My Pet Goat - The Producers

01:20 am April 27th, 2006




			My Pet Goat - The Producers

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mrscake


	The Producers
	Harvard is apparently "gathering information" but not "investigating" the similarities between Kaavya Viswanathan's book and Megan McCafferty's Sloppy Firsts. The Harvard Independent has an article about a previous allegation of plagiarism concerning 17th Street Productions/Alloy Entertainment, which also packaged Opal Mehta. The whole situation is starting to remind me of The Producers, especially since the scandal has pushed the sales of all books involved way up. Anyhow, this would be to the tune of "Springtime for Hitler." Seventeenth was working hard at packaging a story Needed hot publicity to bring in lots of glory Where, Oh where are we? What could that stunt be? We looked around and then we found The face for you and me. And now it's.. Springtime for canned plots and marketing Writing is almost passe We're publishing at faster pace Hey, watch me use my copy-paste Springtime for canned plots and marketing We'll send a big-time advance Springtime for for canned plots and marketing Come on, ad men, go into your dance I was made for teenage girls, and that is why they call me hip Don't be stupid, be a smarty, come and join the Chick Lit party Springtime for canned plots and marketing Chick lit's the new step today Book packaging surprise again Titles are on the rise again Springtime for canned plots and marketing Cliches and plotlines galore Springtime for canned plots and marketing Means that soon we'll be going We've got to be going You know we'll be going to BORE!

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	Comments

	From: derspatchel	Date: April 26th, 2006 08:55 pm (UTC)		(Link)

My favorite observation so far, made by many and shared by myself, is "Of all the phrases and sentences to 'internalize', she goes and ganks those?!"

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	From: mrscake	Date: April 26th, 2006 10:31 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Whoever ganked them, whether it was Kaavya or a ghostwriter, I agree with you. :)

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	From: nekosensei	Date: April 26th, 2006 09:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The whole situation is starting to remind me of The Producers, especially since the scandal has pushed the sales of all books involved way up.

The same thing happened with the book, A Million Little Pieces when it came out that the author fabricated or overembellished many of the events he described.

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	From: mrscake	Date: April 26th, 2006 10:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yeah, I'm not sure what I think about Frey's book, though it seems like a reasonable solution is just cataloguing it as fiction.

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	From: nekosensei	Date: April 26th, 2006 10:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I haven't read it. I think one of these days I'll check it out from the library...maybe during the summer.

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: April 27th, 2006 03:19 am (UTC)		(Link)
They didn't discipline Dershowitz

It is outrageous that the University even dares to "collect information" on Kaavya. Half the law school faculty did the same thing in an academic context and the University didn't do a damn thing to them. They have no right or authority to discipline a student. The University administration has totally blown any credibility it has, and any attemt to discipline her will be met with an explosion from students.

Furthermore, what Dershowitz did is a thousand times worse, and the University is too scared to do anything to him. That man has been embarassing Harvard from time immemorial, and if Harvard is going to cover up his outrageous plagiarism scandal, it has no right to "collect information" in this case.

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	From: mrscake	Date: April 27th, 2006 03:38 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: They didn't discipline Dershowitz

It's getting tough to keep track of all the colorful people at Harvard!

I take it this is what you're referring to?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dershowitz-Finkelstein_affair

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	From: mrscake	Date: April 27th, 2006 05:24 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: They didn't discipline Dershowitz

Looks like the latest Crimson article did mention Dershowitz and a few other Harvard folks:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513104

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: April 28th, 2006 05:35 am (UTC)		(Link)
Integrity, honesty, discipline? What’s that?

Harvard lost its credibility long ago for tolerating thieves and scoundrels. Tar and feathers or hang them from the yardarm I say!

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	From: mrscake	Date: April 28th, 2006 07:00 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: Integrity, honesty, discipline? What’s that?

Despite all the publicity, though, Kaavya Viswanathan is far from the worst offender in the history of Harvard. The Crimson had yet more editorials today, one of which discussed other cases.

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