Obscene? Oh how times have changed

In re-reading the major juvenile Supreme Court case that enabled juveniles to enjoy
due process rights and other aspects of the Bill of Rights granted to those
in the criminal justice system, I discovered the "obscene"
remarks allegedly made by Gerald Gault that led to his sentence of possibly six-years;
he was sent to a detention facility until he reached majority at age 21.

The phone statements according to the 2nd edition of Juvenile Justice: Policies,
Programs, and Practices by Taylor, Fritsch, and Caeti, were:

"Are your cherries ripe today?"
"Do you have big bombers?"

Were the questions vulgar? definitely in that time and place and maybe even today in some areas.

Compare these two questions to the language heard daily on 2008 television sitcoms.
Or how about the lyrics to current rap?

Can't you picture in your mind two adolescent teen-aged boys phoning someone, as a prank,
giggling and then hanging up? Before the age of video games, computers, and other time-consuming
inventions, many a young person got his/her kicks out of doing such inane things.

My point, such that it is, is the term obscene or even vulgar. These terms are redefined to meet changing
times and standards and current rules of conduct. What to label some words or phrases is often a
generational decision.

Interestingly I am totally unable to think of any word or phrase that would make
the obscenity list today if it was written by those of the current generation.

Are some words considered disrespectful, hateful,
or even disgusting? Of course, and some of them will always be so classified.

But is the word "obscene" obsolete now?

Are some terms used with one's friends but never with one's parents or other stodgy adults?

Society standards change, but are the changes always for the best?