Watch the video: A recent lawsuit by a Chicago-area man against Conan O'Brien shows that some comedians consider joke-stealing to be no laughing matter.
Alex Kaseberg, a freelance comedy writer from Winnetka, accuses Conan O’Brien of using jokes he posted on Twitter and has filed a lawsuit against the late-night comedian.
We talk with comedian Dwayne Kennedy, Curtis Flagg, the director of operations at Chicago’s Laugh Factory; and Anne Libera, the director of comedy studies at Columbia College Chicago about the ethics of comedy and how jokes are shared among comedians.
In the Conan clip below, a joke about New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one Kaseberg alleges was originally his own:
Another Conan clip from a show in June includes a joke delivered by O'Brien about Caitlyn Jenner. Kaseberg also claims this was his joke, and that it was stolen:
Jokes in question that Kaseberg posted to his Twitter account:
Three streets named Bruce Jenner might have to change names. And one could go from a Cul-de-Sac to a Cul-de-Sackless.
— Alex Kaseberg (@AlexKaseberg) June 9, 2015
Tom Brady is going to give his MVP truck to the guy who won the game for the Patriots. So enjoy that truck, Pete Carroll.
— Alex Kaseberg (@AlexKaseberg) February 3, 2015