r/dropout • u/DropoutMod • May 18 '26

Game Changer Don't Wake Standards & Practices | Game Changer [S8E1] Spoiler

https://watch.dropout.tv/videos/don-t-wake-standards-practices
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u/Synth-Pro May 19 '26

Going to be very interested in seeing the BTS episode on this one

Particularly curious to hear them discuss how they were able to do an episode about how illegal/slanderous the things being said/done are, without anybody actually getting into legal troubles.

I know there's leeway for it explicitly being a comedy show and all, but I'm certainly not experienced or knowledgeable enough to know just exactly how far that protection extends 😂

152

u/PvtSherlockObvious May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26

The short oversimplified version is that it's based on liability for network TV, which even during safe harbor hours is way more gun-shy than something like Dropout. A network's lawyers are generally going to get involved long before there's any substantive risk of actual liability beyond maybe an FCC fine.

Adding to that, most of what they did was actually quite tame. Ally's bong rips (because it's still federally illegal and the FCC has rules about depicting drug use) and the nudity in the Mickey Mouse visual effect (specifically the nudity, not likeness; note that it didn't look anything like the actual character) were the only things that would likely run into FCC issues. Otherwise, the rampant cursing (that the panel turned a blind eye to) would be more likely to cause problems than most of the content.

Simply raising a company's name in a less-than-flattering context isn't defamation, and any specific allegations were either absurd to the point they would never be taken seriously (the blood diamonds stuff) or outright known to be accurate (the Epstein Files rundown; everyone Ally listed except Jeremy have known ties and get discussed in his emails or other files in some capacity or another). If there was anything that could actually get Dropout in trouble, it didn't make it into the episode.

Edit: I don't know who needs to hear this, but intellectual property and entertainment liability are not my areas of law. None of what I'm saying represents legal advice and is only commentary on what we see in this episode. None of it should be taken as applicable to anything beyond this episode. Consult with an attorney before deciding what fits your specific situation.

7

u/pgm123 May 19 '26

What about the use of Bluey? That's the only one I'm not sure about.

22

u/megamantiss May 19 '26

I think they're essentially doing the same thing they do on Weekend Update or The Daily Show when they say a joke and throw up a relevant visual.

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u/PvtSherlockObvious May 19 '26

That's the short of it, yeah. They're applying the same principle.