American Idol News
The federal 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that a judge's dismissal of Harry Keane's claim that he invented American Idol was proper. The judge ruled in 2003 that Keane shopped his idea for the show around so broadly - even posting it on a Web site - that he had no trade secret to protect. The judge also ordered Keane to pay Fox television's $130,000 legal bill.
Well, Keane can take comfort in knowing that he won't be in the eighth circle of Hell (the circle for simple fraud, according to Dante). Someone's gotta pay in the next life for pumping up millions of youngsters with the idea that the hell-bent aspiration for fame and fortune is proper.
Lest anyone think Eric is too harsh, his family watches American Idol, generally without him. He typically just pops his head into the family room long enough to admonish his children, “Remember, kids, all those contestants are glorified idiots,” “The path to hell is paved with phoniness,” “Hitler was glamorous, too,” “There's never been a Hollywood saint and there's never gonna be.” (If anyone's curious how Eric knows about the last one, it's just common sense. There's never gonna be a whorehouse saint, either.)