You may have heard that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing Showtime over the title of their latest hit show: "Californication". Some un-informed douchebag posted this on AOL NewsBlogger:
"The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sued Showtime over the title of the network's show "Californicating," claiming that the word is associated with the band. This seems foolish. First of all, they aren't the first band to think of it. There's a J. Geils Band song called "Californicatin'" from all the way back in 1984, from an album called "You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd" (now, that's original). Second of all, isn't this just a ploy by the band to get more publicity?"
This shithead could not be more wrong. There are many things wrong with that paragraph. The first being that the show is called "Californication"(like the Chili Peppers album and song) not "Californicating".
Second, the J. Geils reference is moot because their song is called "Californicatin'" NOT "Californication". Not that anyone even knows of "Californicatin'".
Third, the fucking word "Californication" IS associated with the band. It was their biggest selling album and their biggest selling single to date. They have excellent grounds to sue. When I first heard of the show "Californication" I thought that the band had an input in it somehow(something along the lines of the show using their music as a soundtrack). Also, I guess that this very informed "news writer" forgot to mention that there is a character on the show named "Dani California". Oops!
As for this putz claiming that this is a way for them to get publicity, I say this: Why would they need it? They've been around since the late 1980's and are still making commercially successful albums that are also beloved by critics.
Let me put it to you this way: if you were a band, and the titles from two of your songs as well as your most successful album were being used to sell a T.V. show for profit, wouldn't you want some fucking royalties?
