Wow, this is fun. ‘CSI’ Writer Sued For Revenge Naming Show Characters After Real People, which I saw on Huffington Post.

How ironic is this:

LOS ANGELES — A couple sued a writer for the CBS show ‘CSI,’ claiming two shady characters on the show were named after them in revenge for a real estate deal gone bad.

Real estate agents Melinda and Scott Tamkin on Friday sued writer and producer Sarah Goldfinger for defamation and invasion-of-privacy. They are seeking $6 million in damages, alleging the show hurt their real estate business.”

This reminds me of a mirror facing a mirror, reflecting infinite images. How would you associate a fictional character with yourself? You’d identify traits. But if those are negative traits, why would you claim, in court, that they have similarity with you. Why not just satisfy yourself with coincidence of name, coincidence of appearance, and not identify with the fictional character at all? As it turns out, it went to production without even the name similarity:

The characters had the last name Tamkin in an original screenplay and Goldfinger helped cast actors who looked like the Tamkins, according to the lawsuit. The Tamkins claim the characters’ last name was changed to Tucker at the last minute, which they said was evidence Goldfinger borrowed details from their lives.

Why would the Tamkins, concerned with the possible parallel with these fictional villainous characters, proactively claim similarity? Shouldn’t they say, quietly and to themselves, “that’s not us”? But in this case, they filed suit to say that is us. That’s deep irony that I can’t resist. Aren’t they identifying themselves by what these fictional villains do? Aren’t they claiming those traits from fictional characters?

They say that it’s hurting their business. But they’re the ones doing the identifying with fictional characters. And now they’re on the news everywhere, and I’m even writing about them here. Does that hurt their business?

It’s a looking glass thing: curiouser and curiouser. Interesting irony.

(Image here from Flickr by Mikey aka DaSkinnyBlackMan in Iraq)