Here is now the greatest scandal of plagiarism, even eclipsing Jayson Blair’s foibles with the New York Times.
Here is a quote from an In My World™ post dated January 19, 2003:
“I think the president welcomes the fact that we are a democracy and people in the United States, unlike Iraq, are free to protest and to make their case known,” said Whitehouse Press Secretary Ari Fleischer at a press conference, never once looking up from the Gameboy Advance in his hands.
“But what about the protestors who were beaten with their own ‘No Blood for Oil’ signs by men who claimed to have been paid by the Whitehouse?” asked one reporter.
“I think the president welcomes the fact that we are a democracy and people in the United States, unlike Iraq, are free to yadda yadda yadda,” Fleischer responded, now staring at the Gameboy quite intensely, apparently fighting a boss monster in the game Metroid Fusion that he was playing.
And here is one of the entries from “Top Ten Signs Ari Fleischer Doesn’t Care Anymore” that appeared on Letterman on May 20th:
8. Gives monosyllabic answers to press questions, then goes back to his Gameboy
The only logical explanation for this is that the Late Show with David Letterman is ripping me off without credit!
Ah, who am I kidding; it’s probably a coincidence. But wouldn’t it be cool if it weren’t? Then all I need to Conan O’Brien to steal my material and my life would be complete.
Threaten to sue, but settle for a job as a writer.
Yes I’m sure you could come up with a great letter to Letterman notifying him of his plagiarism.
Frank, this seems pretty suspicious to me. Perhaps you should keep an eye on the late night people, perhaps they are getting desperate or something, stealing off you like this.
I wouldn’t call it desperation, I’d call it genius. Them ripping off Frank, not Frank himself, you understand (-got- to keep that ego in check, his head barely fits through standard doors as it is)
Go after ’em Frank…let em know you won’t be treated like…like…like some internet monkey (bah, ptooey)
Think of your complaint letter as an off-beat resume…yeah, thats the ticket. Then make hay with the correspondence right here…if they’re gonna get a laugh or two at your expense, well, that makes them different from us…how?
I’m telling ya, Frank, next we’re going to see ninja and monkey themes all over Letterman! He’s ripping you off, man!
Letterman needs an good Aikido ASS whooping and you’re just the man to do it!
Akido only work in response to an attack. I need to find some way to get Letterman to try to punch me…
LETTERMAN! that bastard
OHMYGAWD! I caught that and I don’t even have television! Right ON!, I say. You are so much more bravo, can ya blame Dave?
maybe if you had a child with letterman you could make a super-hilarious, super-thief baby! What amazing powers it would have.
Sue,sue,sue !!!! That way you can change the title at the top of your page to ‘Political musings of a dumb smart RICH guy’
(either that or tell people he puts puppies in blenders )
Some the others on the list are kinda Frank-esque staple topics as well (Helen Thomas, Rumsfeld in a steel-cage death match, mentions Cheney’s secret undisclosed location…) Coincidence, my butt!!! Someone lurking around here works for Dave! Who is it? ‘Fess Up!!
Frank,
Actually, I was watching Late Nite and Conan used something that was straight out of one of your blog entries. I remember thinking “Frank J did that two days ago.” I wish I had made a note of it, because I can’t recall exactly what it was.
Anyway, it is VERY possible that the staff writers for the late night shows have you bookmarked. They have to come up with about 10 times the material that actually makes it into the monologue.
In fact, some probably use news compliers to pull from many sources and the odds are strong that you have been on their list of sources for several months.
Most know better that to steal word-for-word. That is how they’d get caught plagerizing.
RELEASE THE MONKEY-NINJAS!!!!
Orion
Conan ripped off my line about Michael Moore posing naked on the cover of EW. But will anybody in New York listen to a journalist named Blair complaining about plagiarism? NEVER!
Tim,
LOL. That’s too good a gem for just my comments section.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But imitation without attribution, or at least some compensation, is PLAGIARISM, pure and simple. I suggest you send a letter to Letterman and dare him to read it over the air.