Duke University criticises ‘The White Lotus’ for using brand without permission
Duke University has criticised the hit HBO show The White Lotus for the use of their branding in the latest episode without their consent.
During the third season of Mike White’s original series, Jason Isaacs plays Timothy Ratliff, a character who learns that the FBI has discovered his involvement in a money laundering scheme. This leads to an incredibly dramatic and frightful scene.
As a result, the character is seen contemplating suicide, stealing a gun during the episode titled ‘Full-Moon Party’ and pointing it towards his head while his family are asleep. During this scene, the character is wearing a Duke sweatshirt, a school in which Ratfliff is an alumni.
In response to the episode, Duke University recently made a statement condemning the show’s use of their branding, representative Frank Tramble said, “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 continued: “Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. 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.”
The scene has led to the creation of memes on social media by university students, who have used the image of Ratliff holding a gun to their heads to describe their anticipation at the upcoming NCAA March Madness basketball tournament.
Despite Duke University’s condemnation, The White Lotus is only increasing in popularity with each season as people tune in for another round of satirical stories about the lives of the super-wealthy. The latest episode is the highest-rated of the series so far, pulling in 4.2 million viewers in the United States alone.
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