Existing comment:
Defending Satire
In 1987, the Supreme Court heard Hustler magazine's appeal of a successful libel suit by Jerry Falwell, the conservative leader of "The Moral Majority." Hustler had published a fanciful but deeply offensive portrayal of Falwell. Ruling unanimously in favor of the magazine, the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment required "actual malice" on the part of Hustler if Falwell, a pubic figure, were to recover damages.
Lawyer Roslyn Mazer submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. It included examples of work by Oliphant and many other cartoonists. Oliphant was present in the courtroom for the landmark case, sketching the lawyers and justices. He afterwards wrote a cartoon portraying Larry Flynt as a pig, with the caption, "In order to defend their constitutional freedom of expression, satirists are forced, from time to time, into reluctant association with people like you." |