All of us have ideas from time to time but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are good ideas. This includes one particular epiphany that a comedian had, but it ended up working against her in the worst way.
When we look back at the Paris Olympics, most of us have forgotten a lot of the fanfare and excitement of the games. One thing we haven’t forgotten, however, is the breakdancing performance of Raygun as she represented Australia on the floor.
Dr. Rachel Gunn, who is better known as Raygun, her stage name, represented Australia in breakdancing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She did go out and do a dance, but it didn’t turn out well in the end.
Many people considered her dance to be ‘hilariously ridiculous’ and it introduced us to many new dance moves, including slithering like a snake and hopping like a kangaroo. In the end, she scored zero from the judges.
Instantly, Raygun became a recognizable face and appeared on a talk show to speak about the experience. She said that she would be leaving the breakdancing community and would no longer dance competitively.
She said: “I’d still break, but I’m not going to compete anymore. I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult thing for me to do now, to approach a battle … I mean, I still dance and I still break but, that’s like in my living room with my partner.”
The story got the attention of many people around the world, including Aussie comedian Steph Broadbridge. That is when she had a great idea, to create ‘Raygun: The Musical’ and she was ready to debut the show in Sydney.
It all came to a stop, however, after Raygun’s legal team sent letters to the iD Comedy Club, the promoter of the show, and told them that they would pursue legal action if the performance continued.
The legal team went on to release the following statement: ” While we have immense respect for the credible work and effort that has gone into the development of the show, we must take necessary steps to safeguard Rachael’s creative rights and the integrity of her work.
“This action is not intended to diminish the contributions of others, but rather to ensure her brand is properly represented and protected in all future endeavours.”
They spoke about how the trademark application for the ‘Raygun’ name was under review and they feel it will go through without any problem. They went on to say:
“The use of the ‘Raygun’ name by a comedian without approval has caused confusion among the public, potentially leading them to believe that ‘Raygun The Musical’ had Rachael’s endorsement or approval.
“This misuse of intellectual property is not only misleading but also jeopardises Rachael’s other commercial ventures, which rely on the integrity of her brand.”
