In the United States, Obscenity is one of the types of speech purportedly not protected by the First Amendment. It is defined as material with "no redeeming social value." Nudity and sex, however, can be considered not obscene if they have political, literary, or artistic merit. Justice Potter Stewart stated that "Hard-core" sexual conduct is considered obscene.

How exactly did courts define "hard-core" sexual conduct? What kind of nudity or sex had artistic, political or scientific merit? Who decided this "merit," and how did they decide?

Sorry if this question is too open-ended, and feel free to direct me to a different subreddit or ask for clarification!