Duke University (“Duke”), based in Durham, North Carolina, has expressed its discontent with the use of its logo in hit series “The White Lotus”. The university features prominently as two of the show’s main characters (a father and son duo played by Jason Isaacs and Patrick Schwarzenegger, respectively) are both Duke alumni.
The university’s main complaint centres around the behaviour of the two characters, who are often seen donning Duke emblazoned t-shirts throughout the show – which Duke asserts may be mistakenly construed as an endorsement or affiliation with such behaviour. In particular, objections were raised to a scene in which Isaacs’ character, who is seemingly contemplating suicide, is shown wearing his Duke t-shirt while pressing a gun to his head.
In a statement released by Bloomberg, a representative for Duke commented “The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far,” also adding, “Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. As imagery from the show is being shared widely across social media, we are using our brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”
Duke has been quick to distance itself both on social media and in the press from the themes depicted in the series but has yet to issue proceedings. Whether it will look to place matters on a more formal legal footing remains to be seen.
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