# Can Spike Lee's huge head fit through the courtroom door? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027 "2003-06-15T15:49:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/1 "2003-06-15T15:49:58Z")
Hey, Mr. Lee. You don’t own the word ‘Spike’. Let’s set aside the fact that your name isn’t even ‘Spike’, it’s Shelton for God’s sake! Not one person I have asked thought for even a split second that ‘Spike TV’ was somehow related to you. Oh, you have signed affidavits from 2 of your friends that thought it was? Oh, well, your friends are MORONS! I saw your cute quote today: “I don’t want to be associated with that Stripperella crap”. Uh huh…you left your name on ‘Jungle Fever’ though didn’t ya? What’s next, Shelton? You gonna go after [Spike Magazine](http://www.spikemagazine.com/index.php)? [Spike Nashbar](http://www.spikenashbar.com/) ? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/2 "2003-06-15T15:58:57Z")
I hate these idiots who think they suddenly own a word or name that existed long before they were famous, or even born. Donald Trump also tried to sue a game manufacturer IIRC who made a product called “Trump Card” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/3 "2003-06-15T16:11:08Z")
And WTF with this “A Spike Lee Joint”? Why can’t he just say, “Directed by Spike Lee”? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/4 "2003-06-15T16:53:22Z")
The fact that Johnnie Cockr…Cochran is defending him speaks volumes. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/5 "2003-06-15T17:04:23Z")
Shelton, hehe. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/6 "2003-06-15T19:22:09Z")
I’m just surprised Mr. Lee didn’t go after Mutant Enemy, Fox Television and the WB the week “School Hard” aired. Guess Shelton hasn’t been watching _Buffy:the Vampire Slayer_. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/7 "2003-06-15T20:59:46Z")
Yeah Thea, not to mention that cartoon dog (On _Rugrats_, I think). ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/8 "2003-06-15T21:03:32Z")
Didn’t Spike Lee become irrelevant about seven years ago? ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/9 "2003-06-15T23:19:19Z")
Thankfully, Spike Lee’s only relevant when the Knicks are having a good season, since that’s when he gets the most face time on TV sitting right there up front. Since the Knicks have been irrelevant (and utterly abysmal) since 1999, so has Spike Lee. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/10 "2003-06-15T23:37:32Z")
A more appropriate target for Shelton would be the makers of _Jackass_ or _Midgets Gone Wild_. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/11 "2003-06-15T23:46:38Z")
I think Lee’s just looking for some easy cash via an out of court settlement. ---
**Author:** ![Antimanics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@Antimanics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antimanics)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/12 "2003-06-16T00:06:54Z")
What kind of show is “Spike TV”? If it were somehow related to civil rights I could see people associating Mr. Lee with it. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/13 "2003-06-16T00:18:27Z")
“Spike TV” is the new name of TNN. The channel chiefly shows professional wrestling, Star Trek - The Next Generation reruns, and b-movies. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/14 "2003-06-16T00:39:03Z")
It also shows (on weekends) a lot of outdoor- and motor-sports programming. The renaming to “Spike TV” was in tune to a strategy to market themselves as “The Network for Men”. This used to be The Nashville Network way back, then it got changed into The National Network then into The New TNN. It was a sort of lame marketing strategy if you ask me. But Mr. Lee’s suit is unbelievably asinine. One can only hope that any court that receives it throws it back on Lee’s and Cochran’s faces with a hearty laugh, and any higher court to which they dare appeal the dismissal slaps them a fine for wasting the court’s time. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/15 "2003-06-16T00:40:59Z")
> [@](#): > > “In the age of mass communication, a celebrity can in fact establish a vested right in the use of only their first name or a surname,” Manhattan State Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub said Thursday in his ruling, according to the Associated Press. “There are many celebrities that are so recognized, including Cher, Madonna, Sting and Liza,” he said. So, the fact that a NY State Supreme Court Judge thinks it merits going to trial means _bubkes_? Go for it, **Spike**! ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/16 "2003-06-16T00:46:55Z")
Gotta admit, he makes pretty good commercials. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/17 "2003-06-16T01:01:53Z")
“Cher, Madonna, Sting and Liza” Pretty disingenious throwing in Liza in that list. Did the judge ever consider the fact that the previous three never marketed themselves with their last names (except, perhaps, for Cher early in her career)? The next obvious thing to do is sue Warner Brothers for their use of the name “Spike” for the bulldog in the old Bugs Bunny (or was it Tom and Jerry?) cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/18 "2003-06-16T01:48:21Z")
> [@](#): > > The next obvious thing to do is sue Warner Brothers for their use of the name “Spike” for the bulldog in the old Bugs Bunny (or was it Tom and Jerry?) cartoons. If I’m not mistaken, that would not fly. The fact that “Spike” was a bulldog in a cartoon _predating_ Spike Lee’s fame would tend to make such a claim irrevelent. Next? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/19 "2003-06-16T01:50:39Z")
By-the-way, it was M-G-M. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027/20 "2003-06-16T03:08:58Z")
How about the fact that the New York State Supreme Court judge is a fucking idiot? Does that mean _bubkes_? It’s a Spike **Lee** joint. A Spike **Lee** film. If TNN had called itself “Spike **Lee** ” the fucker would have a point. But it didn’t. And he doesn’t. And the judge is a lameass moron for not seeing that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-spike-lees-huge-head-fit-through-the-courtroom-door/182027.md?page=2)