[TV] Glee is a shitty show with terrible producers

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Frank

Frank

They recently outright stole Jonathan Coulton's cover of Baby Got Back, from using the exact same composition and instrumentation to using the lyrical changes he made.

Jonathan Coulton ‏@jonathancoulton

Hey look, @GLEEonFOX ripped off my cover of Baby Got Back: http://bit.ly/WME9Ho . Never even contacted me. Classy.

After listening, I think that @GLEEonFOX may have even used parts of my recording. Do I hear a duck quack? And of course they say "Johnny C"
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Jonathan Coulton's version:

Glee's:

Here's the Verge's take on why he can't do a thing about it. Copyright law as it is means that all Glee has to do is pay the original song owner the royalties it would owe and it can copy Coulton's version all it wants without even so much as a nod of credit (which is all he wants).

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/18/3...ons-cover-of-baby-got-back-without-permission
 
Gared

Gared

I gave up on Glee when the characters started out season 2 having seemingly lost all of the character development that happened in season 1, and the writers went back to rehashing the same interpersonal issues as the year before.
 
Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

We're not even talking that they copied it with the same instrumentation: they literally sang over Jonathan Coulton's actual track. They even include his "Johnny C" line because it's his track.
 
Bowielee

Bowielee

Frank said:
They recently outright stole Jonathan Coulton's cover of Baby Got Back, from using the exact same composition and instrumentation to using the lyrical changes he made.

Jonathan Coulton ‏@jonathancoulton



Jonathan Coulton's version:

Glee's:

Here's the Verge's take on why he can't do a thing about it. Copyright law as it is means that all Glee has to do is pay the original song owner the royalties it would owe and it can copy Coulton's version all it wants without even so much as a nod of credit (which is all he wants).

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/18/3...ons-cover-of-baby-got-back-without-permission
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I guess my biggest question before saying that they should pay him any royalties or not, I'd want to know if HE paid Sir Mix-A-Lot royalties for using his song. If not, he'd actually be the one most in the wrong. You can bet your ass that Fox paid the associated royalties for the actual song "Baby's Got Back".

They do totally owe him a credit, though. I'll totally agree to that.
 
Frank

Frank

This is entirely speculation, but I would assume if he got the rights, he would have gotten them via http://www.harryfox.com/

His music is all under the creative commons, so anyone can do whatever they want as long as he is credited and they don't use it for commercial gain. If his twitter is true, he's trying to figure out if they used any of his original recording, in which case they would be guilty of wrongdoing under creative commons. If they just ripped him off and just used their own duck quacks and other shit, they are in the clear to do whatever bullshit they want.
 
CynicismKills

CynicismKills

The instrumentals and vocal intonations are like 99% similar. They even say "Johnny C" instead of "Mix-A-Lot" or the Glee character's name. The lyrics are the only thing Coulton didn't write himself, the instrumental track of the cover is his songwriting.

Also, he's not said a single thing about money outside talking to a lawyer (mentioned on his blog), seems like he's more concerned about not being asked about it at all.
 
Eriol

Eriol

Frank said:
Whoa, here they say that Coulton very much has a case.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat...y_got_back_did_fox_steal_the_arrangement.html
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From the article:
Coulton himself does not own the rights to Mix-A-Lot’s lyrics, of course, but, according to the U.S. Copyright Office, “the copyright of a derivative work covers ... the additions, changes, or other new material appearing for the first time in the work."

Even if Fox got permission for the Glee cover of “Baby Got Back” from Harry Fox (which they undoubtedly did), they are also required to seek permission from Coulton for use of his “additions”—chords, phrasings, rhythms, and so on—that make his arrangement unique (and choir-boy friendly).
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I hope they throw the book at Fox. Or at least somebody does. Or something.
 
linglingface

linglingface

When my friend posted a link about this, I honestly thought it was just going to be geeks complaining because Glee did some geek anthem or something. Aaaaand then I read the article and listened to the covers... Definitely a shitty thing to do.
 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

The only episode of Glee I saw was the Rocky Horror special. So...freaking...CHEESY! And cheesy was all I thought of the show. Now I know that the show is run by prickish thieves. Fuck Glee.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

I don't really care about glee anymore and I REALLY don't care about Jonathan Coulson, but I just wanted to jump in and say that every slow, folksy version of a rap song is

A) a mocking type of cultural appropriation
B) terrible

and it would rule if white people stopped doing it
 
Snuffleupagus

Snuffleupagus

Charlie Don't Surf said:
I don't really care about glee anymore and I REALLY don't care about Jonathan Coulson, but I just wanted to jump in and say that every slow, folksy version of a rap song is

A) a mocking type of cultural appropriation
B) terrible

and it would rule if white people stopped doing it
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This sounds a lot like "Only black people should rap and only white people ever sing folk music." Without all the self righteousness.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Snuffleupagus said:
This sounds a lot like "Only black people should rap and only white people ever sing folk music." Without all the self righteousness.
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you incredibly missed / didn't understand my point[DOUBLEPOST=1358612476][/DOUBLEPOST]
MindDetective said:
https://www.halforums.com/threads/i...ist-of-films-ruined-by-remakes-sequels.28900/

Substitute songs for films.
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I never said that the cover made the original song shittier, just that it was offensive, these are not the same things at all
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Charlie Don't Surf said:
you incredibly missed / didn't understand my point[DOUBLEPOST=1358612476][/DOUBLEPOST]

I never said that the cover made the original song shittier, just that it was offensive, these are not the same things at all
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There is nothing inherently offensive in a remake, of a song or a film. Judge on their own merits.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

MindDetective said:
There is nothing inherently offensive in a remake, of a song or a film. Judge on their own merits.
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yeah um. I don't think you understand words? I agree with this. It's not offensive because it's a cover. I feel the same way about covers as I do about film remakes.

If the Klan did a remake of "Do The Right Thing", it wouldn't make me enjoy Spike Lee's movie even less. It wouldn't be offensive because it's a remake.

also just noting that the above example isn't meaning to call JoCo a Klan member at all, it was just the first example that popped into mind.
 
Frank

Frank

An 8 year old not serious cover of a 20 year old not serious hip hop song is not offensive solely because Jonathan Coulton is white.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Alright, we all agree it's not offensive because Jonathan Coulton is white, which is good since nobody in this thread said it was offensive because JC is white.
 
Frank

Frank

Charlie Don't Surf said:
I don't really care about glee anymore and I REALLY don't care about Jonathan Coulson, but I just wanted to jump in and say that every slow, folksy version of a rap song is

A) a mocking type of cultural appropriation
B) terrible

and it would rule if white people stopped doing it
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Ok.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Charlie Don't Surf said:
the hypothetical Klan remake wouldn't be offensive because they're white, wouldn't be offensive because it's a remake, it would be offensive since it would most likely be a showcase for the KKK's "values"
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I'm having trouble extending this analogy to Jonathan Coulton's values here. While you are probably right in your assumption, it doesn't seem like the remake is being judged on its own merits, either.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

MindDetective said:
I'm having trouble extending this analogy to Jonathan Coulton's values here. While you are probably right in your assumption, it doesn't seem like the remake is being judged on its own merits, either.
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JC isn't a white supremacist, he's just following a trend that is, from my previous post, "a mocking form of cultural appropriation".

there's not a really good analogy at all to be made for film, since black voices in cinema are snuffed out for the most part by Hollywood's racism
 
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