Cohen v. California

[cuervosueno]

COHEN V. CALIFORNIA
In April of 1968, Paul Robert Cohen was arrested for wearing a jacket emblazoned with “Fuck the Draft” inside a Los Angeles County Courthouse. He was convicted of violating California Penal Code § 415, prohibiting "maliciously and willfully disturb[ing] the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person [by] offensive conduct," and was sentenced to thirty days imprisonment.

The California Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, and the California Supreme Court denied review:

On April 26, 1968, the defendant was observed in the Los Angeles County Courthouse in the corridor outside of division 20 of the municipal court wearing a jacket bearing the words 'Fuck the Draft' which were plainly visible. There were women and children present in the corridor. The defendant was arrested. The defendant testified that he wore the jacket knowing that the words were on the jacket as a means of informing the public of the depth of his feelings against the Vietnam War and the draft.

In affirming the conviction, California’s Court of Appeal held that offensive conduct translates to "behavior which has a tendency to provoke others to acts of violence or to in turn disturb the peace," and that "it was certainly reasonably foreseeable that such conduct might cause others to rise up to commit a violent act against the person of the defendant or attempt to forcibly remove his jacket."

However, the US Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari, and the case went off to the highest court in the land. In essence, the Supreme Court had to decide whether or not Cohen’s unseemly speech was punishable or protected under the auspices of the First Amendment. The Court held, by a vote of 5[en dash]4, that “Absent a more particularized and compelling reason for its actions, the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display of this single four-letter expletive a criminal offense.” Cohen, by way of his "Fuck the Draft" jacket, was not tossing out “fighting words,” and was not provoking violence through his jacket [sartorial display]. The Court denied the State the broad power to censor its citizens in the name of creating a clean, civil society through the censorship of public discourse: "[T]he issue flushed by this case stands out in bold relief. It is whether California can excise, as ‘offensive conduct,’ one particular scurrilous epithet from the public discourse, either upon the theory . . . that its use is inherently likely to cause violent reaction or upon a more general assertion that the States, acting as guardians of public morality, may properly remove this offensive word from the public vocabulary."

The whole of Justice John Marshall Harlan II’s closing arguments were eloquent and compelling, but there is one phrase that strikes to the core of what I feel is the essence of the First Amendment:

“For, while the particular four-letter word being litigated here is perhaps more distasteful than most others of its genre, it is nevertheless true that one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric.”

One man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric: black tea, apricot, honey, saffron, apple blossom, tolu balsam, ginger grass, white ginger root, and vetiver.

Oh wow! I'm first! How can that be?

I got a decant of this from a lovely mystery forumite. I've been really wanting to see reviews, so as soon as I got it, I figured I better try it and review it!

This bears a passing resemblance to the March Hare, as I had thought it might, because of the apricot and the "tea" theme, though March Hare does not have tea in it. But while March hare is sweet apricot tarts, this is a very adult version, much drier and less sweet. Wet, the apricot is fairly strong, but once it is on the skin, the other notes come out more, and I get a nice blend of tea with hints of apricot and honey, with a strong dose of saffron, which makes to me adds a dry note to it (I always think of saffron as dry and very slightly medicinal rather than traditionally spicy). I don't get ginger, sadly. The vetiver is present, but only to add a very slight earthy note to this. I don't think I would have known vetiver was in this without reading the description, as it is not at all strong. Rather than apricot tarts, this reminds me of an apricot flavored tea, which dries down to a very smooth scent.

Overall, I think of it as a very grown up version of the March Hare, as if it were the Hare's older brother who went to law school (I'm seeing this scent as being more about the case than about Cohen himself )

It's very smooth and appealing, and I'd probably be totally crazy about it if not for the saffron note, which is not a favorite note for me.

[fetish911]

This smells pretty in the imp. Fruity, with almost a minty ginger kind of note with a bit of a earthy background. On.. is pure nasty. Smells good for a split second, then the vetiver plows through and tramples ever other note and all I am left with black pepper. Strait up spicy black pepper. I can actually smell it wafting up from my arm. Its strong too. Damn you vetiver- always gotta crash my party.

This was so bad on me, I had to scrub it off and IT DOESN"T COME OFF!!!! I can still smell it

eep!

[Gin]

Cohen v. California is spicy and pickley and burny in the bottle. On my skin, it's a lot of the same. The ginger and vetiver are so loud, they drown out everything else. Maybe a half-hour in, they start to calm down. I can smell more saffron, and maybe the tea, but it's all still underneath a blanket of ginger. I can usually get along with vetiver in spite of my tendency to amp it like crazy, but ginger can bit hit-or-miss, and I can't take this combination of bad ginger and vetiver. Off to swaps.

[malibusunny]

Wow, totally different impression from other reviewers! This is all tea and apricot on me, with something cool and green in the background. NO pepper, NO vertiver, maybe a touch of saffron and ginger if I work at it.

 

I haven't decided if I like it yet or not, but I don't dislike it at all. It is making my wrist itch a bit but right now, just having skin means being itchy so I'm trying not to worry too much about that.

[zankoku_zen]

Cohen for me starts out a little strong with the black tea, but then it mellows out with the honey, apricot and saffron coming out as it starts to dry. I get a whiff of ginger which makes it slightly spicy.

 

It alot of ways it does remind me to Miller vs. California in the mishmash of dissonant notes. I think the black tea in this one is a stand in for the leather of Miller, apricot instead of berries, and the ginger combined with the other notes is oddly reminiscent to the paper bag note in Miller.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the vial: Wow, a very complex and unusual scent - so much so that it's almost impossible to identify any particular note or ingredient. Rather medicinal - perhaps due to the balsam or saffron? The spiciness of ginger is the only specific thing I can pick out - here it is hot and peppery. Or maybe that's the vetiver. There is a bitterness that might be from the black tea, although for me there is no recognizable scent of tea (and I brew and drink black tea every day, so I expected to recognize it.) In spite of the apricot and honey, there's only a hint of sweetness or fruit, and no trace of the apple blossoms.

 

On me, wet: Much the same as in the vial, but sharper and even less sweet - salty, even. (I can relate to the person who mentioned pickles - I'm thinking: the dill ones.) The new sharpness is due to a piney scent that's probably the balsam.

 

On me, drydown: Now I'm picking up a strange rubbery note that reminds me of new tires. The peppery note is still holding strong.

 

After about an hour: All rubber and black pepper.

 

Later ETA: After a couple of hours, the rubber mysteriously morphed into woodiness. Now it's a soft, pleasant, wood-and-black-pepper scent. I like it a lot better now. I'd rate it a 4 if it had been like this the whole time.

 

Verdict: I'd definitely call this a masculine fragrance. It's the strangest scent I can remember ever smelling, so strange that I can't even decide whether I like it or hate it. I am very intrigued by it, though. I'm always fascinated by things that are very unique.

Even if I were a man, I don't think I would wear it very often. But it will be perfect for those times when I get bored with my usual fragrance types and want something completely different. And I'll only wear it when I am alone, for fear that others would think it unpleasant.

 

My rating: 3, more for uniqueness rather than actual appeal.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Ghost of a Rose

[rawgirl75]

It's gotta be the honey and saffron that ruined CvC for me, because all the other notes are usually huge winners.

 

I first applied it and went "YES! This is awesome!" and then within moments it quickly turned for the worse. I'm gonna put my money on the honey note being the problem here as I got the 'body funk' from it that I often get from Beth's honey blends.

 

So sad.

 

If honey isn't a problem for you.. then give this a whirl. Otherwise stay far away.

Edited August 14, 2011 by rawgirl75

[porcelina]

this has aged nicely in the few months i've had the bottle. it's like a really nice iced tea blend- lightly sweetened, with some ginger and apricot.

 

it was all vetiver when i first got it, but it's barely noticeable now. i think the tolu balsam keeps it from being straight-up drinkable tea, and makes it more of a tea-based perfume than "perfume that smells like tea." it's quite nice- a refreshing scent for summer!

Edited August 18, 2011 by porcelina

[Gateau]

In the decant--sweet, spicy, cologne-like

 

Wet--sharp cologne note, plus strong sweet apricot note, whiff of spicy ginger

 

Dry--warms up and gains complexity. The tolu balsam and saffron add warmth, while the tea and teeny drop of vetiver (do not be afraid, I am as vetiver-phobic as they come) add depth. The fruit and apple blossom sweetness are balanced by the ginger. I just wish it had greater staying power.

 

This is quite unisex, though leans feminine to my nose. As a lawyer, this is one I'd be happy to wear with a business suit or Fuck the Draft jacket.

[boxinghelena]

Cohen v. California:

 

Something in this blend has turned to medicinal lemon on me. I hate lemon. Not fond of medicinal scents either. Possibly getting it from the saffron or balsam. You know what, it could also be the tea.

 

I'm so bummed. I thought for sure this one would work on me.

~

[ralenth]

On my skin, CvC is all lemon with a dusting of soft pepper. It is interesting, but it's not really me.

[fufu_berry]

I picked this up at SDCC, and I'm so glad that I did! I was a little worried about the apricot since I had a bad experience with Grand Guignol, but this smells *amazing* on. I was hoping that the black tea note would replicate some of the unique fresh-rubber smell I got from the opening of Bvlgari Black, and it totally did. That wore off pretty quickly, but it left behind a lovely, fresh, spicy apricot-ginger-vetiver. A little tart, a little bright, a little earthy. It got a little powdery after a few hours, which I wasn't sure about, but it never got too sharp for my taste. Awesome stuff!

[WidgetAlley]

Bottle: Heavy, dark, dry, overwhelming black tea and strong, strong vetiver and saffron. And ginger, but not sweet fresh ginger: more like powdered ginger that's been sitting at the back of the cupboard so long it's almost papery. The first blast of this is awful, but the after-whiff is weirdly intriguing, so I guess I'll forge onward.

 

Wet: Black tea, bone-dry saffron, dark vetiver, papery ginger. After a moment it starts to take on fruity components-- honey, apricot-- but it's still dominated by those spicy, dry, almost harsh notes.

 

Dry: Apricots and honey finally come to the fore, smoothing and rounding everything else out. Now it smells like an exotically spiced apricot tea in a room full of wooden boxes, stuffed with dried roots and herbs. This does indeed have a hint of "paper bag" smell, but it also (weirdly) evokes the smell of dead leaves to me much more than any of the other BPALs have tried that actually list it as a note. This may be too harsh and martial in the opening stages to wear much, but the drydown is both bizarre and interesting. Further testing is clearly required.

[Tal Shachar]

The weird opening "rubber" phase that people have mentioned reminds me eerily of État Libre d'Orange's Fat Electrician. Maybe they both have a similar vetiver note. I love Fat Electrician and the rubbery thing is neat in this one too: gritty, dark, like a fresh new tire in the mechanic's shop, very black and strangely artificial, giving off bright sparks from the ginger note. This stage fades quickly, and the apricot and honey take over on me from there. It does feel like it has vanilla in it, but that's probably just the honey's sweetness on me.

 

It's a real morpher, and I absolutely love it.

[LizziesLuck]

I love all of these notes, except vetiver which I am ok with (my skin frequently just eats it right up and I don't smell it) and tolu balsam, which I am totally unfamiliar with and just had to Google. (Apparently it's a resin that should smell primarily of cinnamon and vanilla - win win)

 

Wet: Tea. Spices. Mmm. Wow, I think I am actually really smelling the tolu balsam, and it is beautiful, warm and spicy. Not exactly like cinnamon, but the same sort of feel. It's mixing with the ginger and saffron to make this into a gorgeous spicy tea. It's not like Chai to me. It's unique, and I would drink it. I think I would also wear it. I was hoping for a bit more apricot, but I love the spiciness of this so much that I am not missing it much. There is something really exotic about this. If the source of the spices wasn't listed, I would struggle to pick out exactly what they are. Not even a hint of vetiver on me, not surprising. And the tea has really just become a base for the spices. I can't stop huffing my wrist.

 

Dry: This is so unique. I love getting to say that about a BPAL even after I have tried hundreds. This reminds me of nothing I have smelled. It's predominantly spicy, but there is something grassy about it too, like apocalyptic winds blowing across fallow fields. I don't find this vulgar at all, these lyrics are singing right to me. This is an Autumnal fragrance to me, and I will be hunting down a bottle for fall.

[torikitty]

So, so happy to buy this from a lovely forumite. This smells better than I imagined. The tea and apricot aren't heavy, I picked up a bit of tobacco and ginger. This manages to remind me of California, minus the orange blossoms. I think the saffron gives it an earthy sense without being overwhelming. It's lightly fruity, earthy, grassy, and tobacco-y. Kinda like hanging out an a botanical garden in the valley with a friend that smokes.

[sisterbastard]

First impression: Milder than I was expecting. A little spicy and a little sweet - there's just a hint of the apple blossom, which is lovely. I'm hoping the ginger and vetiver stay quiet, as I'm really not a fan of ginger.

 

Wet: Apricot, black tea, and honey, YES. Everything else...not so much. Maybe a hint of saffron on the edge. I wouldn't object to more apple blossom.

 

Dry: After a couple of minutes the black tea and saffron start to argue. I think saffron is the plaintiff. The honey has noped right out of the courtroom, and the florals are chilling in the spectator seats. Ginger is the bullish attending law officer, and balsam is the judge, sitting above everything with a bit of a sneer. (I don't prefer the balsam note; I think its integrity has been compromised.)

 

Oops, that got whimsical fast.

 

In sum, this one gets a bit too gingery and argumentative for me to wear comfortably. I'll probably revisit later.

[Meirion]

Super-lemony tea and leather. That's pretty much it. I get none of the fruit or florals -- I was surprised to see them when I revisited the lab's description after wearing it around for a while. The apricot is definitely there in the bottle, but it disappears the minute it hits my skin. The leather goes on a little plasticky but mellows out into a pleasant, worn in brown leather (Cohen's jacket?)

 

This is sweet (I get a little of the honey when I look for it) but not at all cloying. It's masculine without being remotely cologney. It feels appropriate for work (and I teach at a preschool, so that's no small feat). I reach for it when I'm feeling cheerful and mild-mannered.

 

Major throw. One time I applied it and my housemate instantly shouted from the next room, "That smells so good! It smells like the third grade!" Make of that what you will.

[torischroeder9]

In the bottle: Black tea, apricot, honey, and apple blossom. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, it's very honey apricot, like Katharina meets Khajuraho. As it dries, the apricot dials back, and some of the ginger root comes out, cutting the honey's sweetness. It stays very pretty until it disappears rather quickly on my skin (not, like, crazily quickly -- just a scent with lower longevity for me) -- which is how I know it's tea-dominant.

 

I like this a lot, but I'll have to see if I like it enough to figure out how to make it last longer.