“The Family Guy” Sued Over “I Need A Jew”
NEW YORK (AP) - In the 67 years since its debut, “When You Wish Upon a Star” has been recorded by more than 100 artists and orchestras.
But the song’s owner is irate about what it calls an unseemly spoof of the familiar tune, saying the dreamy classic was twisted into an anti- Semitic ballad and widely distributed as part of a comedy television program.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, music publishing house Bourne Co. aims to stop the program’s distribution. The suit accuses Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., the Cartoon Network and others of copyright infringement. It seeks unspecified damages.
The lawsuit said that in 2000, the defendants included the parody, “I Need a Jew,” in an episode of the Fox television animated series “The Family Guy.”
The episode, titled “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein,” relied on the premise that the main character could not manage his family’s finances and needed to hire a Jewish person to take care of his money, the lawsuit said.
During the episode, the main character, Peter Griffin, sings “I Need a Jew,” which the lawsuit called a thinly veiled copy of the music from “When You Wish Upon a Star,” accompanied by new anti-Semitic lyrics.
Fox hadn’t seen the complaint as of Wednesday afternoon and had no comment, spokesman Chris Alexander said.
According to the lawsuit, Fox initially withheld the episode from distribution because of its content but eventually earned large sums of money by distributing more than 1 million copies of it to the public in various home video formats.
It said the Cartoon Network first aired the episode on Nov. 10, 2003. A message for comment left with the network was not returned Wednesday.
“When You Wish Upon a Star,” written by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline, appeared in 1940 as part of the Walt Disney motion picture “Pinocchio.” It won the Academy Award that year for Best Original Song.
“With its theme of wholesome hopefulness, the song has gained worldwide status as a classic,” the lawsuit said. “By associating Bourne’s song with such offensive lyrics and other content in the episode, defendants are harming the value of the song.”
Bourne is the sole U.S. copyright owner of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
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Thats not offensive, corny joke but not offensive. people need to quit cryin over bullshit, i think hes just tryin to get some dough.
October 4th, 2007 at 1:39 ama rather weird humor ; it won’t be allowed over here though.
I guess we could sue the “Simpsons” for their worst french lesson too
October 4th, 2007 at 2:36 amWho wrote the script? Another self-hating jew? If so, sue the bastard. I like the song just the way it is. And I hope the writers of the song make a fortune from Fox. Family Guy is just another dumbass, useless, cartoon. Being funny is more like Tex Avery. Being fucked up and stupid is more like Family Guy, or any of those idiotic new “adult fare” cartoons.
Hey, but this is America…where stupid people can do whatever the fuck they want…until they lose a fat lawsuit.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:53 amWhat stinks is that people think it is okay if this is anti semitic, or also if it is anti Catholic, Lutheran, what have you. But Geesh, talk about how the shit would hit the fan if this was anti Muslim…. They are the one and only untouchable, as far as religion goes. Maybe if we could organize Catholic bombers, or Lutheran, Jewish or Methodist to burn buildings and cars, destroy personal property, and maybe take a few lives in the process of denouncing attacks against THEIR peace loving religion. Does anyone really think the MSM would go along with that line of shit from a Christain based religion?
Didn’t think so, so why do we let them ignore that line of bullshit from the Muslims?
October 4th, 2007 at 6:50 amInteresting lead in to article…and meanwhile in South Africa –> http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/?p=1649
October 4th, 2007 at 6:55 amThis came out 4 YEARS AGO! Isn’t there a statute of limitations on civil suits? Did the person filing it just NOW see it? Man, if ever there was a need for tort reform.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:03 amMaybe it’s not open season on Christians and Jews anymore. Time to ridicule Islam and get the man-dress wearing goat-lovers all riled up. You can bet the ranch that, had those two “writers” done a muslim song like that, Fox would not have aired or distributed it. But because it was just about Jews, it was okay…in today’s twisted world.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:05 amIf this suit gets anywhere at all, it could be the end of parodic satire as we know it. I agree that this smells a lot like a money-making suit, especially since the episode first aired more than four years ago.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:40 amIts pretty funny episode of the show. Unfortunately the only reference to when you wish upon a star is the title. The song isnt spoofed in the episode at all.
And eventhough the episode plays on stereotypes it actually makes the jewish person in the episode look good and holds him in high regard.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:35 amIt dont think it was actually aired until the last year or two when cartoon network picked up the show. Before then it was a b-side to the DVD collection I think. Could be wrong though…
October 4th, 2007 at 8:38 amThis lawsuit is crap. There is nothing anti-semitic about cracking a joke based on an old stereotype. It’s funny how people rail against Political Correctness until there’s a wise crack aimed at something they feel is important. I think they call that hypocracy guys, maybe ya’ll ought to look it up. Brad, Dan and you others that are feigning disdain were probably sitting in the theater the weekend “White Men Can’t Jump” came out. It doesn’t attack a religion or anything else like that. I’ll tell you what guys, you can continue your diatribe as long as the next time your at the gym getting ready to play a pick-up game of basketball you refrain from asking the african-american guy to play on your team.
October 4th, 2007 at 10:15 am” What stinks is that people think it is okay if this is anti semitic, or also if it is anti Catholic, Lutheran, what have you. But Geesh, talk about how the shit would hit the fan if this was anti Muslim…. They are the one and only untouchable, as far as religion goes. Maybe if we could organize Catholic bombers, or Lutheran, Jewish or Methodist to burn buildings and cars, destroy personal property, and maybe take a few lives in the process of denouncing attacks against THEIR peace loving religion. Does anyone really think the MSM would go along with that line of shit from a Christain based religion?
Didn’t think so, so why do we let them ignore that line of bullshit from the Muslims? ”
i said it didnt bother me but id be laughin more if it was muslim just because how teary eyed they would get from this. And yes the media are anti-white male christian, their rejects and rejects got nothin better to do then hate on people
October 4th, 2007 at 10:41 ambrad we all know what the media will do, because their bitchmade. And the show would issue an apology and announce their convertin to islam
October 4th, 2007 at 10:44 amI dunno kids sound like a BS lawsuit
October 4th, 2007 at 10:49 amI’ve seen some funny shit on that cartoon
But as for it being offensive ???
Anybody ever watch SouthPark ,,that can be some offensive stuff ( still laugh my ass off though )
nurse quick 7cc sense of humour injection stat
October 4th, 2007 at 5:00 pmBut I do think some peoples religions should be respected, some what.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:05 pm