Post with 5 notes
Today I read an AV Club article about a Cleveland based sketch troupe, Last Call Cleveland, who is all but accusing Conan of stealing a bit they’ve done a bunch of times in the past. Punchline rolled with it, and it all started here in the Cleveland Scene. Now, thankfully, there’s no momentum behind this story. This is good, because nobody stole anything:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VDf4vgGYHOI
http://www.collegehumor.com/video/5599949/ch-live-nyc—-jon-dore
http://www.third-beat.com/?p=555
Those are three clearly documented instances of Jon Dore doing variations on the bit over the last two years. Which means it’s pretty clear nobody fucking stole anything.
The other reason this lack of traction is good, is because people who make these kinds of accusations are 1) desperate, 2) egomaniacs, or 3) both. If they weren’t desperate, they would have sent an e-mail to Conan’s producers to ask about the bit, or, even better, they would have taken the time to do thirty seconds of research to see if there was any record of this bit being done before. But no, they decided “This has a resemblance to something we did that no one gave a fuck about, we need to make a scene! Maybe we can benefit!” And if they weren’t egomaniacs, they would have considered that maybe, MAYBE their brains aren’t so miraculous and unique that someone else may have had a similar idea as them. And they’re probably both because… well, look at Last Call Cleveland. Their clearly both.
Look, I know some comic nobody knows (Me), or gives a fuck about(Me), is unlikely to compel anyone to change their ways. But no one caring about my opinion has ever stopped me before, so (comics) please stop accusing each other of stealing. You look petty. And if you’re wrong, which you most likely are, being that 99% of “theft” is just parallel thought, you run the risk of damaging the reputation of an innocent person. And if that’s too much, why can’t we just continue to do what most of us have always done: Talk shit about the people behind their backs.
