RSS Feeds
Did ABC Unduly Influence YouTube To Cover Up Fact That 'Wipeout' Is A Rip-Off of Viacom Show?
Posted by Defamer Hollywood at 5:50 AM on July 10, 2008
ABC has a big, dumb hit on its hands with Wipeout, which, despite a 5% drop from its premiere, finished second once again this week behind America's Got Talent. Alas, the network's would-be monopoly on lowest-common-denominator horseshit is threatened today as word gets around that ABC might be hewing a little too close to Spike TV's own padded-obstacle-course mash-up MXC. Spike is apparently taking the lift in stride, but MXC's co-creator has his own theories; after all, a rip-off would be one thing — the nets are built on them these days.
ABC has a big, dumb hit on its hands with Wipeout, which, despite a 5% drop from its premiere, finished second once again this week behind America's Got Talent. Alas, the network's would-be monopoly on lowest-common-denominator horseshit is threatened today as word gets around that ABC might be hewing a little too close to Spike TV's own padded-obstacle-course mash-up MXC. Spike is apparently
But a rip-off and a cover-up? After the jump, check out the video alleging Wipeout's fairly obvious theft — banned from YouTube, no less, thanks to ABC.
It would be easy enough to say what comes around goes around: MXC itself is a hyperedited mess of Japanese game show clips, recut and dubbed to mimic "a parody of over-produced network reality shows," notes co-creator and executive producer Larry Strawther — except the clips are licensed and have been running on Spike for almost five years now. Strawther apparently fought back after seeing Wipeout for the first time; you can imagine how poorly that went:
Within five days, ABC lawyers induced YouTube to block the video for copyright infringement. The video is obviously covered by the copyright act's fair use provision (Section 107) which explicitly allows usage for criticism, comment and parody. ...YouTube did not once notify me or ask for a response before taking action to block the video. Even more disturbing to me is they have apparently altered the search results algorithm to benefit ABC and punish MXC. Whereas before Tuesday, June 24, if you typed in both "MXC" and "Wipeout" you would have seen at least hundreds of fan-generated videos showing clips from our show MXC. Now if you type in MXC and Wipeout, you are taken to results for motocross — which uses MX as an acronym.
Le scandal! Strawther is pretty classic, though, essentially claiming on his site that Spike isn't paying him for MXC reruns and implying that ABC might be worthy of picking up the slack. We see a cease-and-desist in his future long before any settlement, but it's a valuable object lesson to you network execs out there: If you must steal, keep it to talent shows and crime franchises. Falling idiots in helmets are way, way too easy to trace.
- 'MXC' creator says 'Wipeout' yanked YouTube video [The Live Feed]
- MXC vs. Wipeout - a comparison [LocalSports.Biz]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
ruricogirl
Posted July 11, 2008 1:28 PM
its a game show
and the premise and base of it
is not exclusive to Japan
let people have fun
if people are ragging about this, about about other places in the world that have physical game shows?
are they not allowed to have one, because of some old show with dubbed over commentary?
PlasmaMachine
Posted 6:46 AM 10/7/08
Stylist Mick: "Who didn't think this was a complete (yet surprisingly humorous even with the extreme use of unfunny John Henson) and utter ripoff of MXC?"
Exactly.
PlasmaMachine
Dr. Spaceman, Esq.
Posted 6:34 AM 10/7/08
@Stylist Mick: "unfunny John Henson"
I'm not sure about that.
Dr. Spaceman, Esq.
el smrtmnky
Posted 6:13 AM 10/7/08
you'd have to be headless not to see the similarities with each other. i hope Strawther gets some Disney dough out of this.
el smrtmnky
Stylist Mick
Posted 6:11 AM 10/7/08
Who didn't think this was a complete (yet surprisingly humorous even with the extreme use of unfunny John Henson) and utter ripoff of MXC? It's less Asian-flavored and more VH1-esque with their casting of the drek of middle America looking for a quick buck.
Stylist Mick
dwnbylaw
Posted 8:09 AM 10/7/08
I watched some behind-the-scenes clip on abc.com where the sideline reporter chick says, "it's based on those japanese game shows," so...it seems like they're pretty comfortable admitting the rip off.
It is, actually, pretty fucking funny. Especially because it doesn't have to rely on the dubbing thing for humor.
dwnbylaw
Plankton420
Posted 8:59 AM 10/7/08
"Wipeout" could be a lot more watchable if they canned the bantering hosts (I do love John Henson, but this is no "Talk Soup"-level writing he's having to read) and all the other padding. (I really don't need ANOTHER full-length replay of something I saw just before the commercial break, thanks...)
It they cut out all of the dead time on the show, it would probably be down to a (much more) enjoyable half-hour.
But I wouldn't compare it to MXC (which someone once described to me perfectly as "Enforced Group 'Jackass'"), which is clearly sending up these kinds of shows. MXC's intended funny is tons better than "Wipeout's."
p.s. to Cacafuego: I hate to say it, but that girl from Akaska was probably the most likable contestant the show has ever had (in it's long, three-week history). I hope she isn't living in LA, though... Announcing on national television that you've never been kissed, and want to be, is just an open invitation for disaster!
Plankton420
Cacafuego
Posted 8:38 AM 10/7/08
Since they're ALL rip-off/remakes of Japanese gameshows, crying "copycat" isn't going to get anyone that far. Personally, WIPEOUT bears a stronger resemblance to Unbeatable Bazuke, or whatever the hell its called, on G4, since it's fucking impossible for a human to complete the entire obstacle course. I love WIPEOUT, though. The little Alaskan girl repeatedly yelling "where's the pole" on the last episode was hilarious.
Cacafuego
Little Mintz Sunshine
Posted 11:16 AM 10/7/08
Agree that the worst thing about this show are the Johns. Pretty sad they are out-libbed by the Mercury girl. They should bring in the BattleBots guys...or hey, bring back Battlebots...or hey, what about BattleOut? Personally, I'd like to see Super Mecha Catbot impale the annoying British chick who kept calling for her mummy.
Little Mintz Sunshine
aphex242
Posted 12:29 AM 11/7/08
Yeah it's actually even more like Ninja Warrior on Spike, which is a less cartoonish course. The point is there's a gazillion shows like this in Japan, I think we can have a few here in the U.S. You could argue that MXC was a ripoff of American Gladiators, if you wanted (the Gladiators from like 15 years ago).
It's all very silly, and Wipeout's pretty fun to watch.
aphex242
Grandjester
Posted 3:02 AM 11/7/08
MXC Funny.
Wipeout Not.
MXC for the win, what's our safety fluid today Kenny?
Grandjester