lerxt1990 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 FG does these sorts of parodies all the time (very successfully I might add) - sheesh! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carol Burnett sues TV's "Family Guy" cartoon Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:05 PM ET LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Carol Burnett has filed a copyright infringement suit against the makers of Fox TV's cartoon sitcom "Family Guy" over an episode poking fun at the performer and her variety show from the 1960s and '70s. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims "Family Guy" violated Burnett's exclusive rights to her name and likeness by depicting her signature cleaning-woman character in a segment last April without her consent. The suit, which seeks at least $2 million in damages, also says the cartoon episode used a "slightly altered version" of the copyrighted musical theme to "The Carol Burnett Show" without permission from the 73-year-old entertainer. A spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television, which produces "Family Guy," said on Friday the suit was without merit and that references to Burnett and her show in an 18-second sequence of the cartoon amounted to parody. "'Family Guy,' like the 'Carol Burnett Show,' is famous for its pop culture parodies and satirical jabs at celebrities," the studio said in a statement. "We are surprised that Ms. Burnett, who has made a career of spoofing others on television, would go so far as to sue 'Family Guy' for a simple bit of comedy." The episode in question refers to Burnett by name as working as a part-time janitor, and depicts her "charwoman" character -- complete with trademark blue bonnet and mop bucket -- cleaning the floor of a pornography shop, the suit says. Another character then makes a vulgar reference to the signature ear tug used by Burnett at the close of her variety show each week, according to the lawsuit. Burnett and her company have urged Fox to reedit the "Family Guy" episode to remove any reference her, but the studio has so far refused, the suit said. "The Carol Burnett Show," combining comedy sketches and musical performances, aired on CBS from 1967 to 1978 and was one of the most popular shows on U.S. television in that era. Reuters/Nielsen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arndrake Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I'm not familiar with copyright law, but I suspect that if you are going to do a parody, it has to be of your own design. I think the only exception is that you will not profit from it, in which case it is artistic license. A TV show like Family Guy definitely does not fall into that category. From what the story says, all they did was copy her 'cleaning lady' character, which she has exclusive rights to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing2112 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Ironic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pags Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 QUOTE (Arndrake @ Mar 18 2007, 04:25 PM) I'm not familiar with copyright law, but I suspect that if you are going to do a parody, it has to be of your own design. I think the only exception is that you will not profit from it, in which case it is artistic license. A TV show like Family Guy definitely does not fall into that category. From what the story says, all they did was copy her 'cleaning lady' character, which she has exclusive rights to. In support of original design, I would also go with what's in good taste. I personally find it silly that in their argument, 20th Century Fox would liken the two shows in terms of comical parody. Maybe it's a sign of the times, I'm not sure. But even though Bernett made her career spoofing on others, she never did anything that would insult them or smear their reputation. When the writers for FG had Bernett's character working in a porn shop and throwing vulgar hand gestures, did they think she would laugh along? Doubtful. But I'm sure the stars who were spoofed on her show laughed pretty hard at the way they were being portrayed. Remember the days when roasting talent paid respect at the same time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I'm no fan of Fox TV comedies and cartoons, so good for Carol Burnett. I hope she is able to sue them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slime Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 As weak as I find Family Guy and its supposed brand of humor (there's a right way to do a pop culture reference, and there is the way FG does it), I can't support somebody suing somebody else for a parody. Parody is clearly defined by law as far as I remember. Carol Burnett doesn't have to worry about her reputation being ruined...does her show and Family Guy really cater to the same audience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyRulz Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Part of the problem is that they asked her permission, she said no, and then they went and did it anyway. I think they may have even stepped it up a notch after her refusal. They call her by name, they parody the cleaning lady character, they make a tasteless joke about her famous "ear tug," and they even play a song that sounds like her trademark "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together." I loved the Carol Burnett Show, but I don't follow Family Guy. Not sure if this is a frivolous lawsuit or whether I'm rooting for CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lerxt1990 Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 Easy: Frivolous. Its parody, they shouldnt have asked for permission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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