By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, July 14, 2006 at 10:58 AM
Oh boy. The risk of poking fun at someone is that they could go and up the ante on you. And oh boy has Sen. Jim Talent upped the ante. Labels: Events, PubDef_News, U.S._Senate_Race
Last week, we had a little fun at our junior senator's expense when he announced his Women for Talent coalition. Surrounded by a group of women from all over the state, all willing to give "pink cred" to Talent in his race against Claire McCaskill, we jokingly asked, Do ladies love Cool Jim -- L.L. Cool Jim? Photoshopped pictures of a hip-hopping Talent started coming in.
Well, tomorrow Talent is launching his "African-Americans for Talent" coalition. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
Before we start receiving Photoshop images that are just plain offensive, let us redirect your creative "talents" back to L.L. Cool Jim. The contest is still on and that "special prize" is still up for grabs!
BTW, Talent will kick-off his African-Americans for Talent coalition on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. at the Renaissance Grand Hotel downtown. HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson will attend.
7 Comments:
Maybe while he is in town, Hud Secretary Jackson can address why St. Louis Housing Authority's section 8 program is woefully underfunded creating long waiting lists, and how HUD could be assisting these folks by placing them in HUD owned properties on a lease to own basis.
7/14/2006 11:32 AM
"bill":
Cautionary note: If you aren't THE Bill McClellan with the Post, you (and maybe your blog host, too) are risking a lawsuit by expropriating both his name and his likeness for your own purposes.
7/14/2006 4:03 PM
To BMMF, that website was hilarious! Oracle, I believe the Supreme Court has already ruled on what is clearly a parody.
Antonio, I beg of you to stop showing the fine sculpted figure of LL Cool J defiled with the face of Jim Talent. To this LL Cool J fan that is just torture.
What about Jimmy JJ Walker? Use him for your Jim Talent contest. Women liked JJ, well as least they did back in 1978. Ah yes, good times....
Or Jim Carey, women think he is funny and don't take him to seriously. Anything except LL Cool J!
7/14/2006 6:15 PM
I'm very certain that BMMF's creator or creators is well within her/his/their rights.
BMMF is satirical, parodic, and a form of commentary in its use of material in the Post-Dispatch (i.e. McClellan's photographic image). Such use has consistently been considered "fair use." In 1994, the US Supreme Court affirmed "fair use" as including parodic and satirical use in the famous "2 Live Crew Case (whether that parodic or satirical use be for commercial or non-commercial purposes).
McClellan is also a public figure. His column, along with a photographic image of McCleelan with unkempt hair and a lossened tie, appears in the largest-circulated newspaper in the St. Louis metropolitan area. McClellan also makes appearances on television. He's a regular panel-member on the television program Donnybrook. This program airs weekly, and features lively discussions about local political and social issues.
A reasonable person would not think that BMMF is endorsed by or associated with the public figure Bill McClellan.
7/14/2006 8:00 PM
Political Satire is well within constutitional limits.
Remember the famous Huster and Jerry Falwell Supreme Court Case???
Rhenquist, a conservative, ruled the satircal, albeit somewhat crude, paraody of Jerry's insectual relationship constutitional.
7/14/2006 8:05 PM
I still think that, in the context of a blog name, effectively claiming to be another person, whether a public figure or not, including the use of his likeness, could be a problem. This isn't defamation (which all of the above defenses relate to), but an unauthorized use of an individual's personality, something of commercial value which is owned exclusively by the person (or perhaps in part by his employer by contract). It's an intellectual property matter, using the same legal theories that say a church owns royalties when it plays a hymn, and fastasy baseball leagues infringe on MLB's copyrights. Logic doesn't always count.
I'm retired, I don't do law anymore, and that wasn't my field when I did. But if I were bmmf I would be more cautious.
7/14/2006 8:36 PM
Also, adding the filthiest word in the English language to someone's proper name has to be one of the most arrogantly insensitive and indecent acts. Antonio, it's a filthy word. Roberti used it all the time.
7/14/2006 10:25 PM
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