BrianGarst.com

Fox says Carol Burnett can’t take a joke.

The actress says Fox and its “Family Guy” show paid her back for refusing access to her music and other copyrighted materials by lampooning her in an episode of the animated TV comedy, and now she wants them to pay for the indignity.

In a suit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Burnett and her Whacko production company seek more than $2 million for alleged copyright infringement and other claims.

Oh, the irony. It’s exactly this kind of frivolous, entitlement-minded nonsense that clogs up our courts and prevents the timely hearing of important issues. Thankfully, courts have historically granted broad leeway for satirical works on the issue of copyright, as creating a likeness is a necessary part of creating a satire. I expect this lawsuit to go no where, but it’s telling about the state of modern tort when you realize that most people reading the paper will likely find this suit rather tame. I mean, only $2 million? John Edwards would’ve asked for $200 million!