on the Obscene

Main Entry:
ob·scene
Pronunciation:
\äb-ˈsēn, əb-\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle French, from Latin obscenus, obscaenus
Date:
1593

1: disgusting to the senses : repulsive
2 a: abhorrent to morality or virtue; specifically : designed to incite to lust or depravity
b: containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage
c: repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles
d: so excessive as to be offensive (obscene wealth) (obscene waste)

1593, "offensive to the senses, or to taste and refinement," from M.Fr. obscène, from L. obscenus "offensive," especially to modesty, originally "boding ill, inauspicious," perhaps from ob "onto" + cænum "filth." Meaning "offensive to modesty or decency" is attested from 1598. Legally, in U.S., it hinged on "whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest." [Justice William Brennan, "Roth v. United States," June 24, 1957]; refined in 1973 by "Miller v. California":

and from Corpses, Skulls and Skeletons by Bernhard Fibicher, in SFU (p.57):

The representation of the dead body in art can only be obscene in terms of the etymological meaning of the word as being 'away from the scene' and therefor 'not visible.' Making visible something that is supposed to remain hidden creates a feeling of unease..."

(the obscenity of diaries)