5) Powerpuff Girls in latex controversy
Cartoon Network, the popular kids channel, aired the Powerpuff Girls, a show about 3 little girls fighting evil before bedtime, for 10 years.
Next month, a comic about the three crime fighters is to be released. The girls, now aged 11 or 12, have grown a bit since last… more so in certain areas it would seem.
On an alternate cover for the comic, the trio was seen sporting tight, shiny latex miniskirt outfits in “adult” poses.
Cartoon Network has decided to pull all the copies with the alternate cover and admits that it did slip their mind for a moment that the outfits might seem a bit daring on a set of preteens. However, they thought it would be an empowering picture and claims that kids would not see it as adults do.
This claim of innocence did not get past the upset public and one retailer has been quoted saying, “Are we seriously sexualizing pre-teen girls like perverted fan fiction writers on the internet?”
4) University offers rap history course
University of Missouri will offer a course in the relationship between rappers Jay Z and Kanye West.
The two are both known as game changers in the hip hop world and have had a long and unusual relationship. It may seem odd to us right now, but instructor Andrew Hoberek is certain that the duo will be seen as two of the greatest poets of our time.
The course will not only cover the lyrics, but how the two put their videos together, the meaning behind each of their albums and how the two have worked in tandem with each other over the years.
3) Game network in trouble over secret ad deal
Youtube channel network, Machinima, has been the talk of the week. An anonymous source revealed an advertising deal with Microsoft that came with a harsh non-disclosure agreement. The agreement stated that the channels that accepted the deal would double their income if they displayed game play footage of an Xbox One title while saying no negative things about it.
The controversial bit is the NDA, that states that the producers are not allowed to mention that the video is a promotional video or that they are receiving money for doing it.
This violates the FCC ruling of 2013 that states that all paid for product placements must be declared at the time of the advertising.
What channels, if any, that have agreed to this are so far unknown.
2) King trademarks simple English words
Game publisher King, known for games like Candy Crush Saga, has managed to trademark the word Candy. As a result of this, over 15 games that share the word in their title have been removed from the Apple app store.
The company also has the word Saga pending in the trademark office, which allowed them to file a suit against Stoic Studio for their game Banner Saga.
Trademarking of common English words is prohibited by the Trademark Act, but some words have slipped through the cracks. In 2009, game company Bethesda managed to trademark the word Fallout. The original creators behind the series had until then sold a license to use the name to Bethesda, but was later sued for the rights after Bethesda gained the trademark. In 2011, they also managed to trademark the word Scrolls.
Apple managed to trademark their name in 2003, but later lawsuits failed due to the commonality of the word.
1) Jamaican bobsled team to hit the Winter Olympics… again
We’ve all seen the Cool Runnings joke floating about, but, yes, it is true. Jamaica is sending a bobsled team this winter for the Winter Olympics in Russia.
This will be the sixth time Jamaica is seen on the bobsled course since the Olympics in 1988 that sparked the idea for the movie Cool Runnings.
The team qualified early, but lacked roughly 40,000US$. Within two days, a community effort through the cryptocurrency Dogecoin raised $30,000. A crowd-funding on Crowdtilt raised an additional $80,000, far surpassing the target.
This year’s team consists of the pushers Kyle Ferguson and Adrian Myers, the driver Winston Watts, the brakeman Marvin Dixon, the skeleton Rindy Loucks and the manager Jessica Thomasi.
We wish them all the luck in Russia this winter!