Carol Burnett Sues Over "Family Guy" Gag

151. Hey Carol...tug this.

Her show made its money making fun of deaf/short/old people but no one can make fun of you?

If you don't know Carol...YOU are the real cancer.

Posted at 5:13AM on Mar 17th 2007 by Dorf

152. although i grew up watching carol burnett when i was a kid & found her entertaining, someone else made a valid point. she constantly parodied others' work, such as mildred pierce, gone with the wind, mommie dearest, sunset boulevard, etc.
maybe something she should think about.

Posted at 8:51AM on Mar 17th 2007 by aneurysm

153. Great! More material for Family Guy. How many people did she satire on her show? Yeah, I don't remember her show either... Greatest generation, my ass. I actually thought she was dead. I guess just her sense of humor is.

Posted at 7:38AM on Mar 19th 2007 by Miner3

154. Come on Carol.......Stop the crap..anyone can tug their ear!

Posted at 10:48AM on Mar 17th 2007 by carol ard

155. First of all, I am 23 years old and I grew up watching Carol Burnett reruns and I am still a fan so the generalization that people under 30 don't know her is incorrect. Carol Burnett was touted as the next Lucille Ball (who I also am a huge fan of). I am a fan of Family Guy also, but I totally agree with her suing them. She is a legend and if they were denied permission and decided to do what they pleased anyway, then they are wrong. If they weren't going to respect her decision then they shouldn't have asked and went ahead with their plans anyway. Seth needs to pay up and maybe he will learn a valuable lesson through the process.

Posted at 2:34AM on Mar 18th 2007 by Jenai

156. Will the makers of Gone With the Wind similarly sue Ms. Burnett now for the send-up that appeared on her show? Does she need the 2 mil because she hasn't worked in twenty years? Or is she afraid she needs some press because no one under 40 knows who she is?

Satire is a form of compliment, Carol. Some folks just can't take a joke.

Posted at 1:45PM on Mar 17th 2007 by the atomic funk

157. that's funny because FOX is so known for going after anyone that steps on their copyrighted turf.
Hey fox, whats good for the goose???

also, it's strange that carroll is not a huge fan of the show considering her type of comedy over the years, you'd think she would be all for it.

Posted at 2:39PM on Mar 17th 2007 by princess the ruler

158. Carol Burnett does not need the money. It is a matter of principal.
They asked for permission and they were denied. No brainer.

End of story.

Posted at 3:47PM on Mar 17th 2007 by EJ Barry

159. Family Guy is a waste of computer bits. It is pathetic, especially compared to Simpsons or SouthPark. Carol Burnett is right to sue. I hope she prevails. For you youngsters, look her up on TVLand or something. That was true ensemble comedy, long before SCTV or SNL...

Posted at 6:24PM on Mar 17th 2007 by Paul Cauchon

160. This is an interesting case. I watch Family guy pretty regularly (I keep hoping they'll be able to match their past glory days), but grew up watching Carol Burnett. I must admit, I'm torn. I was pretty offended by the Family Guy sketch, being a longtime fan of Ms. Burnett and a take-it-or-leave-it fan of Family Guy. On one hand, she's being pretty sensitive over a show that doesn't care who it makes fun of (and quite honestly, the majority of people who are watching it at the time aren't going to know or care who she is). On the other hand, you've gotta respect your elders. Family Guy probably wouldn't exist if she hadn't helped to pave the way for shows of its type. And, she told them they couldn't use the theme, and even though they didn't, they got pretty close, and there's legal precedent there indicating she will probably be successful in the suit (A friend pointed out to me Tom Waits similar suit against Frito Lays).
But if I have to choose a side, I'm gonna have to go with Carol. She was consistently funny without resorting to crudeness. That's a good and undervalued skill.

Posted at 4:15PM on Mar 17th 2007 by Jess

161. I'm for Carol...Go get them.

Posted at 5:12PM on Mar 17th 2007 by Stan

162. They don't need permission, it's parody and protected by the first amendment. Weird Al asks for permission to do his work too, but he doesn't legally NEED it.

Posted at 7:50PM on Apr 24th 2007 by Mag

163. This episode that has her panties in a bunch , was shown a year ago and now she is complaining about. I really thought she was cool when I was a kid, I watched her show religiously. To think that she has to resort to suing for an 10 sec clip is ridiculous.

Posted at 9:18PM on Mar 17th 2007 by dirty chinese restaurant

164. I think that asking for her permission was more out of respect for her as a comic rather than actually for legal reasons. They make fun of people and shows (Dawson's Creek, Desperate Housewives, etc.) ALL the time. It's what the cartoon is about, making jokes about society and celebrities, as well as farts. FOX wouldn't air something if they thought it was going to violate copyrights, they're not stupid (though with some of their show choices you may beg to differ). Not to mention her show is ancient and has been off the air for a long time, so I'm sure many copyrights have expired.

Posted at 5:30AM on Mar 18th 2007 by JEM

165. Parody is perfectly legal & I'll cite weird al yankovic as an example. Al parodys the songs of many musicians and does ask for permission from the artists but legally he is not required to at all. Carole Burnett is a hypocrite due to the fact that she made a career from comedy that included parody and satire. The over-30 crowd would do well to stop clinging to the past and accept that humor will change and that things cant remain the same and must change with the times and current climate in society. I urge FOX to fight this lawsuit and defend the rights of comedians to comment and use satire and parody. If Ms.Burnett is given even one dollar...its a major blow to comedy and freedom of speech.

Posted at 8:11PM on Mar 18th 2007 by Daniel