Using Celebrity Names!!

Margarita Skies · Mar 2, 2010

Hi.

I was wondering if writing the following thing in your book would get you in trouble.

"She was listening to Christina Aguilera's Stripped album as she did her homework."

Could you actually get in trouble for something like that? I mean I know that writing something that the celebrity has never said or done surely gets authors a lawsuit, but I was unsure if mentioning a celebrity's work, like one of your characters reading a Stephen King book, would also get you in trouble. Carolina Garcia-Aguilera mentioned her main character listening to a Marc Anthony CD while driving in her car, if I remember correctly, and I thought, 'Well, maybe she was allowed to do that because she's an established, well-known author.'

So, what do you guys think? Would it be ok to include in my story something like the example I mentioned or should we avoid using celebrity names altogether to avoid getting our butts kicked?

Once again, thank you for your help!
Magali.

Scoody · Mar 2, 2010

This is just my take and don't take it as advice, but I would think that mentioning Christina and the name of her album would be okay, if you used the actual lyrics of any of the songs you would have to get permission.

scarletpeaches · Mar 2, 2010

Plus, there's a danger it could date your work unless it was thought of as a classic album.

But honestly? I think you'd be fine. As Scoody said, lyrics would need permission but titles should be okay.

Margarita Skies · Mar 2, 2010

scarletpeaches said:
Plus, there's a danger it could date your work unless it was thought of as a classic album.

But honestly? I think you'd be fine. As Scoody said, lyrics would need permission but titles should be okay.

Hi, ScarletPeaches.

Date my work? What do you mean?

Sorry, but I've never seen a phrase like that before. As always, thanks for your valuable help. I'll be looking for new suggestions opinions and ideas on this thread. I'll be checking on it constantly until it's time for American Idol to start, since it starts at 9 PM Puerto Rico local time.

Margarita Skies · Mar 2, 2010

Scoody said:
This is just my take and don't take it as advice, but I would think that mentioning Christina and the name of her album would be okay, if you used the actual lyrics of any of the songs you would have to get permission.

Actually, no, if I were ever to mention a singer, I would never use lyrics of his or her songs. There are lyrics in one of my unfinished works, but they are lyrics of 2 different songs, if I remember correctly, and those are the lyrics to songs that I made up.

And in that case I would only say that my character was listening to that particular album or a particular song... without mentioning lyrics of course, if that's ok.

Thank you so much!
Magali.

scarletpeaches · Mar 2, 2010

MagaliFuentes said:
Hi, ScarletPeaches.

Date my work? What do you mean? Sorry, but I've never seen a phrase like that before. As always, thanks for your valuable help. I'll be looking for new suggestions opinions and ideas on this thread. I'll be checking on it constantly until it's time for American Idol to start, since it starts at 9 PM Puerto Rico local time.

Well, say for instance you mention an album that's really big at the time you write the book.

It can often take months, sometimes years, for a book to be published so it might make your story look 'old' if you mention an album that was in the charts, say, four or five years ago.

Of course, your editor may well advise you to change it to something more current, just before publication, but it's going to date your work again within a few years anyway.

I know Stephenie Meyer was going to mention Linkin Park in her Twilight saga, but in the end decided not to for this very reason. (At one point Edward buys Bella a CD and Meyer revealed in an interview it was originally mentioned as a Linkin Park album).

Margarita Skies · Mar 2, 2010

Oh, ok, ScarletPeaches, thank you for your help. So, what I am going to do is just avoid mentioning celebrity names or any of their works to spare me some headaches on the long run. I am so glad I haven't done this in any of my works so far because I would've had to go back and delete that part of my manuscript. God bless!!

scarletpeaches · Mar 2, 2010

It's not a problem, honestly. Just that some authors avoid naming specific albums.

Perhaps just saying something like a character listen to a Christina Aguilera CD, without mentioning which one? It's really just a matter of taste in the end, and perfectly acceptable.

poetinahat · Mar 2, 2010

One more thing to think about, Magali -

If you mention a specific artist or album name, it's only going to work for the reader if they've actually heard the album or the artist - or at least know why that album would be significant. If the reader isn't familiar with it, the reference won't be helpful and could be a distraction.

I'd think the reader will need to get more of a feel for why the album's been mentioned - why the scene is different because the character's got that album on.

Wayne K · Mar 2, 2010

poetinahat said:
One more thing to think about, Magali -

If you mention a specific artist or album name, it's only going to work for the reader if they've actually heard the album or the artist - or at least know why that album would be significant. If the reader isn't familiar with it, the reference won't be helpful and could be a distraction.

I'd think the reader will need to get more of a feel for why the album's been mentioned - why the scene is different because the character's got that album on.

I never thought of that.

Quossum · Mar 2, 2010

On the other hand there are some novels out there--at least in the YA genre--that thrive on such trendy references. Such books are chock full of mentions of the latest cool brand of clothing, musical group, even gossip from the tabloids. (I read one recently that had a character wishing she could be the latest adoptee of Brad and Agelina.)

Obviously such books are getting published, but it seems they're *meant* to be appreciated in this very moment and won't be thought of again in five years time, when their pop culture references will seem stale. If that's okay with you, then go for it. Otherwise, be a little more general.

You've gotten some great advice on the topic so far.

--Q

poetinahat · Mar 2, 2010

Good point, Quossum - and certainly Ian Fleming wasn't shy about naming brands in the James Bond novels. So, lots of times, I imagine James Bond in a Pierre Cardin suit - more the Roger Moore version.

Stijn Hommes · Mar 3, 2010

No no no no no! You can't get in trouble for mentioning things that exist in the real world.
Imagine what a mess it would be if writers had to make such checks for everything from towns to books and cheese.

You can only get in trouble if you defame a company or person or if you use copyrighted material. The song lyrics would be copyrighted. The title isn't.

Bufty · Mar 3, 2010

Magali, I notice the writing in all your posts is 'centred'. Hope your manuscripts are 'left justified' instead.

DrZoidberg · Mar 3, 2010

What about quoting lines in a film? In my book I have a character say two lines from Easy Rider. The whole point is that it's Easy Rider, and if it isn't that film, it has to be another motorcycle related film that is referenced directly. Is it fair use?

Bufty · Mar 3, 2010

If it's in passing and conversational I can't see any problem. You hear folk use lines from movies all the time in conversation.

That's my instant reaction, anyway, but......

shaldna · Mar 3, 2010

Magali - it's perfectally fine to use names so long as you don't say or imply anything that could be considered slanderous.

also it's really hard to read your posts because of the centred thing, not a complaint, just saying is all.

Bufty · Mar 3, 2010

Written statements may be libelous, not slanderous.

shaldna said:
Magali - it's perfectally fine to use names so long as you don't say or imply anything that could be considered slanderous.

also it's really hard to read your posts because of the centred thing, not a complaint, just saying is all.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 3, 2010

Sure you can do exactly that. Bruce Campbell, in fact, used celebrity name sin his novel, and had them abusing drug and doing all sorts of bad things. His lawyers told him not to worry about it, so he didn't. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but he got away with it.

I think worrying about "dating your work" makes no sense at all. Show me pretty much any novel set in the real world and I can tell you when it was written. Worrying about dating your novel most often means you're writign a novel that isn't going to sell because the setting doesn't ring true.

Margarita Skies · Mar 3, 2010

Of course all my manuscripts are left justified... did I say that right?

Not a problem, I am going to justify my posts on the left hand side from now on. I'd do anything for you guys since you've been so good to me. Thanks for all the advice you've given me, but I've decided not to use celebrity names at all. When one of my characters is listening to music, I'll just make up a name for that singer or say "Listening to the album of his or her favorite singer." That is all. That rarely occurs in my stories, though.

Lady Ice · Mar 3, 2010

Think about why it's important that the character's listening to music.

If it isn't that important and is just to show that the character is distracted or chilling, just write 'She listened to music.' The reader can then mentally add the music they listen to to chill.

If it's a certain style and this is important, just write something like 'She was listening to the latest hit album/a mix CD of tango music/ some classical symphony'.

Too many contemporary references will date your work- and the work that is most dated is ironically the work that was fashionable then. Don't try to be cool and fashionable- be honest, unless the book is purposefully set in 2001 or whenever that album was released, then it makes sense to pick up on what was fashionable then.

Bing Z · Mar 3, 2010

MagaliFuentes said:
When one of my characters is listening to music, I'll just make up a name for that singer or say "Listening to the album of his or her favorite singer." That is all. That rarely occurs in my stories, though.

It may be just me, but "Listening to the album of his or her favorite singer" seems flat to me. It's worse than just saying "listening to music."An invented singer would be very fine for me as a reader, so will a real name. Another benefit/downside of naming a real favorite singer is adding to the character's personality, appropriately or wrongfully. If you're worried about dating your novel too much, don't use names of potential one-hit wonders.

Margarita Skies · Mar 3, 2010

Bingain said:
It may be just me, but "Listening to the album of his or her favorite singer" seems flat to me. It's worse than just saying "listening to music."An invented singer would be very fine for me as a reader, so will a real name. Another benefit/downside of naming a real favorite singer is adding to the character's personality, appropriately or wrongfully. If you're worried about dating your novel too much, don't use names of potential one-hit wonders.

Ok, thank you so, so much!! I'll just take my time to think of an invented singer, writer or actor name when I come across that scene.

Once again thank you. You are awesome.

Using Celebrity Names!!

Margarita Skies

Scoody

scarletpeaches

Margarita Skies

Margarita Skies

scarletpeaches

Margarita Skies

scarletpeaches

poetinahat

Numbers are beautiful

Wayne K

Quossum

poetinahat

Numbers are beautiful

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

DrZoidberg

aka TomOfSweden

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Jamesaritchie

Margarita Skies

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

Bing Z

illiterate primate

Margarita Skies