Okay, so my funny recapper put this up today and I was floored. And, yes, I got her permission. I care about artist's rights and creative output. I can't believe this:
sean tastes the relish. sean says its damn good, but not pickle lila, back to the drawing board. mac excited about pickle lila coming back, tracy says she can offer mac exclusive deal with pickle lila. wants him to sign the contract. he doesn't see "the name". mac says your relasing it under another "name" LOLLL she says it will be pickle tracy LOLLLL sean says he became obsessed with pickle lila. he would sneak into mess to try and crack the code in the army LOLLL really ron? aj says why don't you try again. aj is pleading for his help.
aj wants seans secret ingredient he puts in his sandwiches. its a certain spice that makes his sandwiches over the moon, gives a kick. its exclusive to afaghanistan. aj says elq can get it out, he wants to put the spice in the relish for the zing. tracy says its the same taste. mac says without lilas name and photo, it wont sell. mac says lila reminded people of their grandmother, her likeness and name contributed to why people bought it. tracy is pissed, says she will still be a success and he will regret passing her up.
tracy there to see sean. sean says aj will "sue me" if I advertise for 'pickle lila" aj snarks that pickle lila is coming back and nothing you can do about it.
I can't even with this crap. Really, I can't.
There are no words for how insane this has become. ABC should be embarrassed. Not only is this crappy writing and two nutjobs hijacking a once great show for their own personal vendetta, they're offering proof of their intent to infringe on copyrights on the air- live- for the world to see.
This is unreal.
I know I'm usually kidding and laughing and making jokes and calling people names, but I'm not kidding here. This dude is telling the audience that he's going to make these new characters into the "old" characters but just change their names. If even that. This is not only stupid, it's illegal. What kind of attorney was Nimnuts? Has he heard of intellectual property law?
Look, copyright is about securing rights of creative people and giving them ownership over their own creation. It's about encouraging creative people to create by allowing them to control their work. They can modify those creations, they can sell them, they can do whatever they want. Mostly, they can license those creations and lease them to whomever they choose. They can even sell the rights if they like. Intellectual property acts much like real property rights with one major exception.
You can't infringe upon them. You can't take something you created, lease it to another to use, and then demand it back or just make another just like it when you're refused. You need to abide by the contract. In this case, when you're denied, you cannot then say "FINE, I'll make another one that looks just like it and use that." That's infringement. And this is exactly what Frank Valentini admitted today on national television.
This is a giant case of Valentini telling PP "You're not the boss of me" and doing whatever the hell he wants to do. And he can't. Legally, he can't. He needs to be shut down as this has ramifications way beyond this stupid crap. It's about protecting people's rights and being respectful of the creative process. It's not about one megalomaniac on a crusade. These guys are off the hook crazy.
Not only does he intend to produce the same product as OLTL's copyright, but he intends to simply change the name. And he told the world today. And that's why ABC is being sued. And they will lose. Because Valentini and his idiot henchman, Carlivati, just confessed. On TV.
Unreal.
Remember MC Hammer and his idiotic "Can't Touch This"? Yeah, that guy with the stupid pants? Well, he wasn't paying homage to Rick James. He was stealing from him. He was taking Rick James' creative work, spinning it a bit, and then renaming it. Guess what happened? Yeah, he was found to be infringing on Rick's copyright and he was smart- he settled before it got to court. Will ABC be that smart? I don't know. I wonder if MC Hammer's too smart for these guys. What will it be, then, will you back off and settle? Will you be the MC Hammer of daytime?
Credit, of course, to a poster from Michigan for this. You are too brilliant!
What about Vanilla Ice? Same thing- settled out of court. He's more like Ron- an idiot follower without any insight or talent. I know they ain't Brian Wilson but the list goes on. People who stomped all over copyright but didn't go on national television, admit it, and then keep moving forward. These guys are completely whacked and need to be literally stopped.
You know, there is a difference between being an homage to something and being similar to something and outright stealing. This, according to this moron crap today, will be outright stealing. And I'm so offended that ABC has the nerve to let this crap run. It's an offense to anyone who ever had a creative thought. From someone in an allegedly creative field, he and Carlivati are colluding to steal creative works by simply changing the name.
Frank Valentini does not own those characters. He has no rights to them. He is, however, making it his stated goal to steal their essence and likeness. He is planning to completely recreate the characters with a new name. And that's not only immoral, it's illegal. And trust me, he thinks he'll get those names back, too. Just wait. Or not.
I don't think Disney would like it if someone lost the rights to produce Mickey Mouse cartoons so they just put out Morty Mouse cartoons with the same guy doing the voice and an eery likeness to their mouse. This is what this Disney subsidiary is planning to do. And they're so arrogant, they're telling everyone about it.
Look, this is beyond the pale. This ridiculous behavior is why ABC is being sued and they will lose. Anyone who agrees with ABC is in favor of taking away one of the most beneficial rights we have- freedom to create and control our own work.
If PP hasn't filed for injunctive relief-meaning stopping ABC from continuing with the new characters to prevent future harm- they better. This team is so brazen, they're not going to be stopped without being forced to do so. They'll be stealing left and right soon enough and, if ABC won't stop them, PP has to do it. It's Un-American, for God's sake!
ABC better man up and be two men down soon. This type of effrontery in private is bad enough but to splash it all over the place, on TV, tarnishes not only GH's brand, but ABC's, as well. They are allowing this man to not only flagrantly break the law, but stick his tongue out at it at the same time. And for that alone, his status should be under review- to say the least.
It's up to all of them what they want to do but I'll tell you something. I won't be watching ABC ever again if this continues. Firing the PR girl today- allegedly- doesn't even start to make up for the bad press you'll be getting. You need to go much higher.
And Viva La PP!! Is it April 29th yet?
D, your essay is as usual stunning in its brilliance. You once again hit the nail on the proverbial. I actually caught part of GH on SoapNet last night, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Beyond the stupidity of the storyline and watching the great Jane Eliot having to act out this ridiculous scenario, the brazenness of their UNsubconscious message to the audience struck me as despicable. I can't believe I used to admire Valentini and Carlivati. Really, gerkin us around like this? They have really sold out in the worst possible way. They are trying to trash the OLTL legacy with their selfish mission to hold onto something they have no right to. If I were writing GH, I would have Valentini appear as an evil soap producer who gets prosecuted by Nora Buchanan. I know there's a jurisdictional issue, but I'll work around it. I would love to give both Frank and Ron some nasty paper cuts and then pour pickle juice into them. Blech!
ReplyDeleteD, the 29th is just around the corner! Brooke! Nora! Natalie! Viki! OMG, I just might faint! xox
Don't faint! I'm not there to catch you and you might hit your head and pass out for too long and miss the show....
DeleteThey're scum. I don't like these guys even a little anymore. I have some interesting "ideas" that I'll email you later.
I love your idea for a parody. Now that's clever. This...not so much.
Another brilliant rant. Now, in the past, you have been known to exaggerate for comedic effect (I do the same thing) but this time I don't think it's possible to exaggerate how utterly stupid, mendacious and heinous this is. Some OLTL fans are being Frank apologists and seem to think this all on ABC. But ABC didn't write that idiotic scene, Ron did. And while I have no inside knowledge of this, you can't tell me the aforementioned dialogue did not receive Frank's endorsement. I believe that Frank is ABC's clumsy ass henchman just like Ron is his. Michael, love your parody idea as well. I have no idea why I am making this connection, possibly because I am insane, but I am seeing the great Harold Hextaba's musical adaptation of Hamlet on Gilligan's Island. Of course, Harold stole the Castaway's idea, abandoned them on the island and went off to Broadway to produce his new hit musical.
DeleteAnd Todd, Starr and John were only supposed to be on GH for a three hour tour....a three hour tour. Oh it makes me wonder.
I can't shake the feeling that Frank and Ron are going rogue here. But, that's me. It's so vindictive and stupid, I can't believe ABC could even think this up.
DeleteI do exaggerate for comedic effect but I really do care about copyright. I never download illegally or any of that. Hell, I still buy CDS to give the artists their due. It's something I actually care about. And these twits are thumbing their noses at the law. And that WILL NOT DO!
He will be in a pickle when this ketchups to him... it isn't kosher. My set has been oozing condiments between Mad Men and the mad man this week. Mad because this is nuts, right? It's one thing to put your tongue in your cheek...quite another to stick it out at an entire show, its fans, to say nothing of the law. Yes, and absconding with both it's leading men. And it's just ugly to use his current cast to fling this out at us through our television sets.
ReplyDeleteHe seems to relish this, no pun, really.
D, Hulu Plus has been activated. I am REDDY!!!!! xox
ReplyDeleteCan't wait till Monday! I am prostate with excitement. xoxox
HA! I love Tony Soprano speak. This just in--ABC refuses to run promos for OLTL AND AMC. You know, this could have been the start of a beautiful relationship. This could have been a user friendly relationship.
DeleteAs Tony Soprano would say, "Revenge is a dish best served as a cold cut."
PS< Speaking of cold cuts and condiments, Love your word play, George Sanders!
Is it possible that Frank and Ron are NOT going rogue?! That ABCD is backing them on their antics? Otherwise, why hasn't ABCD reined them in?! It would be nothing to order both of them to stop their shenanigans, terminate the OLTL actors, stop screwing the PP launch, and focus on GH or be terminated themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they allow this nonsense to continue? My thoughts are that, contrary to their public statements, not a single aspect of their Binge-Purge-Talk programming has netted them even half the viewers they were expecting. I understand that even though ABCD did NOT cancel GH, but moved it into OLTL's time slot, they paid a shitload of money for Katie Couric who, surprise, surprise, is not doing that well in the ratings herself. Moreover, ABCD is feeling the effects of all the ill will they generated by so arrogantly canceling AMC and, especially OLTL, despite viewer protests.
I mean, ABCD canceled OLTL even though they KNEW that the Revolution was a horrible show. With the possibility of PP lined up to take over the production, it would have been nothing to announce a last minute extension of OLTL for another year or two and mitigated all the anger they were generating in OLTL fans.
Interestingly enough, the talk line up of CBS and NBC, not to mention the cooking, fashion, and diet shows on cable are doing just fine, thank you very much. In fact, after the cancellation, CBS' The Talk saw a surge in ratings. I imagine the geniuses of ABCD programming are totally befuddled by this phenomena rather than correctly interpreting what is so obvious to anyone with a functioning brain cell.
I think I'm fairly representative of the disaffected ABCDaytime viewer. Though I loathe the whole unscripted reality show/talk genre, if there is nothing else on, I make a point of watching ANY YACK FEST BUT ABCD's. I DGAD if ABCD has the most interesting people in the world on for their shows. NOTHING will compel me to watch them. THAT's how ticked off I am at ABCD.
Which brings back to why I suspect that ABCD is ALLOWING FrankenRon to go rogue. ABCD WANTS AMC AND OLTL BACK. I imagine that if PP can't successfully relaunch ... well, they have the cheaper studios in CT, and the cheaper casts and crews all set up to be taken over. I can see where ABCD would even WANT to "honor" the deals PP made with the cast and crew of these shows and the topper is that THEY look like BIG HEROES who rode in to "save" our shows from Prospect Park's incompetence! So there is a big PR benefit out of this.
IMNSHO, if someone at Disney OR ABCD had a lick of sense, they would CANCEL The Chew, move GH back to its old time slot, bump KC to the slot that Oprah used to occupy and allow PP to air AMC and OLTL in their old time slots. IOW, CBS and NBC left soap production to P&G and other independent productions. There is nothing but sheer stupidity to keep ABCD from doing the same with PP.
Allegedly, these are thirty minute segments being taped for the online shows, BUT there is only five minutes of commercials. If you recall ALL the commercial programming on the soaps remaining in daytime, you will see that the real soap drama is only going on for about half the time.
Yes, I know that PP might have to dub in something that is not so blue for those time slots, but Tea Delgado can screech out her "F-Bombs" at high decibels on the online version.
The point I'm making is that ABCD can look like heroic geniuses who are NOT too full of hubris to admit that, while THEY felt they could not produce AMC and OLTL cheaply enough to make it worth their while, they handled the whole affair stupidly and are now willing to make amends by doing everything to ensure that PP succeeds in saving this beloved genre.
Anything's possible. The idea here is that Disney isn't interested in lawsuits. Maybe ABC is that arrogant, but Disney is not. Oh, and guess who has an interest in Hulu? That's right- Disney.
DeleteIf you let some nutjob run wild and then get sued, you have cause to fire him, cancel the show, and then say "It's his fault. He's crazy". Oh, and PP has first rights of refusal on taking GH Online....see the point.
Who knows. But I wouldn't be so sure that they want their soaps back. At all.
Don't read more into the relish story than it really is. It's about AJ vs Tracy, not the OLTL3.
ReplyDeleteSo, when Traci says to AJ, "You might own the name, but I own the heart, the soul, the GUTS, of Pickle Lila," she's really just talking about relish?
ReplyDeleteOkay, hmmm. With apologies to Freud, sometimes a cigar is a snake.
Speaking of smoking- did you see this, Harry? Hysterical. Obviously will not disappoint:
Deletehttp://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/25/arrested-development-buster-lucille/
Just more proof- all the good stuff is online!
Ha! Oh, I can't wait. I miss my screwed up TV family. In all seriousness, I have been searching for my own Franklin in order to deal with my own mother who is a cross between Mama Bluth and Mama Soprano.
ReplyDeleteOne more comment and you don't have to respond. It is easy to boycott GH right now. I am rather a selfish person, and if someone can spin me a good yarn with interesting characters, I am going to watch. If GH were doing the aforementioned, I would watch regardless of what the Four Men of the Apocalypse were trying to do to OLTL. Again, I am selfish that way. Last Friday I tuned in to discover Brittany, the town pariah and Snow White's (Sabrina's) arch enemy in an abortion clinic with Patrick. The problem? Britt is out to here (gesturing with hands). She looks like she is ready to pop and she is seeking an abortion? This really does beg the question of human viability and this is a right-to-lifers wet dream. Because see? In their world only bad girls consider abortion and they all have it during the last trimester--right?
ReplyDeleteIs Ron really this ignorant about the gestation process of humans (was he a test tube baby?)or he he making some kind of idiotic statement?
Meanwhile, the usually sharp Patrick is now looking like he thinks he is playing the part of a zombie in The Walking Dead. So I can't watch--I don't care how hot Nikolas looks sans shirt with those tattoos, I shan't even peek anymore. Let's toast to new beginnings and not look back. Who said April is the cruelest month? To tomorrow!
I wish I cared about GH enough to respond, but I don't. I will ask you if you read the NYT last night. Very interesting tidbit in there.
DeleteConfirmation of something I've known for a while- PP is taking GH....when it's cancelled. Guess what's coming up soon?
We'll see but it makes everything make a whole lotta sense. More later in the week.