@jonathancoulton you aren’t coming across as Glee-ful. ;(
— Mike Foley (@mikefoley) January 25, 2013
@jonathancoulton So sorry you have to deal with this kind of blatant bullshit. Artists deserve better. I'm glad you seem to have recourse.
— Erik Lars Myers (@topfermented) January 25, 2013
It’s on. Computer programmer-turned-singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton has been fuming over what appears to be a blatant “Glee” rip-off of his 2005 cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit tune, “Baby Got Back.” The show aired the arrangement tonight.
I love that #glee just covered Baby Got Back – slow mo and with banjos!
— Becca Altimier (@Becca_Altimier) January 25, 2013
#glee oh no they didn't slow down Baby got back!! Haha! I love it!!!
— ~Shala Mishawn~ (@phoenixmoon3) January 25, 2013
@phoenixmoon3 Jonathan Coulton did it first, they simply ripped off his cover. #glee #babygotback #teamcoulton
— It's Jess! (@00jess_marie00) January 25, 2013
#glee Baby Got Back – They stole it. Melody and arrangement actually by @jonathancoulton whom they have neither credited nor compensated.
— Scott Smith (@saspcguy) January 25, 2013
Last week, after first getting wind of the cover, Coulton tweeted:
Hey look, @GLEEonFOX ripped off my cover of Baby Got Back: http://t.co/7PMRY0r3. Never even contacted me. Classy.
— Jonathan Coulton (@jonathancoulton) January 18, 2013
After listening, I think that @GLEEonFOX may have even used parts of my recording. Do I hear a duck quack? And of course they say "Johnny C"
— Jonathan Coulton (@jonathancoulton) January 18, 2013
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Fans backed him up:
@jonathancoulton @GLEEonFOX Wow that IS a straight up rip off. Get a lawyer on that asap.
— thesubstream (@thesubstream) January 18, 2013
@jonathancoulton It was at the 'Johnny C' that my jaw just dropped.
— J.L. Omaha (@whitneyarner) January 18, 2013
That’s a reference to a tell-tale lyric in Coulton’s version. Wired reports:
“I assume [Glee] heard [my cover] and wanted to put it in their show. Which is flattering, but also an email would have been nice — just a hi, howya doin’ kind of thing,” Coulton told Wired by e-mail.
Coulton notes that the YouTube video was not an official Fox release of the song, but the track is currently for sale on the Swedish version of iTunes, as reported by Kotaku, where it appears to be offered from the official “Glee Cast” account. The song is reportedly slated for the Jan. 24 episode “Sadie Hawkins.” Wired reached out to a Fox representative, who said that they had no comment on the matter.
Coulton immediately posted the video on Twitter side-by-side with a link to his version of the 1992 hit single, and the resemblance was beyond uncanny, even simulating quirks like Coulton’s name drop of “Johnny C.” It was so close, in fact, that Coulton speculated that the same audio might have been used, and recruited his followers to help him analyze the track.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
Music fans confronted Alex Anders, music producer for the popular TV show, on Twitter after Coulton’s complaints:
@alxanders hey here's an awkward question have you ever heard of jonathan coulton
— ellie (@dianekrgr) January 18, 2013
@MrRPMurphy @alxanders @AdamAnders Will you address using Coulton's version of Baby Got Back without telling him. All over media.
— gleekTO (@gleekTO) January 18, 2013
Hey @alxanders, any insight/remarks into what @jonathancoulton is talking about re: Glee stuff?
— Phil Vox (@PhilVox) January 18, 2013
Anders responded (and later deleted this tweet that was retweeted by many users):
https://twitter.com/Flirttana/status/292375441434632192
Or they purposely avoid it so they don't get sued. RT @alxanders: Some people can't see opportunity when it smacks them in the face.
— ??♂️??♂️ (@attnwhxre) January 18, 2013
Coulton responded as well:
@alxanders Actually, I'm pretty sure I felt the smack…
— Jonathan Coulton (@jonathancoulton) January 18, 2013
And more music fans/Glee viewers weighed in:
@jonathancoulton @alxanders Baby Got Smack.
— J. Walker (@revjwalker) January 19, 2013
Hey @alxanders stop being a jerkface and apologize to @jonathancoulton also give him some of that mad Gleemoney
— MAXIMUM DEREK (@neurodivergers) January 20, 2013
After Anders deleted his “opportunity” tweet, he posted this:
My comment yesterday about opportunity had absolutely nothing to do with what many of you assumed.
— Alex Anders (@alxanders) January 20, 2013
Yep:
https://twitter.com/Diabla_Cruz/status/293754278517018625
Coulton responded:
@alxanders OK then: sorry. Internet is hard.
— Jonathan Coulton (@jonathancoulton) January 20, 2013
The #TeamCoulton movement is building as the public (and possibly legal) showdown heats up:
I'm with @jonathancoulton.
— Mark McConville (@markmcconville) January 25, 2013
@gleeonfox I'm a big fan of yours, but also @jonathancoulton. So disappointed in you.
— brigideire (@brigideire) January 25, 2013
Read that @jonathancoulton is furious over Glee. Good! I have a feeling Fox maybe getting some legal action here!
— Larry T (@Lareson3) January 25, 2013
And really, @FOXTV ? How did you not know that @GLEEonFOX had ripped off that arrangement including his own NAME?! #JohnnyC #TeamCoulton
— Menolly (@Menolly07) January 25, 2013
Spread love and awareness, #teamcoulton. Remember that disrespect will only hurt @jonathancoulton – show the world how classy his fans are.
— Jen (@antijenic) January 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/rora_borealis/status/294665095554932736
We’ll update with any further response from Anders or details from Coulton.
Until then, tuck away this takeaway lesson: Coulton has earned at least $500,000 from music download revenue, merchandise, and performances. Intellectual property rights do matter, even among left-leaning creative types and Internet geeks. Every creator deserves the fruits of his labor and deserves recourse when those fruits are shamelessly stolen without credit/attribution/linkage — from the Fox network or anyone else.
https://twitter.com/TheBloggess/status/294661659035848704
https://twitter.com/leo_nerd5/status/294668198509420544
You did it #GLEE. Ya ripped off an original arrangement from @jonathancoulton & put it on TV without even trying to act like ya didn't. Wow!
— ? Caissie “Pretty Scared, You?” St.Onge (@Caissie) January 25, 2013
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