As a gamer with a soft spot for pop culture references and quirky characters, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia when I think about Bert, the Farting Hippo from NCIS. The character was more than just a stuffed animal; he was a symbol of Abby Sciuto’s unique personality and the show’s ability to infuse humor into even the most serious situations.
Lovers of Abby Sciuto (played by Pauley Perrette) likely recall the “NCIS” forensic scientist for various reasons: her peculiar behaviors, her dark fashion sense, her strong bonds with friends and team members – not forgetting Bert, her squishable, flatulent friend, affectionately known as the Farting Hippo.
As the gaming enthusiast I am, my character is easily recognized by the studded leather collar reminiscent of Abby’s, which adorns the plush toy frequently featured on screen. This fluffy companion often serves as a prop in the forensics lab where I earn my living, and at other times he’s my trusty sidekick in the wild. Regrettably, Bert hasn’t seen daylight for quite some years now due to his surging popularity on set, and that’s not all – he ended up being locked away in a prop vault at CBS Studios. To make matters worse, there was an unforeseen trademark infringement lawsuit that proved to be a real headache for Paramount.
As a longtime fan of the hit TV show “NCIS,” I remember being deeply saddened when our beloved character Bert, played by the iconic actor Ralph Waite, suddenly disappeared from the show without any explanation. Now, years later, I find myself intrigued by the behind-the-scenes drama that led to Bert’s departure and the legal turmoil it caused for CBS and Paramount.
Bert is locked up tight for a reason
As a diehard fan, I’d rephrase it like this: Just as the catchy “Big Bang Theory” tune, Soft Kitty, stirred controversy due to its origins, it turns out that CBS discovered gold mines in Bert the Hippo’s fart jokes! In response, they went ahead and mass-produced their own line of Bert stuffed animals. However, Folkmanis Inc., the original creators, felt wronged by this move, asserting that CBS had unjustly profited from selling their own version of Berts.
Originally, Folkmanis, responsible for designing and producing Bert as depicted on the show with additional features added later, had a deal with CBS. The agreement allowed Folkmanis to create collar-bearing Berts equipped with voice boxes that produced fart sounds when squeezed. These products, along with keychains, were marketed on the CBS Store website. However, Folkmanis filed a lawsuit against Delivery Agent Inc. and S.F. Global Sourcing for copyright infringement. The allegation was that these companies collaborated to produce unauthorized Bert toys from Shanghai Orlind Toy Co. in China. CBS started purchasing these items and importing them for sale, effectively excluding Folkmanis from the deal, which the company argued breached its exclusive manufacturing rights. They requested $733,000 in damages and demanded the counterfeit Berts be destroyed.
It’s possible that CBS felt remorse when they issued a statement full of flatulence jokes in response to the lawsuit by Folkmanis, which was eventually settled two years later. Once the legal matter had passed, the network subsequently introduced official Bert slippers that produced a farting sound each time they were stepped on. If you’re still keen on acquiring a Bert figure, an unofficial “farting” hippo plush toy is currently available on Amazon for those who might be interested.
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2024-08-10 00:59