The Bible speaks of the sins of the father being visited on the son. We write of the father seeking to capitalize on the sins of the son. (MPS Entertainment LLC v. Fletcher et al.)
MPS is a company which handles licensing for Michael Sorrentino. For the benefit of those readers who possess a modicum of good taste and hence do not watch the television series “Jersey Shore,” we report that it is a “reality” show – an oxymoron if ever there was one – allegedly depicting the lives of eight young New Yorkers living together in a house on the New Jersey Shore. Mr. Sorrentino is the actor (we use this term advisedly) on “Jersey Shore” who speaks of himself, in the third person, as “The Situation.” A former male stripper, his “acting” consists largely of showing off his abdominal muscles and picking fights with his housemates. He has registered six (6) trademarks, which says something about his ego, if not his acting ability.
Robert M. Fletcher is the business partner of Mr. Frank Sorrentino, the estranged father of Michael Sorrentino. Frank calls himself “The Confrontation” – adoption of ridiculous third person titles seemingly being a family trait.
Bob and Frank recently announced plans to sell the rights to a “tell-all” book about Michael, cleverly entitled “Confrontation with the Situation.” They issued a press release, which included a quotation from Frank: “I think people should know what I know: hard core partying, drugs, sex, crime elements. It’s a hell of a situation and I think you know what I mean.”
MPS, seeking to protect its client’s trademark rights and, no doubt, its own opportunity to make a buck, filed suit against Bob and Frank, alleging violation of federal and state trademark laws, unfair business practices, and – this one is hard to believe – damaging the reputation of MPS Entertainment. So, unless a settlement is reached, The Situation will face The Confrontation in the legal arena. Clearly, a title bout and, perhaps, the genesis of a new “reality” series in conjunction with WWF – father vs. son “smack down.”
The Lesson to Be Learned: Jersey Shore is proof of the adage that you can’t underestimate the taste of the American public.