I just read an interesting article here about the 'Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' talking about joke stealing. Here it is. I believe it is safe for work. But then again my opinion on that may be a little off since my HR person is wearing pajamas and drinking a cup of coffee at his desk right now. In fact I am not sure he is even wearing shoes. (What do we pay that guy for anyway?)
But, back to the topic at hand. I have railed in the past about television and movies and novels and people stealing from each other. At this point I will turn and look pointedly at James Cameron. But I have used a stick on that dead horse before so I will not rehash the old argument.
I guess it makes me wonder is there anything new out or is everything that is being in the creative entertainment industry a rip off or an homage to something that came before? Is it better or at least more tolerable if the person doing the ripping off acknowledges it as such or calls it a tribute? I know that as far as I am concerned it becomes more tolerable when they do. I feel like nothing upsets me more when a director or writer is touted as some sort of creative genius and then when you see the material it is just patently obvious that they have stolen the idea. When they are will to at least acknowledge the idea that they were at the very least "inspired" by something but wanted to put their own spin on it I am usually able to find some redeeming quality in it.
What makes me call for and most of the time enforce a Lance wide boycott of a product or a individual is when they continue to steal ideas over and over again and are encouraged by the masses to do so because the masses go to their movies and make them rich. I can feel myself ramping up to a Sheen like level so I am going to dial it back down. What do you guys think?
IS THERE NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN?
6 comments:
The examples highlighted in the article don't seem that far fetched for the two established shows on the SAME network to be using.
If Family Guy and Simpsons were on two different networks vying for the same audience at the same timeslot it would look a lot worse than it actually is, but seeing as they want to keep the same audience on Sunday nights for Fox's Sunday Night lineup it makes sense for their humor to be similar.
That is a good point Carl. But, in the best it has really seemed like the Simpsons and the Family Guy have a pretty good rivalry so while it makes sense for the humor to be similar I do not think either of the shows creators are happy about it.
While they may not be happy about it, both benefit from each other...whether like it or not ;)
Everything's stolen from someone. When we recognize the source we get to feel superior, and when we don't we call it original.
Originality is not the same as creativity, and is less important than execution IMHO. Does it matter that Mozart and Brubeck were lifting ideas from folk tunes, while Yoko wasn't?
I thought Mozart invented music? I refuse to believe anything other then that.
Of course, relentless snob that I am, I see anything of any value whatsoever in pop culture as a very, very rare commodity indeed. Arguing over which mostly-sucks franchise lifted which marginal bit of inspiration from which other tallest-midget franchise is an exercise in crazy-making.
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