R.E.M. Blatantly Rips Off Improv Everywhere

posted by Scott Beale on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

Wow, this sucks. R.E.M. has posted a new video “The Big Still” to their remhq YouTube channel that is a blatant rip off of Improv Everywhere’s infamous “Frozen Grand Central” mission (see my previous post). The video does not credit Improv Everywhere as the inspiration. Oh and IE’s original video is way better.

UPDATE 1: A representative from the remhq YouTube channel has sent an apology to Improv Everywhere and updated the video description, but not the video itself. I wonder if R.E.M. has any idea what their publicity company is doing?

UPDATE 2: A representative from remhq has informed us that the video is being re-edited to give credit to Improv Everywhere.

UPDATE 3: Daniel Terdiman posted a follow-up story on CNET News.com.

UPDATE 4: Freelance writer Scott Thill wrote a sensationalistic blog post about the R.E.M. video controversy on Wired’s Listening Post blog, without actually doing any research on the specific issue. After being called out on his original blog post, Scott has published a follow-up post featuring a Q&A with Improv Everywhere’s founder Charlie Todd, who addresses some of the misinformation in Scott’s original post. Of course this could have all been easily avoided if Scott had contacted Charlie first (as Daniel Terdiman did for CNET), before writing his post.

For more content like this, subscribe to the RSS feed, Twitter & FriendFeed.

Share on FriendFeed

filed under: Music, Video

this blog post was written by Scott Beale on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

Leaving a comment? Please see our Comment Guidelines.

Viewing 10 Comments

Beatrice M 04/02/2008 02:08 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

If you go to the YouTube page itself it says:
About This Video
Added: April 01, 2008
Credit to Improve Everywhere for the inspiration for this. Sometimes deceleration makes sense. (less)

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.paisleychick.org

Larry Rubin 04/02/2008 02:19 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

No nod, no nothin'. Blatant is right. Very tacky.

REM- you're better than that.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.designaesthetic.com

J.C. Hutchins 04/02/2008 08:16 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Hey Scott, love the blog. Yours is one of my favorites.

I'm no REM fanboy, but the band / label / etc. may have received permission to reenact the concept, but may not have been required to include the source of inspiration in the video.

This happened with the All American Rejects' video for "Dirty Little Secret." While the filmmakers used actual postcards from PostSecret.com with permission from (and compensation to) PostSecret's creator (which went to charity), the inspiration for video wasn't included in the video itself.

I have no idea if a similar "behind the curtain" agreement was struck between REM and Improv Everywhere, but I'm pointing out that possibility. The video has been pulled from YouTube at the time of this writing -- whether that's because of the issue you describe or something else, it's unclear.

I certainly hope the filmmakers approached Improv Everywhere, and that the group was compensated for their concept.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://jchutchins.net

Ezra Ball 04/02/2008 09:50 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Looks like the video has been taken down, so I can't see how blatant the rip off is.

But, personally, I'm not sure R.E.M. is better than that; the "Everybody Hurts" video 15 years ago was a pretty blatant rip off of Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire".

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://realfake.org/blog

Danger Ranger 04/02/2008 10:51 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

07:45 PST, April 2 - It's been removed.
I assume that it was an April 1st joke?

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.flickr.com/people/10111/

Scott Beale 04/02/2008 12:12 PM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

J.C. - Improv Everywhere was not contacted in advance. I think this could have all been avoided if that were the case.

Ezara - remhq took the video down to re-edit and will add a credit for Improv Everywhere then re-post.

Danger Ranger - Unfortunately it was not an April Fools Joke. I confirmed that before posting.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://scottbeale.org/

Tempest T. Pot 04/03/2008 12:57 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I get why everyone gets in a tizzy when a photo or other creative work is included without permission, but since when did it become necessary for creative works have a list of inspirations?

Surely Improv Everywhere is not the first to have executed a "frozen crowd of people" artwork. Did IE list their inspirations? No. That's fine with me.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

bobo 04/03/2008 04:50 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/04/rem-removes...

think twice.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

Scott Beale 04/03/2008 11:19 AM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

bobo - I agree, Scott Thill should have though twice before writing his Wired blog post and actually did some fact checking first. In this specific case, a representative from Warner Brother (R.E.M.'s label) has publicly stated that Improv Everywhere was the direct inspiration for the video and in their rush to post the video forgot to give credit.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://scottbeale.org/

ed 04/03/2008 02:36 PM 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I think it's kind of absurd that this group is up-in-arms over credit for an idea that they did not originate.

Also, if you plan it out ahead of time, it is not improv. They should change the name of the troupe to "mess with people everywhere".

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

R.E.M. Blatantly Rips Off Improv Everywhere

Add New Comment

Viewing 10 Comments

Add New Comment