As the Apple Turns    About    Reruns    Contact    Preferences Sun 4:43 AM

Twisted Barbie (11/30/97)
SceneLink
 

And in the "It's Sunday So Here's Something Totally Unrelated" news, have you heard about Mattel going after unauthorized Barbie sites? ZDNet's got the bizarre, though strangely compelling, story... and it raises some interesting points about culpability on the 'net, and how the lawyers haven't quite caught up yet.

See, instead of contacting web site authors and requesting that material be removed, Mattel's been sniping Barbie sites by pointing their lawyers at the ISP's who host the pages. That seems misdirected, if not downright rude and more than a little slimy. But the real hoot is, even though one ISP in question complied and had the "Distorted Barbie Site" taken down, the 'net works in mysterious ways; mirrors of the original site are popping up like weeds, all over the web. You can see one of them for yourself here, or track the progress of this amusing demonstration of legal circuity at the Daily Barbie. If the lawyers insist on sending cease and desist orders to the ISP's, each time they shut one site down, another will spring up.

We love it when conventional methods break down. ;-)

 
SceneLink (228)
And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors
 

From the writer/creator of AtAT, a Pandemic Dad Joke taken WAYYYYYY too far

 

The above scene was taken from the 11/30/97 episode:

November 30, 1997: (Sorry—this was before we started writing intro text for each episode!)

Other scenes from that episode:

  • 226: Hail to the Chief (11/30/97)   The ever-watchful MacCentral has noted an interesting tidbit on the MacWorld Expo web site. If you take a look at the Keynote page for the January show, you'll notice a reference to "an insightful presentation by Apple's yet unnamed CEO."...

  • 227: May I Take Your Order? (11/30/97)   Our own Boston Globe has an article that is primarily a profile of Dell Computer, but is of interest to Applewatchers for its analysis of the pros and cons of the build-to-order paradigm. Dell's success story is legendary; as the pioneer of the build-to-order computer business, they haved increased their value a whopping 20,000% since 1990, all without building a single retail store...

Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast...
Vote Early, Vote Often!
Why did you tune in to this '90s relic of a soap opera?
Nostalgia is the next best thing to feeling alive
My name is Rip Van Winkle and I just woke up; what did I miss?
I'm trying to pretend the last 20 years never happened
I mean, if it worked for Friends, why not?
I came here looking for a receptacle in which to place the cremated remains of my deceased Java applets (think about it)

(1317 votes)
Apple store at Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, AtAT earns from qualifying purchases

DISCLAIMER: AtAT was not a news site any more than Inside Edition was a "real" news show. We made Dawson's Creek look like 60 Minutes. We engaged in rampant guesswork, wild speculation, and pure fabrication for the entertainment of our viewers. Sure, everything here was "inspired by actual events," but so was Amityville II: The Possession. So lighten up.

Site best viewed with a sense of humor. AtAT is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. Keep hands inside car at all times. The drinking of beverages while watching AtAT is strongly discouraged; AtAT is not responsible for damage, discomfort, or staining caused by spit-takes or "nosers."

Everything you see here that isn't attributed to other parties is copyright ©,1997-2025 J. Miller and may not be reproduced or rebroadcast without his explicit consent (or possibly the express written consent of Major League Baseball, but we doubt it).