MAC_Week2_Blog4_Free_Choice_Ashley_May

Attribution Some rights reserved by JD Hancock


Ashley

http://web.me.com/ashleybmay/MAC-May/Week_1/Entries/2011/4/2_Week_1-_Free_Choice.html

"So, Friday of this past week, I reluctantly decided to have lunch with a group of my students. Don’t get me wrong; they are a wonderful group of girls! I say reluctantly because that 30 minutes is sometimes the only time of the day that I have to myself! I mean, really…think about it! I start the day with twenty-two (22) twelve-year olds. I spend my planning time prepping for two different grade levels or attending mundane meetings, and then I end my day with seventy-eight (78) 14 year olds. Now, it’s not that I’m complaining or anything like that. I just wanted to paint a clear picture for you about why I so value my 30-minute lunch break.


Now, let’s get to the point. While eating pizza and drinking root beer, my students showed me a series of videos that they found on the Internet. I had never seen any of them before, but they were the funniest thing I think I may have ever seen! Okay, maybe not the funniest, but it was very close. The series is called “How It Should Have Ended” and can be found by following this link: www.howitshouldhaveended.com . It can take a while to load depending on your internet speed, but you can also watch all of their videos on their You Tube channel by clicking here. The entire site is dedicating to remaking endings to famous movies. Most of them with make you sides hurt with laughter. Watch this next one, and see for yourself!


Now that you are done laughing, think about this: Are they violating copyright? It would seem to me that in some way they have to be. They use the same names of the characters; they model they actors in their likeness, and obviously use the same storylines just with alternate endings. In our discussion this week, we have been taking a closer look at copyright laws. To my understanding, parody is soon becoming one of the lost arts that will no longer be protected by copyright. If that is the case, what will happen to media outlets such as these? How we will get our daily dose of classroom laughs?


While I was thinking about this and checking out this morning’s headlines, I ran across another interesting article. This article talks about copyright on the smallest level. Apparently, using any amount of another person’s music can get you caught, even decades later. And there are some pretty serious dollars that are going to change hands as a result. So how is it that Men At Work can into big trouble for plagiarism, and How It Should Have Ended is not? Any thoughts? I would love to hear from you!



Sources:

BBC News. March 31, 2011 “Men at Work Lose Plagiarism Appeal” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12918397

How It Should Have Ended. October 2010. “How Inception Should Have Ended” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBAuMpOpSnA"


Sorry, nothing pithy or academic!
Just a thank you for the HISHE website!!
It was just too funny!
It really made my day to just watch something so silly!
I love parody's and satire especially of Sci-Fi!
Loved the one about Star Trek!!!
Thank you!