Maddenation
The Zillion Dollar Pinata
Bill Cosby is issuing a Cease and Desist on the creators of House of Cosbys, some internet video sit-com that isn’t too funny but is popular nonetheless. This is serious stuff, as risking a lawsuit in the name of some stupid comedy probably isn’t worth losing a lot of money or going to jail. And the creators did roll over—at first. But after some advice from a guy who told them that “parody” is protected by the first amendment, they decided to put the videos back online. Not only that, but they wrote a pretty good summation of what the web is doing to the dinosaurs of the entertainment industry,
The actions of Cosby’s legal team are somewhat laughable, somewhat sad and ultimately symbolic of a quantum shift in the business of entertainment: The internet is breaking a zillion dollar pinata, free candy is flying everywhere and the candy companies are understandably upset. You can’t control digital information the way you can control radios, television and movies. Lawyers threatening web sites, the FCC clamoring to regulate cable, record labels making speeches about mp3s: I hear it all as a death rattle.
And it’s interesting that nobody has figured out a solution to end the mass stealing. And probably nobody will. You see, nobody my age or younger even thinks about the ethics of illegally downloading songs off of Napster. It’s been built into our culture. And if everybody can do it and get away with it, well then perhaps this zillion dollar pinata loses a lot of zillions.
Dan • Observations • 03/03/06 • 2 comments
Comments
Dad • 03/11/06 • 11:41 AM:I like to think about the days before TV and radio, when entertainment involved local talent, story telling, card games, or traveling road shows like circuses or vaudeville. There was obviously a time before artistically gifted individuals “made their living” telling jokes or singing. I suspect early performers were merely given a free ride when it came to tribal chores because they could entertain around the campfire. Eventually, a few remarkably talented people “took their show on the road” and began to barter their performances for temporary room and board.
I have always had the impression that performers from my father’s generation were better than most performers today. Of course, my generation broke away from the “big bands” and Crosby/Sinatra style singing to create rock-n-roll, but with the possible exception of the Beatles, groups haven’t been as good “musically” as they were before. Even today, how many singers can match the clear, bell-like tones of my mother and Aunt Helen singing the Panis? Barbara Streisand probably surpasses them, but jeeze, that nose! That politics!
So I’m all for the internet putting the entertainment moguls out of business. As for Bill Cosby, his suit knocks him down a few notches in my book.
Dad • 03/11/06 • 12:07 PM:Wait, I changed my mind. I support Cosby’s suit, because they used his name. They could have called it “Huxtable House” or something else, but using Cosby’s name is wrong.
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