Porn Valley- On Tuesday’s “American Idol,” Ryan Seacrest finally got fed up with Simon’s attitude — and doused sour Simon with a soft drink. And on Seacrest’s morning radio show on Friday, he dropped a bombshell about something else that set him off: a gay porn rip-off of “American Idol.”
Seacrest was conducting an interview with Will Smith on Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM when the conversation turned to porn.
“I had to legally go after someone who was doing an ‘American Idol’ porn,” Seacrest admitted. “And I was host of the porn!”
Seacrest elaborated: “And the guy’s name was… Seacrest, and he had blond spiky hair. The only difference was, instead of a microphone, he was holding something else.”
The video in question is called, “American Porn Star.” Like “American Idol,” it’s a “talent contest” that features three judges, and a “competition” of sorts, involving hardcore gay sex. The show is hosted by “Jason Sechrest,” who pronounces his name “Seacrest” (with a silent “h”). Sechrest uses expressions and mannerisms similar to Seacrest.
When attorney Scott Zolke learned about the show, he jumped into action. Zolke represents “American Idol” and Ryan Seacrest.
“‘American Idol’ has become an immensely popular television show,” Zolke told “CJ”. “So the value of the ‘American Idol’ look is something that we cannot allow to get tarnished.”
Even before he saw “American Porn Star,” Zolke fired off a cease and desist letter to the producers. The letter claimed that the “hardcore gay porn” would be confusing to the public, especially by “copying and imitating the pivotal role that Ryan Seacrest plays in ‘American Idol.'”
Then Zolke took a meeting with the porn producer’s attorney. “We figured, let’s make the best out of a bizarre situation,” he said, “so we worked up some popcorn, went over to the lawyer’s office and it was just like going to the movies. I was able to enjoy the first five minutes and then began to feel a little bit queasy. But my associates enjoyed the popcorn and considered the exercise a First Amendment experience.”
Zolke told us that after his “popcorn summit” with the opposing side’s lawyer, the producers of “American Porn Star” agreed to change the logo and the look of their show so it didn’t infringe “Idol’s” trademark. But even after the changes, it still looked a lot like the original.
“Ultimately we had them change the block lettering, and we had the music and other elements changed so it left no impression that it was from ‘American Idol,'” Zolke said.