# Pets.com is sueing Conan's Triumph puppet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427 "2000-04-26T00:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/1 "2000-04-26T00:35:00Z")
[Pets.com](http://Pets.com) has filed something like a $20 million law suit against Bob Smeigel, the creator & performer of Triumph the insult puppet seen on Conan O’Brian. Thing is, I think Triumph was created first. * * * _I for one welcome our new insect overlords…_ - K. Brockman ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/2 "2000-04-26T01:39:00Z")
I’ve watched Triumph on Conan for at least two years now. I remember nearly peeing my pants laughing when I saw Triumph hump the dogs at the Westminster dog show last year. This has to be a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/3 "2000-04-26T07:00:00Z")
[Pets.com](http://Pets.com) is a great website… FOR ME TO POOP ON!!! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/4 "2000-04-26T10:14:00Z")
Hail Ants, Are you sure?? They would have no case. There is no copyright infringement at all, unless Conan has done something recently I missed. The [pets.com](http://pets.com) sockpuppet has a lot more in common with the late, lamented, sifl and olly than it does with triumph. * * * To fly! The dream of man and flightless bird alike! -Some general on the Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/5 "2000-04-26T20:44:00Z")
It’s true. It’s funny, just a few months ago I read an article suggesting that Smigel could sue for copyright infringement. But the [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) suit is for “damaging the reputations of the firm and the sock puppet” (NYDaily News), because Smigel called the sock puppet a rip-off of Triumph. Apparently [pets.com](http://pets.com) didn’t want to be a rip-off of a “cigar-smoking rubber dog that regularly uses vulgarity, makes sexist comments to and about women, and occasionally physically attacks other animals in a sexual manner” (quote from the law suit), while the [pets.com](http://pets.com) dog is “family-oriented.” Since when can you defame a puppet? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/6 "2000-04-26T20:51:00Z")
It’s true. It’s funny, just a few months ago I read an article suggesting that Smigel could sue for copyright infringement. But the [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) suit is for “damaging the reputations of the firm and the sock puppet” (NYDaily News), because Smigel called the sock puppet a rip-off of Triumph. Apparently [pets.com](http://pets.com) didn’t want to be a rip-off of a “cigar-smoking rubber dog that regularly uses vulgarity, makes sexist comments to and about women, and occasionally physically attacks other animals in a sexual manner” (quote from the law suit), while the [pets.com](http://pets.com) dog is “family-oriented.” Since when can you defame a puppet? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/7 "2000-04-26T20:52:00Z")
It’s true. It’s funny, just a few months ago I read an article suggesting that Smigel could sue for copyright infringement. But the [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) suit is for “damaging the reputations of the firm and the sock puppet” (NYDaily News), because Smigel called the sock puppet a rip-off of Triumph. Apparently [pets.com](http://pets.com) didn’t want to be a rip-off of a “cigar-smoking rubber dog that regularly uses vulgarity, makes sexist comments to and about women, and occasionally physically attacks other animals in a sexual manner” (quote from the law suit), while the [pets.com](http://pets.com) dog is “family-oriented.” Since when can you defame a puppet? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/8 "2000-04-26T23:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Hail Ants: > \*\*[Pets.com](http://Pets.com) has filed something like a $20 million law suit against Bob Smeigel, the creator & performer of Triumph the insult puppet seen on Conan O’Brian. Thing is, I think Triumph was created first. > > \*\* I don’t think it is an infringement suit, but rather the [Pets.com](http://Pets.com) people are arguing that Smeigel has been smearing them (saying things like “Sock Dog is just a rip-off of Triumph”). * * * -Obfus ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/9 "2000-04-27T06:06:00Z")
OH MY GOD!!! It is true!!! Remind me never to buy anything from [pets.com](http://pets.com) ever. What a bunch of creepy litigious bastards! * * * To fly! The dream of man and flightless bird alike! -Some general on the Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/10 "2000-04-27T06:30:00Z")
The story is [here](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000426/tc/sock_puppet_lawsuit_2.html), although everyone here pretty much summed up the details, right down to the “physical attacks of a sexual nature on female dogs”. Like that’s so wrong. * * * **Tony Soprano** : We’re the only country in the world where the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in writing… Where’s _my_ happiness then? **Dr. Melfi** : It’s the _pursuit_ that’s guaranteed. **Tony Soprano** Yeah, always a fucking loophole. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/11 "2000-05-05T17:05:02Z")
viva triumph! viva the revolution! damn the capitalist pigs who are better known as [pets.com](http://pets.com)! ---
**Author:** ![EnochF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@EnochF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnochF)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-com-is-sueing-conans-triumph-puppet/16427/12 "2000-05-05T19:40:34Z")
There was a 100% _hilarious_ sketch on last night’s Conan where Triumph was giving a press conference about the [pets.com](http://pets.com) lawsuit, complete with an Alan Dershowitz lookalike and the Masturbating Bear standing in the background. It started out all right, with Triumph being serious and almost polite. Then he got to the point where he said he’d like to apologize to “Crappy,” which is Triumph’s nickname for the sock puppet, “who is a great spokesman…” [long pause while the audience waits for the catchphrase] “…and to [pets.com](http://pets.com), a great, great website…” [even longer pause, the audience is still waiting] [Triumph leans over to the left, takes a bite of dog food from a dish, the audience is still waiting] [Triumph leans to the right and spritzes some breath spray in his mouth, the audience is still waiting and starts to giggle] [Triumph very slowly raises a megaphone to his mouth, the audience has by this time collapsed in giggles] [A couple of stagehands wheel out an oversized microphone prop and put it in front of the megaphone] “…FOR ME TO POOP ON!” [echo, echo, echo, wild applause] Then he takes out a copy of the lawsuit and rants, “I mean, really, what the hell is this? Now I know why humans wipe their asses!”