Duke University has a major problem with HBO’s hit series The White Lotus for including the college’s merch in a controversial scene.
The disputed scene appears in the fifth episode of the show’s third season, which aired in mid-March. The character, Timothy Ratliff, portrayed by Jason Isaacs, contemplates murdering his wife before committing suicide to escape the fallout from his criminal acts being investigated by the FBI.
The problem? In that scene, Ratliff, a Duke alum, wears a Duke T-shirt while holding a gun to his head. With the episode airing in the midst of March Madness (in which Duke has made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament), this scene immediately went viral, leading to online jokes and memes at Duke’s expense, much to the university’s chagrin.
Duke plays a significant role in the series besides this controversial scene. In addition to Ratliff, his son, Saxon, is also a Duke graduate. As a subplot, the younger Ratliff son, Lochlan, is trying to decide whether to attend Duke or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Duke: ‘Too Far’
Frank Tramble, vice president of communications, marketing and public affairs at Duke, decried the use of the school’s merch in the scene, saying that it had “gone too far.”
“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,” Tramble said, showing displeasure at the show’s depiction of suicide.
Noting that suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses, Tramble added, “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.”
Tramble said that while Duke respects artistic freedom and storytelling, the university’s concern is that HBO’s use of the school’s federally registered trademarks could cause White Lotus viewers to think Duke is affiliated with or endorses the series.
Besides voicing its concerns and highlighting available mental health resources, the university doesn’t have much legal recourse.
HBO most likely won’t remove the scene or respond to Duke’s statement. Under the First Amendment, artists can legally use trademarks or logos in creative works and productions.
