Inspiration Corruption


Wherein Our Heroine Examines the Ownership of Ideas.
Recently, there has been a great deal of activity surrounding copyright issues. Lawsuits and threatened lawsuits abound, and from my completely unscientific, anecdotal survey it appears that the strictest construction of copyright is the only one people are considering.

But artists have always borrowed and recycled. They use old themes and plots in a new way. Often times, the only way to describe something new is to compare it to something old for reference. When Gene Roddenberry was pitching "Star Trek," he told the studio it would be "'Wagon Train' to the stars" in order to ease executives' fears about science fiction and give them a context they understood.

It is hard to appreciate a new piece of art or art form in without some sort of historical reference. It takes a very open mind to appreciate something completely novel. But when you see art in context, you gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural place it holds. Without any knowledge of Impressionist painting, J. Seward Johnson's sculptures are fun - with that knowledge, they are hilarious. But what if those artists were still around and objected to this sculptural riff on their paintings? What if, like the family of James Joyce, they gripped the work in a copyright stranglehold? The possibilities seem to stretch rapidly towards absurdity.

So, since I'm being very theatrical this week, here is my fantasy of what would happen if Shakespeare arrived in Hollywood today:

Shakespeare arrives in Hollywood for a pitch meeting - the Fab 5 are flown in from New York to introduce him to a toothbrush and a fancy new set of clothes. "I'm thinking scaled-back - how gay is this doublet and hose thing? Off we go- Armani," says Carson. "The long hair is very now - the goatee is a bit late-90's, but we'll keep it. On you it works!"

Ponytailed, suited and moisturized, Will arrives at the office of Big Hollywood Producer for his pitch meeting. "Will!" booms BHP. "Welcome to the colonies, my friend. You know the buzz on you is hot - hotter than hot. We hear the stuff you've got going on at that Globe Theater in London is just magic. So - lay it on me."

"Excuse me?" asks a puzzled Will.

"The STORY - first story. Let me hear the plot."

"Oh - yes. Well, for the first one, I was thinking Lear - a dying king wants to divide his land among his three daughters. But he is not sure of their loyalty to him, so-"

"Hold it." BHP presses a button on his phone. "Cyndee? Get ahold of Carol Smiley's people. I think we have a pitch that matches the plot of 'A Thousand Acres' here. I don't want to get our butts sued. Okay, Will - I think that one's been done. Off the table. But you have a big body of work I hear? Try another one."

"Hm. Okay. Well, this one is a bit lighter - a frustrated father has two daughters. The elder is antisocial, with a fiery temper. The younger is much more compliant - and very pretty: consequently sought after by many men. The father insists that the younger one cannot consider any of her suitors until the elder is-"

"Stop. Okay - you seem like a sophisticated guy, so I can guess you haven't seen any teen flicks lately, but this sounds EXACTLY like 'Ten Things I Hate About You.' Excuse me - yeah, Cyndee? No. Tell that Austen woman her 'Emma' thing has already been done - Amy Heckerling did it in 'Clueless.' Geez. When will people learn? Okay - that one's out. Next."

"All right - a Black officer with a white wife-"

"Hang on - jealousy? Subterfuge? Trusted friend turns on him? Teen melodrama - they did it in 'O' a few years back. Y'know Will, I don't want to waste our time here. Looks like you haven't got anything that won't get us sued. Maybe you should go back to London and just do the theater scene."

"I think you're right," says Will, rising from his chair. "Best of luck in your artistic endeavors."

"Art? Don't kid yourself, kid. This is show business." As Will walks out of BHP's office, he hears, "Yeah, Cyndee? No - tell that redundant hack Sophocles that I'm not taking his calls."
Posted: Friday - March 05, 2004 at 07:14 AM         | |

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