Thursday, November 03, 2005

Third Time Not "Charmed": Husband Loses TV Court Battle

'Nice Try!'
Randall Fletcher tried
to convice wife he
watched Charmed for
the heart-warming
drama.

Bowling Green, KY (FN) - In a blow to coach-potato husbands worldwide, Kentucky Superior Court Judge Gena Lowins yesterday overturned two lower court decisions and ruled that the long-running WB series Charmed is not a "chick show".

Lowins' ruling in the landmark case of Fletcher v. Murphy-Fletcher represents the first time a major U.S. court has rendered a judgment in the emerging legal concept of "spousal television rights."

The case began in 2002 when Randall Fletcher, a 36-year-old insurance actuary, got in an argument with his wife, lawyer Louise Murphy-Fletcher over the categorization of the popular series. Fletcher and Murphy-Fletcher had a marital agreement whereby 65 per cent of the couple's television viewing time was reserved for shows of a "family, non-violent, non-sexist or other positive-values nature."

'Something's Fishy!'
Alyssa Milano's mermaid
scene was the straw that
broke the camel's back
for Judge Lowins.

"Mr. Fletcher had already overloaded his television allotment with shows like Jackass and The Man Show. He attempted to sneak in Charmed on the grounds that it was a positive-values show about women and relationships. My client regarded this as a fraud against her spousal television rights and acted accordingly," said Murhpy-Fletcher's attorney.

Charmed revolves around the adventures three young witches who regularly save the world from demons and warlocks while trying to build successful careers and hold onto boyfriends.

"Although the show does frequently deal with feelings and personal relationships, the context in shows such as the mermaid and Greek goddess episodes demonstrates that these 'chick-flic' elements are merely a facade for the true intent of the show, which is to show the main characters in suggestive and scantily-clad situations," Judge Lowins stated in her judgment.

Ironically, over the course of the legal wranglings, the man who started it all has lost interest in the show.

"The girls have started looking older and then they had that whole maternal, baby plotline that pretty much killed it for me. Fortunately, the missus likes Desperate Housewives, so I'm cool with where things are at," Fletcher said.

- 30 -

posted by Mentok @ 12:20 p.m.,

18 Comments:

At 4:47 a.m., Anonymous said...: Did you get that thing I sent ya?
At 9:11 a.m., Mentok said...: Yes.
The "package" is on its way, but may be "delayed in the mail".
At 4:30 p.m., Mentok said...: Thanks so much for the good review. Be sure to tell your friends. I'm pretty much content to take a "build it and they will come" approach to blog traffic, but every little bit helps.

How do you do it? You don't blog-roll or anything, yet you always get 20-30 comments no matter what you're talking about. Kudos to you.

Yes, I'm a professional writer. Mostly very serious stuff: trade journals, political propaganda and the like.

I often feel that what I'm writing about is very silly, yet I'm paid to make it sound very serious.

So this blog makes for a nice outlet, no matter whether it's read or not.
At 5:33 a.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: Well, I'll say this much: I sure do love the girls on "Charmed". I'd let them work their magic all over me anytime! ;->
At 8:32 a.m., A. B. Chairiet said...: Ick...Between Alyssa Mawhato and her lack o' clothes, and the naked gentleman below...I'm having a bit of trouble keeping the pot of coffee safe and sound in my sleepy little tum-tum.

Ah...Novels.

Anyways, I just wanted to jump on the bandwagon here and say that I too love your silluy bloug.

Ah...Canadians.

~ Ash
At 9:33 a.m., Mentok said...: My wife and I keep "Lists of Five" like on that old Friends episode. You know, "five celebrities you would be allowed to sleep with without recrimination if you had the opportunity."

Alyssa Milano has been at the tops of my list for ages. I think I wrote this post just to have an excuse to post her delightful mermaid picture.

By the way, guys, the "without recrimination" thing on Lists of Five doesn't really work, even in the hypothetical. I finally had to take Jenny McCarthy off my list 'cause the missus kept on about "I can't believe you would even think about sleeping with that skank!"

...And, yes, if you are wondering, this post is based on a real-life conversation between me and Mrs. M. I actually tried to convince her that Charmed was more of a women's show. No sale.
At 5:21 p.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: Say, Ash, I just looked at your picture, and... guess what? You look like Alyssa Milano!

Now THAT'S a compliment.

Mentok, as I'm not married, for me, my "List of Five" is actually a "List of All Hot Babes Who'll Do Me Given the Opportunity".

And as you're a fan of Alyssa, may I recommend the movie "Embrace of the Vampire", with Alyssa in it? You could try to claim it's a chick flick, but the amount of naughty stuff happening probably won't sit well with Mrs. M.

BTW, of the three sisters on "Charmed", I find Piper (Holly Marie Combs, formerly of "Picket Fences", a really funny show itself) to be the cutest. I think she's like a bottle of champagne, with all the passion bottled up inside, unlike her wild, outgoing sisters. When the cork pops off...

Oops... forgot this isn't quite that kind of site... maybe there's a PenthouseForum.com or something... LOL
At 5:24 p.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: You know, Ash, actually, you also look like Rose McGowan, also from "Charmed".

I see you're blushing now. :-)
At 6:41 p.m., Mentok said...: Sentinel, you must have missed my post from
October 22 . I'm sorry to break it to you, but Ash is a man. One of those guys from Denver just got those pictures out of a magazine.

I have a copy of Embrace of the Vampire, but I have never watched it all the way through. Strangely, I always seem to lose interest about half way into it.
At 7:02 p.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: Oh, fo' fecksake... damn... not another dude trying to pass as a chick...

And I actually saw the post of Oct. 22.

I'm getting the idea that these commentors may be your sock puppets and you yourself may in fact be Meaghan Walker Williams and once again I've been fooled... or perhaps you're actually Kate McMillan? Wait! I got it! You're Warren Kinsella!

Or are ya yankin' the ol' chain?

BTW, I just remembered I've only watched the first half of "The Man With Two Brains". Too lazy to get a round tuit.

While I do enjoy being silly and irreverent on occasion, my own blog is quite serious. Check out the post I just put up on Paulie's Orwellian agenda for Canada. Some things he's been plotting he hoped would fall below everyone's radar, but I discovered some quite ominous stuff wrt his plans...
At 2:02 a.m., A. B. Chairiet said...: I am blushing, actually!

And damn you, Mentok! I don't go around telling people about YOUR REAL identity!!

(Cough, cough...Harvey Birdman)

"I'll take the case!!"

Does anyone else have a crush on Birdgirl??

Anyone???

(Crickets chirping)

Never mind...

And hi there, "Canadian Sentinel".

Despite my little same-sex crushes, I'm not really a man.

Mentok's just being mean because he's jealous of the fact that I am, and I quote, "a twenty two year old girly person", and he's just a disgusting green alien.

But thank you for the compliments!

I actually think Rose McGowan is the hottest, truth be told.

And yes, fine-fine, Alyssa Mawhato isn't so bad either...

Anyone else stay up really late watching Poison Ivy on cable even though you had to get up and go to school the next day??

Anyone??

(Don't I have a novel to write???)

Yes...Yes I do.

(I'll eventually fill you in on the peanuts elsewhere, you crafty ass Canadian)

Man-part free since ‘83,
~ Ash
At 6:47 a.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: Mentok, bad alien! I knew youse was yankin' me!

And you're welcome, Ash.

BTW, who's "Birdgirl"? That's not some euphemism for a tranny, is it? Around here, one never knows what's real and what's not...

I've rented Poison Ivy from Blockbuster. Alyssa was in one of the sequels. Mmmmmmm...
At 9:54 a.m., Mentok said...: Ha, ha! MIND TAKING! Ooo-Weee-Oooo.

"We don't read, we don't rent, we don't borrow, we don't lease, we TAKE the mind!"

Who's Birdgirl? Like Mentok the Mindtaker, she's a character on Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. On Canadian cable, Teletoon, 11:40 ET on Fridays. Catch up, man.

"Around here, one never knows what's real and what's not.."

[See? That's not asking - that's taking the mind! Ooo-wee-ooo.]

Seriously, Sentinel whether you realize or not, that's high praise. Exactly what I was going for with this blog.
At 12:37 p.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: Oh, shit... I just wrote a damned good comment and tried to preview it but somehow it disappeared instead...

That's weird... you aliens can be pretty annoying sometimes... what a sick sense of humor y'all have way back on the planet Hullapoopypantsaballoo or whatever y'all call it. Ain't enough to take peoples' minds-- ya gotta take their comments, too? Geez! But y'all ain't got my own mind-- impossible to touch it. It's protected by an impenetrable force field of sovereignty. And this sovereignty manifests itself in my own blogging.

Anyway, I pretty much forgot what I wrote before it vanished into cyberspace, but I'll say this: this is a really entertaining funny site you got here, Menty. AND there's a hot American babe hanging around, too! Did I make you blush again, Ash? ;-)
At 5:36 p.m., Mentok said...: Same thing happened to me. I posted an elaborate message to your post re. Martin's Orwellians plans, but it disappeared mysteriously.

Coincidence? You be the judge.

[Re. your comments about Ms. Chairiet: It's amazing how the internet seems to eliminate people's inner monologue.]
At 4:53 a.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: I think you took my inner monologue, Menty. Couldn't get my mind and couldn't go home to the missus empty-handed, could you? Otherwise, you'd get no alien-reproductive-orifice that night, right?
At 10:22 p.m., NL-ExPatriate said...: Wish we could get European TV. Talk about your man TV! Game shows are like strip poker everyone of them, LOL.
All of their anouncers are blonde bomb shells.
Een in Greek, French German or Spanish it is fun to watch LOL. Probably wouldn't be as fun if I could understand.
Here's a site for you to check out Mentok.
http://www.dontdatehimgirl.com/home/

OH and on your 5 list.
I'e told the Wife that if I'm ever alone I'm going to propose to Marge warrior princess, Marge delahunty from "this hour has 22 minutes" Aka Mary Walsh!
At 10:26 a.m., Canadian Sentinel said...: I saw Marg, Warrior Princess quite a few times in person. She came into the place where I was working while filming a movie one summer (her, not me). Sorry to disappoint you, NL Expatrite, but she's got a dude and I saw them getting a tad naughty right out in the open in public! BTW, she looks better in person.

As for naughty TV, watch the French channels. They sure prove Quebec is different. They don't censor boobs on French language TV. Why are people so afraid of boobs? We have one for Prime Minister!

Mentok the Mind-taker

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Third Time Not "Charmed": Husband Loses TV Court Battle

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