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Family Feud: Carol Burnett Sues Fox 'Toon
Legendary comedienne Carol Burnett has filed suit against Twentieth Century Fox, claiming that Family Guy misappropriated her name and likeness by showing her "Charwoman" character mopping a porn shop's floor in an April 2006 episode, as a rip-off of her variety show's theme song played. (Video here.) Per papers obtained by TheSmokingGun.com, Burnett claims that after she denied Family Guy the use of her theme song back in 2005, she was spitefully targeted by the show. Burnett's copyright-infringement suit seeks $6 million in damages. Tug on that, Stewie.
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Mar 16, 2007 7:44 PM
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Can't believe you're updating the site so late in the day.
I at least hope you're working from home given the weather!
Anyway, in case you or anyone else is interested, the "history making" event on Jeopardy tonight was a 3-way tie between all the contestants.
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Mar 16, 2007 7:53 PM
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Aww, thanks for the concern. Yes, I am home, sufficiently snowed in. Someday I shall regale you all with the story of how the Chinese food delivery guy's car wound up on our front lawn.
So, it was a three-way tie, eh? I was hoping for a polka-dot Zegna.
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Mar 16, 2007 8:00 PM
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You know I'm amazed it took this long for someone to sue this show - but I didn't think it would be Carol Burnett!
Since the show has fallen off lately and is kind of a derivative shell of it's former self, maybe this will be the catalyst that sparks it back into a creative rebirth, and it can become the funny show it used to be...
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Mar 16, 2007 8:22 PM
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I can see both sides of this situation. The animation of Burnett was dead-on (only the music was slightly varied). While I wish she would just accept the joke/homage, I know this is an indentifiable trademark of hers, and they should have just passed on the relatively minor gag when they were not given her permission.
I love both Burnett AND The Family Guy, but what it comes down to for me is that copyright infringement is happening with alarming regularity these days, and I think she was "robbed" of something for which I think she should be compensated.
Incidentally, I think FG is every bit as creatively "on its game" as it has ever been. nolan, did you see Stewie's dance with Gene Kelly a few week's ago (a takeoff on his similarly animated dance with Jerry from Tom & Jerry)? I think it becomes trendy to say animated shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy are past their prime, but I still laugh every Sunday night (at King Of The Hill, too...American Dad is the only one that I have always found consistently unfunny.)
Glad we're all tucked in for the night from this big weekend storm that's a-comin'! And now...
"I'm so glaaad we had this tiiiime tooooogeeeetherrrrrr..."
[uh-oh]
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Mar 16, 2007 8:38 PM
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Actually, I'm not saying that about all animated shows, just Family Guy. I think the Simpsons is just as funny if not better now in it's 18th season than it has ever been - the episode a few weeks back with Bart getting a driver's license and Lisa pretending to be Native American was definitely the funniest thing I've seen on TV so far this year! But Family Guy just doesn't make me laugh like it used to, in fact hardly at all these days. I think that part of the problem may be too many running gags, and over-reliance on scatological humor. And maybe it was funnier to me in the beginning because a large part of the humor came in the shock, but at a certain point it becomes hard to keep replicating that. (the abandoned prom night baby musical number being one of the latest desperate attempts at that, for example)
The Simpsons on the other hand still manages to be funny by being consistently inventive and irreverent with their humor, and without resorting to the "cheap gag" every time for the laugh. But the main reason I think Simpsons is funny while Family Guy is not is that the voice acting is more nuanced, and the characters are just more identifiable. (the same thing, to a lesser degree, is why I would say King of the Hill is also funnier than Family Guy)
So there you go - didn't mean to write a dissertation there, but anytime someone puts the Simpsons on the same level with Family Guy I instinctively react...
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Mar 16, 2007 9:07 PM
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Satire is a wonderful thing. Completely constitutional. Carol can sue, but she's risking having a judgment against her that will make her pay Seth's legal expenses too.
And I have to agree that I do think the Simpson's are funnier than Family Guy. I was a *huge* fan of FG for the first couple of seasons, and then it just got too random, too mean-spirited, too gross... just TOO everything. I guess Fox wanted to maximize it's appeal to what they *think* is their core demographic for cartoons: teenage males who are dimmer than a burned out bulb.
The Simpsons continue to be smart. They can go for the low-brow humor, but they do it with a class that FG just can't anymore.
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Mar 16, 2007 10:22 PM
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I love Carol Burnett, but I hope she loses. Maybe her lawyers should point out to her that she became famous making fun of Gone With the Wind, As the World Turns, and plenty of other movies and shows that she didn't hold the copyright on.
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Mar 16, 2007 10:27 PM
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I don't understand why she's suing Family Guy. FG doesn't do anything that SNL or Mad TV wouldn't do. They all parody current and past celebrities and events.
As for FG's quality, I still think it's as funny as ever.
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Mar 16, 2007 10:41 PM
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I love Carol Burnett -- and it does sound like Family Guy's writers spitefully targeted her for not granting authorized permission -- BUT I think she'll probably lose on this.
As several people have pointed out, this seems to fall within the bounds of legal parody -- the petty impetus for it notwithstanding.
Now, I'm going to have to disagree with some of you -- sorry, Gord! -- but I have always found Family Guy to be absolutely unwatchable.
My complaint about it is the same complaint (more or less) that I had about The Critic years ago -- the show relies waaaaaay too much on simplistic, unoriginal satires of movies/TV shows/pop culture.
As some have pointed out, The Simpsons does a much better job of this, really skewering (in some cases, affectionately) similar things with just a one-sentence throwaway line or quick image.
Family Guy, however, hits you over the head with their overlong and underthought parodies.
Family Guy's writers seem too often to go for the obvious, while The Simpsons' writers look for something new.
As for where I stand on the other Sunday night animated shows mentioned here -- King of the Hill is pleasant enough (if not particularly funny) and American Dad is even worse than Family Guy.
My God, I love hyphens, don't I?
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Mar 16, 2007 11:58 PM
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If Carol Burnett doesn't find your sitcom funny, you've got problems.
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Mar 16, 2007 11:59 PM
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I thought Derwood Kirby won his law suit against Bullwinkle creators all those 40 or 50 years ago for the Kirwood Derby thing. Didn't that set precedent that you don't use someone's name or image without signed permission?
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Mar 17, 2007 12:13 AM
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Yeah somethingreal81, I watched tonights history making episode of Jeorpody. However I wasnt surprised cause someone spoiled the news yesterday....but it wasnt his fault wikipedia also had has to take the blane in this.
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Mar 17, 2007 12:19 AM
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I'm enjoying these thoughtful comments from everyone. nolan, I misjudged you, and I appreciate the observations you've made. Chappy, I'm a little relieved that we've finally found something about which we disagree...you have to admit, it's been bordering on creepy how much we agree! LOL!
Comedy (like many things) is so subjective. What makes FG unwatchable for some makes me howl! On the other hand, American Dad (even though it's made by the same creative team) just doesn't work for me.
(shrug)
I have all the available Simpsons (and The Critic) on DVD, but have long since sold my old FG DVDs to a second-hand store. I know FG isn't a "keeper", but I can't argue with the gut-busting laughs it gives me virtually every week! Those laughs remind me of the first time I saw Carol Burnett in that Starlett O'Hara curtain-rod gown! I hope they can work it all out. It is all just comedy, after all! 
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Mar 17, 2007 12:31 AM
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Chappy, I'm a little relieved that we've finally found something about which we disagree...you have to admit, it's been bordering on creepy how much we agree! LOL! - TV Gord
Now I feel awful! But I guess there had to be something we didn't agree on...leave it to me to shoot off my big mouth about it!
But, here's the thing -- I totally recognize that I'm in the minority on Family Guy. Almost everybody I know likes that show.
And...I guarantee you that I watch a few shows that you'd be appalled by. Actually, I watch a few shows that I'm appalled by.
Anyway, on the Family Guy thing, I'm the one who's out of step with everyone else.
Kind of like I am on the whole "only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day" thing.
I'm wearing white shoes at this very minute.
Johnny Rebel, they call me.
Wow, it's been a long day.
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Mar 17, 2007 1:31 AM
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