CTFD: Lindsay Lohan vs. E-Trade

Don't mess with "The Lohan" unless you want to run the risk of getting slapped with a frivolous lawsuit. Multiple award-winning* actress Lindsay Lohan has filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming a TV ad for the Wall Street firm E-Trade is modeled after her and improperly invoked her “likeness, name, characterization, and personality” without permission, violating her right to privacy. In the commercial, talking babies have a conversation that refers to "milkaholic Lindsay." As everyone knows, Lohan has had her issues with alcohol.

Although Lohan's name was never mentioned, her lawyer argues that "Lindsay" is an equally recognizable moniker for her client — like that of Oprah or Madonna. In addition to the ca$hola, Lohan's legal team is also seeking an injunction to stop future airings.

For one thing, when I hear the name "Lindsay", I don't automatically think of Ms. Lohan ...

Sometimes Olympic Gold Medal skier Lindsey Vonn comes to mind.

At other times, I'm reminded of former "Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner.

Hell, sometimes I go into Mayberry mode and think of George "Goober" Lindsey.

Also, the claim that the ad improperly invoked Lohan's “likeness, name, characterization, and personality” is a joke. If the director of the commercial slapped a long, red wig on the infant actress, placed her face down on the floor, and scattered empty baby bottles all around her, Lohan might have a case. As it stands, all this lawsuit is doing is costing Lindsay legal fees and providing material for smart asses like me.

Unless her handlers are "fully loaded", they'd sit Ms. Lohan down, tell her to continue working on getting her shit together, and convince her to drop this silly lawsuit.

* Hey Razzies and Teen Choice Awards count!

The WIRE: Week In REview, #1

Because the world of pop culture won't slow down to accommodate my hectic schedule, I haven't been able to blog about many of the stories that have unfolded recently. As a result, I decided that doing weekly summaries would give me a chance to touch on stories from the previous week that I didn't get around to covering. Here are a few of them:

CTFD: The Sun-Maid Girl Controversy

Welcome to "Not So Extreme Makeover: Advertising Mascot Edition". Over the years, the Sun-Maid Girl has undergone occasional updates to keep up with the changing times. From 1970-2006, she looked like this:


But the digital makeover she received (see below) has recently generated controversy. I say "recently" because the makeover took place in 2006! Some feel the new Sun-Maid Girl is a bit too "enhanced".

Come on, what's the big deal? It's not like those responsible for the makeover put the Sun-Maid Girl in a thong and have her hawking raisins as she works the stripper pole. Now if they did, Chester Cheetah would be down; he'd make it rain like it was Seattle, WA!

Although one blogger commented that the makeover looks "as if Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking grapes," I think the new Sun-Maid Girl looks more like Bianca Kajlich from the sitcom Rules of Engagement.


For more details, click the link below:

Sun-Maid Girl Controversy

Don't just do something, stand there!

It's bad enough to get your ass whupped on your home court, but at least put forth some effort. In Saturday's home game against the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls got spanked 110-78. Not only that, but during the game, Raptors guard Jarrett Jack had the ball at the top of the key when he stopped... to tie his shoe! All the while, the Bulls stood around and did nothing! Sportsmanship is one thing, but if a player is going to hold the ball and stop to tie his shoe, I'm going for the steal! Personally, this Bulls' lull couldn't happen to a better franchise. As a longtime Detroit Pistons fan, I can hardly stand the Bulls!

SNL: Showing No Levelheadedness?

On the December 5th episode of Saturday Night Live, they did a skit that spoofed Tiger Woods' infidelities. The skit made light of domestic abuse by having Tiger (played by Kenan Thompson) suffer a variety of injuries at the hands of his wife Elin (played by guest host Blake Lively). I'll admit that I did find this skit funny. However, the timing of it was suspect... the musical guest on SNL that night was R&B singer Rihanna, who was the victim of a highly-publicized domestic abuse incident involving then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Tune in next week as SNL does a gut-busting sketch on incest in an episode hosted by MacKenzie Phillips!

Note to the SNL producers: A little more diversity in the cast would be a good thing. I'm tired of seeing Kenan Thompson nearly every time a skit calls for a black celebrity (male or female)!

Bridget Loves Bridget

During a December 2nd interview with Matt Lauer on Today, actress Meredith Baxter publicly announced that she is a lesbian. Speculation about Baxter's sexuality came about after she was spotted on a lesbian cruise with a female friend. Some are debating whether or not Baxter is a lesbian or bisexual, but I trust she knows who she is. I think this is a cool story because so many people go through life not knowing or being comfortable enough to admit who they are. By the way, click here if you are curious about the "Bridget Loves Bridget" reference.

CTFD: Teens Face Charges For Rapping At McDonald's Drive-Thru

Last week, four Utah teens were ordered to face charges of disorderly conduct after performing a rap from a popular You Tube video at McDonald's. The four students from Lone Peak High in American Fork, UT performed the rap, which begins with the line "I need a double cheeseburger and hold the lettuce...," twice, causing employees to ask them to either order or leave as they were holding up the line. According to one of the accused, there wasn't anyone in line at the time.

The four left without ordering, but were tracked down by police at a volleyball game and issued with citations. The McDonald's employees claimed that the teens used vulgar language and that employees felt threatened by their behaviour. The accused deny acting in a threatening manner, and claim that only one vulgar word was used. The parents of the accused plan to contest the charges.

Didn't these teens realize they were in Utah?! There is NO rapping in Osmond country! Now, if they wanted to sing their order to the tune of either One Bad Apple or Down by the Lazy River, they would have been OK. Seriously, don't the cops in UT have anything better to do?

The clip below is from The Young Turks where they breakdown this story:

CTFD: Protesters Call For David Letterman's Head

For various reasons, I originally wasn't going to post anything about the Letterman vs. Palin dustup. That is until I saw a clip of the "massive" protest rally outside the building where "The Late Show with David Letterman" is taped. I'll borrow two adjectives from Breakfast Clubber John Bender to describe the protesters calling for the ousting of Dave... demented and sad. I'll add two more. In addition to being entertaining, some of these protesters are quite informative. Had I not watched this, I never would have known that Alex Rodriguez was a professional basketball player or that Jewish was a language.