HBO
Duke has gotten some free publicity courtesy of the third season of The White Lotus, but it doesn’t sound like the university is too thrilled. A representative has pushed back against the school’s inclusion in the show and hinted it could pursue legal action due to the manner in which it’s been incorporated.
Every season of The White Lotus features a new set of characters at the center of a story set in the backdrop of a different luxury resort, but they have a unifying thread courtesy of plots that largely revolve around deeply-flawed human beings with more money than they know what to do with thrust into a bit of a fever dream.
The third season of The White Lotus, which is set in Thailand, is no exception, and “deeply flawed” certainly sums up the essence of the Ratiff family.
The clan, which hails from Durham, North Carolina, features a patriarch and Duke alumnus named Timothy (played by Jason Isaacs) who has his vacation ruined by an investigation into some sketchy business dealings he’s connected to. He also has a couple of sons (including Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxton, a fellow Duke grad) who use the getaway as an excuse to get their incest on.
Duke has also made a cameo in the series thanks to the shirt Timothy wears in multiple scenes—including one where he contemplates suicide that got the meme treatment due to its inevitable deployment in the wake of a Blue Devils basketball collapse.
According to The New York Times, the university is not too thrilled with its inclusion in the ongoing season of The White Lotus, as a representative recently sent out an email implying the show illegally harnessd Duke’s trademark while pushing back against its “role,” saying:
“Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling, but characters prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists.
[It] not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far.”
As the outlet notes, Duke doesn’t seem to have much standing on the legal front, as The White Lotus is well within its right to harness its branding and incorporate it into its story; it would have a case if HBO was selling Hawaiian shirts emblazoned with the school’s logo, but “being mad” isn’t a legitimate reason to sue.
Content shared from brobible.com.