10.13.2005

Speaking of Mr Show...

...he is getting his butt sued.

Thomas Weber, former manager of the Nashville, Tennessee venue Exit-In, filed a federal complaint on October 7 against Cross, Sub Pop Records, Time Warner, Warner Music Group, WEA, and Cross's production company, Liberal Jew Run Media Productions, for publishing his visual and vocal likeness without consent on Cross' 2002 CD Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! and 2003 DVD Let America Laugh.

Here's the lowdown: While Liberal Jew Run Media Productions (gee, that will sound great being announced in court) recorded Cross's performance at the Exit-In on May 18, 2002, Weber was allegedly taunted and taped without giving the a-okay. He would thus help Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! on its journey towards a Grammy nomination and a number 18 peak on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

Hmmm. Sounds like a stretch of a lawsuit for about a million reasons. I won't get into them all, but his presence in the DVD is extremely minimal, and a court may rule he consented to his being recorded. Good luck, buddy.

But now that I've started reading the complaint on Weber's website, I'm quite entertained.

1. David Cross's media company is called "Liberal Jew Run Media Productions, Inc." In case you didn't see that above, it still is funny down here.
2. The complaint alleges that Warner Music owns 49% of Sub Pop Records. Say it ain't so. The great label of the 90s is now minority-owned by a major? Puke.

Well, at least David Cross will have some high-powered lawyers working on his side, with all of those big companies named as co-defendants. I'll be curious to see what comes of this.

posted by brian at 5:29 PM | Permalink

2 Comment(s) - Click to View/Hide

Lawyers, lawsuits, courtrooms, let's be honest about the important issues, Brian. You stole my picture! I found that on "the internets" and it is for me. But, it is pretty hilarious, so I think I'll allow it. comment by  jp, 10/13/2005 11:43 PM

So, I got a hold of the video in dispute, and now I'm quite sure that this bar-owner is suing because he is ridiculed and looks like a complete idiot. Why? Because he is a complete idiot. The whole issue revolves around how the bar-owner refuses to take the tables and chairs out of the performance hall, as Cross wishes. He stubbornly refuses, claiming that Cross doesn't know anything about comedy crowds, and that "Nashville is a unique city, and the crowds here want to sit down - I can only compare it to New York or Los Angeles." The owner then says he won't move the tables as that will cause him to lose out on food sales. Nonetheless, Cross ridicules him. And then, he ridicules him even more on stage during his set. After the set, the owner gets even more pissy and kicks Cross out of the venue, while Cross insults him even futher. It's pretty entertaining. Although from the looks of it, it doesn't appear as if the club owner was aware of the camera whatsoever. That could hurt Cross's defense. comment by  brian, 10/14/2005 1:24 PM