. His loathing would soon take new heights. Hustler’s editors chose Falwell as their featured celebrity for the month and drafted an alleged “interview.” Seen to most critics as revenge, Hustler magazine posted a satirical ad for a liquor brand titled “Jerry Falwell talks about his first time”…show more content… This case is considered a “slam dunk” due to it being a unanimous decision across the board. There is not a concurring or dissenting opinion. Their statements determine if the award given for compensatory and punitive damages to Jerry Falwell are consistent with the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. More specifically, the Court addressed whether “a public figure may recover damages for emotional harm caused by the publication of an ad parody offensive to him, and doubtless gross and repugnant in the eyes of most.” In short, according to Rehnquist, this case presents a novel question pertaining to the First Amendment that protects individual expressions. Remaining vigilant from government imposed sanctions is evident in this
