Creator of Spongebob-Travis Scott Meme Calls Out Super Bowl Halftime Show For Not Giving Him Credit
WHAT’S HAPPENING?! ? pic.twitter.com/uJyr7FNVr3
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) February 4, 2019
After the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show aired a viral mash-up video featuring Spongebob Squarepants and performer Travis Scott’s song “Sicko Mode,” the Twitter user who originally paired the cartoon and the rapper’s hit track called out the organization for not crediting him.
“No credit. No payment. No nothing,” wrote Anthony Trucco, who created the unofficial crossover video in September of last year. “RT until @NFL @NFLonCBS @CBS @nflnetwork addresses me. Thank you.”
No credit. No payment. No nothing. Everyone please RT until @NFL @NFLonCBS @CBS @nflnetwork addresses me. Thank you. https://t.co/1q0NNOfYHl
— Anthony Trucco (@anthonytrucco) February 4, 2019
Some on Twitter did not side with Trucco’s dispute against the halftime show, since he didn’t own any of the content used to create the meme. Though, the official Spongebob Squarepants Twitter account acknowledged and joked about the mashup, meaning they were aware of Trucco’s use of their content.
You expect to get paid for Two things that aren’t yours ? Yikes man.
— 6 (@bradlitt22) February 4, 2019
So you didn’t make the song and you didn’t make the TV show, and you probably can’t even prove that you were the first one who originally thought it would work by playing them over each other…and you’re expecting payment for it?
— Kakashi Sensei (@PetrieTaughtMe) February 4, 2019
The Spongebob debacle was not the only instance of a major corporation using memes during the Super Bowl.
T-Mobile and the ride-sharing app Lyft partnered for an add that reappropriated a viral tweet, but in this instance, the companies obtained permission to use the meme from the original creator.
In 2017, the Twitter account @decentbirthday shared a screenshot of a text conversation in which they responded to an Uber driver’s “I am here for you” message with an emotional response, unaware of who the text was from.
“Thanks :) I’m going through a tough time so it means a lot. And sorry, I lost all my contacts who is this?” The Twitter user responded before the driver mentioned Uber.
The exchange quickly went viral on Twitter and has racked up over half-a-million likes and almost 200,000 retweets, leading T-Mobile to switch out Uber for Lyft and borrow the joke last night — with the author’s permission:
I hope you guys were watching the Super Bowl! #SuperBowl @lyft @TMobile pic.twitter.com/ete0DgybA8
— decent pigeon (@decentbirthday) February 4, 2019
While T-Mobile may have taken the right route, major brands or social media pages have long been known to take organic content shared by unknown creators and reappropriate them without permission or credit. Recently, the company behind Fortnite was sued for using viral dance moves in-game without acknowledging the creators and the man behind the ultra-popular Instagram page FuckJerry was forced to apologize after racking up tens of millions of followers by stealing memes from smaller pages.
Watch the Spongebob Squarepants halftime show video above, via Twitter.
