Did SNL Plagiarize Tig Notaro’s Short Film?

April 13, 2017

  • Source: www.youtube.com / Via: www.youtube.com

  •  Louis CK’s SNL episode last week was filled with a lot of stand out moments — O’Reilly interviewing Trump as both played by Alec Baldwin was one — and another was a short film wherein Louis CK is a middle aged man who orders a party clown — played by Bobby Moynihan — for his very own self. It was charming, but with apparently a terrible issue — it may have been plagiarized from a short film by Tig Notaro titled Clown Service.

  • Source: vimeo.com / Via: vimeo.com

  •  Tig Notaro, the renowned comedian who has worked with Louis CK on her album Live and One Mississippi, has realized the substantial similarities between her short film and SNL’s short — the plot for one — involving a lonely individual ordering a clown for himself and watching passively as the clown does its shtick. Secondly— even a few key shots are the same, most notably of the individual watching the clown.  Tig released a statement on the matter. Here is a part of it from Entertainment Weekly —  “While I don’t know how all this actually happened, I did find it extremely disappointing… I have recently learned that a writer/director who was fully aware of Clown Service when I was making it, actually worked on Louis C.K.’s clown sketch that is in question….. And finally, I never gave anyone permission to use anything from my film.”  Tig notes she hasn’t spoken to Louis CK in a year and a half. Here’s hoping the matter is resolved soon.  What do you think of the story? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.