Fairy Godmother (Shrek)

The Fairy Godmother is a fictional character in DreamWorks' Shrek franchise, voiced by actress Jennifer Saunders. Introduced as the main antagonist of the second film, the Fairy Godmother is the mother of Prince Charming, who Princess Fiona was originally intended to wed prior to meeting Shrek. She plots against newlyweds Shrek and Fiona's relationship, using her magic and potions in an attempt to trick Fiona into falling in love with her son. She believes that ogres do not live happily ever after. Fairy Godmother is loosely based on the stock fairy godmother character in fairy tales, specifically "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty", serving as a parody of the common trope.

The Shrek franchise is based on William Steig's children's book Shrek!, which mentions a witch who predicts that Shrek will meet a donkey and marry a princess uglier than himself. Early drafts of the first film included a character named Dama Fortuna, a witch from whom Fiona receives the potion that modifies her enchantment, forcing her to alternate between her human and ogre forms on a nightly basis. Originally intended to reveal Fiona's backstory via prologue, the scene was discarded because it was deemed too depressing by test audiences. Wanting to incorporate some more fairy tale elements into the sequel, writer Ted Elliot reimagined the witch as Fiona's bigoted fairy godmother. Saunders recorded her role in four days and also provided her character's singing voice.

Fairy Godmother has received mostly positive reviews from film critics, who appreciated her humor and villainy, as well as Saunders' performance, which some critics compared to her Absolutely Fabulous character Edina Monsoon. Saunders' performance earned her a People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Villain.

## Development

### Creation

Although loosely based on William Steig's children's book Shrek!, the Shrek franchise differs greatly from its source material, particularly pertaining to its main characters. In Steig's story, a witch foretells that Shrek will marry a princess she describes as uglier in appearance than Shrek himself, prompting the ogre to pursue her. The witch also predicts that Shrek will meet a donkey, who will play a prominent role throughout his journey. Early storyboards for Shrek (2001) featured a witch named Dama Fortuna, a character originally intended to have been voiced by actress Linda Hunt. The character was written for a sequence entitled "Fiona’s Prologue", which was intended to depict Princess Fiona's backstory and disclose how she came to be imprisoned in the first place. Having originally been born an ogre to human parents who lock her away, Fiona escapes her tower and seeks assistance from the elderly "gipsy-like" fortune teller Dama Fortuna. In addition to teaching the princess about her past, the witch is responsible for giving Fiona a potion that alters her curse, initially offering her a choice between two potions, one of which promises to turn Fiona beautiful once consumed, while the other guarantees Fiona's happy ever after. After Fiona drinks the "Beauty" to find that she is still an ogre, Dama Fortuna explains that the potion allows her to become human during the daytime, only to revert to her ogre form each sunset until the spell is broken by true love's kiss.

The prologue was ultimately discarded because test audiences deemed it too depressing, prompting Hunt's departure. While discussing potential ideas for a sequel, DreamWorks recalled that they had enjoyed incorporating traditional fairy tale concepts into the franchise, specifically a fairy godmother "who eventually turned out to be a bit of a trickster". In May 2001, Ted Elliott, screenwriter of the first Shrek film, confirmed that a bigoted version of the Dama Fortuna character would be written into the sequel. Thus, the idea of Dama Fortuna was resurrected, and Fiona's fairy godmother was conceived as a magical entity whose use of magic and potions do not always benefit Shrek and Fiona. Thus, the character is considered to be a parody of traditional fairy godmother characters.

When developing Shrek Forever After (2010), the filmmakers wanted the film's villain, Rumpelstiltskin, to be as different as possible from previous Shrek villains. Compared to Fairy Godmother, Rumpelstiltskin was envisioned as a "ratty, childish, scummy man" to contrast with Fairy Godmother's eloquence as a businesswoman.

### Voice and characterization

Fairy Godmother is voiced by English comedian and actress Jennifer Saunders. Saunders recorded her entire role in only four days over the course of one year. The actress found working on an animated film to be liberating and found the experience to have several advantages as an actor, describing voice acting as a "perfect" career "because you get all these perks ... but you don't have to do any of that other, you know, filming ... no one's going to say, 'That movie didn't work because Jennifer Saunders' voice wasn't good'". Saunders concluded that performing in Shrek 2 (2004) "has been one of my favourite jobs in the world", additionally appreciating that critics and viewers were not able to judge her physical appearance. Saunders recorded her dialogue solely opposite director Andrew Adamson, who temporarily fulfilled all other characters' roles during Saunders' sessions. Saunders elaborated, "You feel that you've just done some stuff, and they then go away and pull it all apart and make this fantastic thing. Everyone in the cast has the same experience of the film ... It's like you haven't really been in it". Decca Aitkenhead of The Guardian believes Saunders "must have been the obvious choice for the producers of Shrek 2, for this ambiguous sensibility is the very essence of the film - a Hollywood send-up of Hollywood". At Saunders' request, the filmmakers allowed her to record a line of her character promising to return despite her death scene, as Saunders insisted that they would surely want to bring back Fairy Godmother in further installments, but the decision to kill off the character remained.Saunders provided all of her character's singing, recording two songs for the film. Saunders sang the "Fairy Godmother Song", a scene that parodies Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991) by featuring dancing furniture. Saunders also recorded a cover of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" (1984) for the film's soundtrack, which her character performs towards the end of film. During the sequence, Fairy Godmother sings while lying atop a grand piano, referencing Michelle Pfeiffer's sultry rendition of "Makin' Whoopee" in the film The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). As Saunders had recorded most of her part in isolation, it was not until the film's premiere at Cannes Film Festival that she met her castmates, including Antonio Banderas and Julie Andrews, who voiced Puss in Boots and Queen Lillian, respectively. The Dallas Observer journalist Robert Wilonsky found it interesting that Saunders, as opposed to Andrews, received two songs in the film. In terms of animation, Shrek 2 featured more human characters and complex costumes than its predecessor, among them the Fairy Godmother, who wears a floor-length one-piece gown. The final design was assembled using a combination of "an upper portion deformed by the character technical drawing and a lower section simulated by the clothing department".

Christopher Fiduccia of Screen Rant believed Saunders closely resembled her character, describing their facial features as "pretty much identical". Saunders described her character as "an attractive blonde with blue eyes, a tan and a nice smile". Writing for Variety, Todd McCarthy wrote that the character's appearance consists of "stylishly swept-back gray hair, glasses perched skeptically down her nose and constantly whirring wings keeping her airborne like a hummingbird". Michael O'Sullivan, writing for The Washington Post, described Fairy Godmother as "as far from the benign, Disney-fied wand-waver as possible". Comparing the character to Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent, Beliefnet described Fairy Godmother as villainous despite her "sweet and motherly" outward appearance. Likening her to a stage mother by "looking to advance her own child’s status, and thereby her own, through cut-throat methods", the author observed that the character "fulfills wishes as a business, with little heed to consequences. She has her own ulterior motives and isn’t afraid to manipulate, threaten, or blackmail to reach her objectives". The author concluded that the character can be used as "an example of the negative effects of forcing our own goals onto someone who trusts us. If we manipulate them for our own ends, we violate that sacred trust, and rob them of their ability to follow their own best path".

Josh Larsen of the Chicago Suburbs News wrote that the character behaves "like a magically powered plastic surgeon". The character's bubble motif references Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz (1939). James Kendrick of Qnetwork.com deemed the character "a perfectly distilled satirical jab at corporate ruthlessness".

## Appearances

Fairy Godmother first appears in Shrek 2 as the mother of Prince Charming, who had originally planned to rescue Fiona and become heir to the kingdom of Far, Far Away. Newly married Shrek and Fiona visit Far, Far Away to meet Fiona's parents for the first time, who are surprised to learn that Fiona has both married an ogre and remained one herself. When Fairy Godmother discovers that Fiona has married Shrek instead of Charming as originally intended, the character plots to manipulate Fiona into marrying her son, conspiring with Fiona's father King Harold to uphold a deal they had once made and kill Shrek in the process. Fairy Godmother also manages a potion factory, from which Shrek steals a potion in hope of becoming handsome to win his father in-law's approval. Shrek, Puss, and Donkey stop by her office and Shrek tells Fairy Godmother that Fiona is not feeling happy. She went to her library of Fairy Tales and for every book she went through she said "no ogres". She said to Shrek that ogres don't live happily ever after. Shrek got angry and insulted Shrek for pointing his dirty green sausages at her. She asks them to leave. After Shrek consumes the potion that turns both him and Fiona into attractive versions of themselves, Fairy Godmother tries to trick Fiona into believing that Charming is Shrek but she resists his new personality. Partnering with Charming and King Harold, Fairy Godmother instructs Harold to give Fiona a potion that, once consumed, will force her to fall in love with the first person she kisses, intending for it to be Charming. At Shrek and Fiona's wedding ball, Harold reveals that he intentionally did not give Fiona the potion. Angered, Fairy Godmother punishes Shrek and aims a blast from her wand at him, which is deflected by Harold who ultimately turns into a frog in the process and turns the Fairy Godmother into bubbles, killing her. Fiona chooses not to kiss Shrek in favor of the pair returning to their ogre forms so that she can remain married to the ogre she fell in love with.

In Shrek the Third (2007), the Fairy Godmother was seen in a picture on Prince Charming's vanity that said "mommy's little angel". In Shrek Forever After, the Fairy Godmother was not seen but she was mentioned in a flashback when King Harold told Queen Lillian that Fairy Godmother said that true love's kiss can break Fiona's curse. Lillian told him she does not trust Fairy Godmother and thought that Rumplestiltskin could end Fiona's curse. The character also appears in the video game adaptations Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek Forever After: The Video Game (2010).

## Reception

### Critical response

Teen Ink hailed Fairy Godmother as "the perfect villain", while Angie Errigo of Empire described her as a fun character. ReelViews' James Berardinelli described Saunders' performance as "perfectly nasty". Hugh Hart of the San Francisco Chronicle believed Saunders had won most of the film's "big laughs", while JoBlo.com's Berge Garabedian described her as a "nice rendition" of the classic character. Dan DeMaggio of Metro Times wrote that the character was "forever stealing the show", describing her as "a cross between a Mary Kay cosmetics saleswoman and Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate". Joe Morgenstern, film critic for The Wall Street Journal, cited Fairy Godmother as an example of the film "match[ing] vivid vocal performances with engaging new characters". Sympatico's Angela Baldassarre cited Fairy Godmother as an appealing character who "provide[s] the fodder needed to make this the must-see comedy of the season." Jon Niccum, writing for the Lawrence Journal-World, reviewed that Fairy Godmother especially "adds flavor" to the film. Writing for Slate, film critic David Edelstein deemed Fairy Godmother a "remarkable creation, like the sugary/steely face of the modern Disney", while the Deseret News' Jeff Vice observed that the character constantly steals the scene from Shrek and Fiona. The Spinoff's Josie Adams considered Fairy Godmother "the only part of [the film] worth pissing yourself for." Writing for Game Rant, Victoria Rose Caister called the character a smart, fun villain who is "evil but also entertaining to watch and kind of likable."

The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan wrote that Saunders "brings a deliciously nasty edge to her role". Scott Chitwood of ComingSoon.net wrote that the actress "delivers a fine performance", concluding, "If you liked her in Absolutely Fabulous, you’ll enjoy her in Shrek 2." Pete Vonder Haar of Film Threat observed that Saunders "seems to enjoy giving voice to the Fairy Godmother", preferring her over Charming. Kevin Lally of Film Journal International wrote that Saunders steals "the rest of the show ... bringing her Absolutely Fabulous haughtiness and wicked wit to the role", while Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail reviewed Fairy Godmother as some of Saunders' best work, hailing her character's entrance as "a gorgeous piece of animation". Also comparing Fairy Godmother to Saunders' Absolutely Fabulous character Edina Monsoon, The Guardian journalist Decca Aitkenhead described her as "an ambitious fag hag who bullies the royals as if they were her family in Ab Fab", believing that her performance, humor and delivery can only be rivaled by Eddie Murphy's Donkey. Variety film critic Todd McCarthy wrote that Saunders did "her best to elevate" the film via a performance he described as "worthy of the most cunning storybook characters." McCarthy also identified the addition of musical numbers to Saunders' performance as a bonus. Logan Raschke of The Daily Eastern News concluded the character "wouldn't be who she is if it wasn't for Jennifer Saunders (and fantastic writing)", describing the actress's portrayal as "stern, controlled and yet gentle when need be." The A. V. Club's Tom Breihan said Saunders "has audible fun" in the role.

Christian website Crosswalk.com deemed some of Fairy Godmother's behaviour "objectionable" and "unnecessary", particularly the scene in which she "writhes on a piano, singing a sexy song." Despite believing that Andrews could have voiced the character well, Bill Beyrer of CinemaBlend felt that Saunders "did a bang up job", but found the character's appearance to be too realistic at times. In a more negative review, the San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle found the character too distracting from Shrek and Fiona's storyline, continuing, "The filmmakers invest too much time and faith in the idea of the fairy godmother as being wickedly amusing, but she's no Cruella De Vil, and the movie suffers." However, LaSalle enjoyed Fairy Godmother's performance of "Holding Out for a Hero" nonetheless. Michael Sragow, film critic for The Baltimore Sun, wrote that "Not even ... Saunders can add zing to the script's rough sketch of a sorceress", dismissing her as "a female impersonator caught in a female body, promoting specialties that are the fairy-tale equivalents of super-extreme makeovers." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Paula Nechak felt that Fairy Godmother grew "tedious", believing that she "exist[s] solely to drive the plot." While reviewing Shrek Forever After (2010), Beth Patch of the Christian Broadcasting Network expressed gratitude that Fairy Godmother was "no longer part of the cast", having been replaced by Rumpelstiltskin as the film's villain.

### Recognition

Screen Rant ranked Fairy Godmother the third best DreamWorks villain, with author Matthew Wilkson attributing her high placement to her deceptively kind nature. The author crowned her "one of the most memorable villains in the history of Dreamworks". Saunders won Favorite Movie Villain at the 31st People's Choice Awards, one of five awards Shrek 2 won at the ceremony. Allison J. Scharmann, contributing to the Harvard Crimson, believed the "franchise would not be complete without the sequel’s introduction of Fairy Godmother". The Daily Edge ranked Fairy Godmother the seventh reason "we need to appreciate Shrek more than we already do", with author Rachel O'Neill describing the character as "a STUNNING villain" who is "constantly fixing all the problems the men in her life cause her". Bailey Rymes of Her Campus called Fairy Godmother the main reason she considers Shrek 2 the second best film in the series, describing her as an icon.

Her Campus ranked Fairy Godmother the second "Top 10 Female Villains in Animation", with contributor Lilivette Domínguez writing, "instead of hating to love her, you love to hate her because she is a likable villain ... you can’t really hate her because she was smarter than everyone else". Entertainment Weekly recognized Fairy Godmother as one of "13 who have us under their spell". Ranking the Fairy Godmother's performance of "Holding Out for a Hero" as the best song in the Shrek franchise, Grace Kinnicutt of Odyssey wrote "Fairy Godmother's outfit? She's slaying it. The song? A banger ... what more could you ask for in such a song?" At the 90th Academy Awards in 2018, several fans compared actress Meryl Streep's red gown, up-do hairstyle and glasses to Fairy Godtmother's on social media. Fans also suggested that the actress play the character in a live-action adaptation of the film.

Shrek character


Beck v. Eiland-Hall

Beck v. Eiland-Hall was a case filed in 2009 before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency. It was filed by political commentator Glenn Beck against Isaac Eiland-Hall, concerning the website "GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com". Eiland-Hall created the site as a parody to express the view that Beck's commentary style challenged his guests to prove a negative. The site's name was based on a joke first used by comedian Gilbert Gottfried at the 2008 Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget, in which Gottfried jokingly implored listeners to disregard the (non-existent) rumor that Saget had raped and murdered a girl in 1990. Online posters began an Internet meme comparing Gottfried's joke with Beck's style of debate, by requesting Beck disprove he had committed the act in question. Eiland-Hall launched his website on September 1, 2009.

Beck filed a complaint to the WIPO under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), arguing the domain name of the website was defamatory and asserted trademark infringement in its use of his name. Eiland-Hall filed a response brief to WIPO which cited the U.S. Supreme Court case Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, asserting the website's domain name was a form of free speech and satirical political humor.

Beck made a supplemental filing in the case arguing the domain name was misleading and might lead individuals to believe it contained factual information. Eiland-Hall filed a surreply and stated Beck had depreciated the value of the First Amendment by attempting to evade its reach in a legal proceeding outside U.S. courts. On October 29, 2009, WIPO ruled against Beck, concluding that Eiland-Hall was making a political statement through parody in a justified usage of the Glenn Beck mark.

Commentators noted Beck's actions led to a Streisand effect; his suit against the website drew increased attention to it. Representatives of Public Citizen, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Citizen Media Law Project were all of the opinion that Beck's trademark argument in his complaint against the website was ridiculous. The assistant director of the Citizen Media Law Project applauded WIPO's decision, saying, "It's good to see that this WIPO arbitrator had no interest in allowing Beck to circumvent the guarantees of the U.S. Constitution." Beck's representative declined comment to PC Magazine about the conclusion of the case. Lawyers for Beck did not respond to a request from National Public Radio for a comment about the WIPO ruling.

## History

### Background

#### Gilbert Gottfried joke

Gilbert Gottfried was a featured comedian at the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget which first aired on August 16, 2008. At Saget's roast, Gottfried jokingly begged listeners to disregard the (nonexistent) rumor that his fellow comedian "raped and killed a girl in 1990". Gottfried repeatedly warned the audience at the roast not to spread the rumor, which did not exist before the comedian's speech. The audience in attendance at the Comedy Central Roast were both shocked and amused by the preposterous nature of Gottfried's joke which seemed more ludicrous each time he repeated it.

#### Internet meme

On August 31, 2009, a post on the Internet discussion community Fark applied Gottfried's joke to Glenn Beck. Online posters compared the Internet meme to Beck's style of arguing, requesting that Beck disprove that he had committed the act in question. The meme spread to social-media websites, including Encyclopedia Dramatica, Reddit, Yahoo!, Answers.com, YouTube, Twitter and Digg.com. A variation of the Googlebomb technique was used, in which Google provided "Glenn Beck murder" as a search suggestion in a query for "Glenn Beck".

Isaac Eiland-Hall, a 34-year-old computer science student in Panama City, Florida, saw the discussion on Fark using the Gottfried joke on Beck and created a website, GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com, intending it as a parody of Beck's style of political commentary. He chose not to identify with the WHOIS service and decided to remain anonymous. Eiland-Hall used the domain name registrar Namecheap for his site. It was launched on September 1, 2009, and received over 120,000 page views during its first 24 hours. The website asserted that it did not believe the charges were true. Eiland-Hall wrote on the site that those furthering the meme were asserting that Beck used a similar strategy to promote his opinions and increase his viewership.

The webpage originally displayed a small text disclaimer at the bottom, stating that the site was satirical. Eiland-Hall later placed two prominent disclaimers at the top of the page, which identified it as parody. The disclaimer at the top of the website's main page stated its entire contents was parody, and included a link to a larger disclaimer at the bottom of the page. The site criticized Beck's tactic of challenging those he opposes to prove a negative. Eiland-Hall told Politics Daily that after reading the initial thread at Fark which started the meme, he came to the conclusion that for those involved online participation in its propagation was a form of catharsis. He explained in an interview with Ars Technica that it was a means of utilizing Beck's strategies to criticize him and a way to focus exasperation around Beck's style of commentary into action. Eiland-Hall's website inspired copycat parodies.

### Litigation

#### Beck initiates legal action

By September 3, 2009, attorneys representing Mercury Radio Arts, Glenn Beck's media company, had requested that the domain registrar of Eiland-Hall's website delete the site. Beck's lawyers characterized the site's location as libelous. They demanded that the domain registrar revoke the WhoisGuard privacy-protection service for the website, and turn over contact information for the then-anonymous Eiland-Hall. The registrar, NameCheap, refused. On September 4, 2009, Beck's lawyers sent another letter to the domain registrar, repeating their requests and noting that they had read the website's contents and were therefore aware from statements posted to the site that its operator had been notified by the registrar.

Their second letter to NameCheap observed that the site was still operational on September 4, 2009, in spite of their prior requests on behalf of Beck. The domain registrar changed the name server of the website without telling Eiland-Hall; after contacting the registrar, he was permitted to return to his original name server. In an interview with Gawker on September 9, 2009, Eiland-Hall remarked that Beck's attorneys contacted the registrar of the domain, his hosting provider, as well as the company which housed the servers for his website. He noted that the hosting provider informed him they would not cooperate with the requests from Beck's lawyers unless they received a court order.

#### WIPO complaint

In September 2009, lawyers for Beck and Mercury Radio Arts filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) against the privacy service for Eiland-Hall's website. WIPO is a Switzerland-based agency of the United Nations. The rules of WIPO's Arbitration and Mediation Center were created by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The privacy service for the website revealed the identity of the site's owner in response to Beck's complaint.

The complaint stated that Eiland-Hall was trying to distort perceptions about the purpose and derivation of the site. Beck argued that the domain name of the website could be confused with his trademark, "Glenn Beck". The complaint described the website's domain name as libelous claiming that it encroached upon Beck's legally registered claim of his name. Beck did not claim libel or defamation in the complaint, focusing on the legal issue of trademark. The complaint asserted that the website itself contained factually inaccurate information, was unauthorized and defamatory, and that it was highly probable it would create uncertainty among Beck's potential customers.

Beck's complaint asserted that the domain name of the website was an example of bad-faith registration. It argued that Eiland-Hall had no legitimate interest in, or right to, the website's domain name. As of September 2009 Beck was in the process of trademarking the use of his name for "goods and services", including the usage of "Glenn Beck" on merchandise.

#### Eiland-Hall response

Eiland-Hall retained First Amendment rights lawyer Marc Randazza to represent him. According to Randazza, Eiland-Hall sought legal representation after he was contacted with legal requests from lawyers representing Beck. On September 28, 2009, Randazza filed a 17-page response brief on behalf of his client, asserting that the website's domain name was a form of protected political speech and satirical political humor. According to Randazza, the website was used for satirical purposes and its owner was not attempting to profit from it. Randazza wrote that an individual would have to be a pathetic idiot to come under the impression that his client's website was directly affiliated with Beck, contending that the website's domain name could not be confused with the "Glenn Beck" trademark except to "a moron in a hurry".

Randazza asserted that Beck had insufficiently demonstrated trademark rights to his name, "Glenn Beck", and claimed that Beck was actually trying to have the website taken down because he did not appreciate the criticism through satire which parodied Beck's own techniques. He argued that Eiland-Hall had legitimate rights to his website's domain name because of its use to criticize Beck using political satire and as part of the Internet meme which had begun on the Fark website.

The brief gave a short history of Internet phenomena, including video parodies of the German film Downfall, memes based on the film 300, "Hitler Hates Kanye West", "All your base are belong to us", "Mr. Spock Ate My Balls", and the gerbil story involving Richard Gere.

Randazza traced the website's origin, explaining the internet meme's roots in Gilbert Gottfried's joke. He then spelled out the root comedic intent of Eiland-Hall's website, in an explanation he termed the humor equation:

(Outrageous Accusation) + (Celebrity) + (Question Why the Celebrity Does Not Deny the Accusation) = (Confirmation of the Falsity of the Accusation + Laughter)

The Eiland-Hall response brief cited a clip of Beck interviewing United States Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim from Minnesota. Beck had stated to U.S. Representative Ellison, "No offense and I know Muslims, I like Muslims, I've been to mosques, I really don't think Islam is a religion of evil. I think it's being hijacked, quite frankly. With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying let's cut and run. And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview because what I feel like saying is, sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies. And I know you’re not. I’m not accusing you of being an enemy. But that’s the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." It was argued that this was an example of Beck's interview style in which he challenged his guests to prove a negative. Randazza concluded Beck's rhetorical style was similar to Gottfried's, simply devoid of comedic intent.

Randazza's argument compared the case to the Supreme Court of the United States case Hustler Magazine v. Falwell. Randazza wrote that Beck was attempting to evade the First Amendment to the United States Constitution by filing the legal process with an agency of the United Nations instead of in a U.S. court. In the legal brief, Randazza pointed out that Beck's action of going to the WIPO in an attempt to get the website taken down was in contradiction to his prior statements saying he preferred United States law over international law.

On September 29, 2009, Randazza requested that Beck voluntarily ask that the First Amendment be applied to the arbitration case, despite its international setting. Randazza made this request because Beck's political commentary favored the United States Constitution over international law. Randazza's September 29, 2009 letter to Beck's attorneys cited statements by Beck in which he indicated he preferred United States law over international law. Beck had said, "Once we sign our rights over to international law, the Constitution is officially dead." Randazza's letter concluded: "I am certain that neither party wishes to see First Amendment rights subordinated to international trademark principles, thus unwittingly proving Mr. Beck's point. Lest this case become an example of international law causing damage to the constitutional rights that both of our clients hold dear, I respectfully request that your client agree to stipulate to the application of American constitutional law to this case."

On October 8, 2009, Randazza was interviewed about the case on the WPRR radio program, Declaring Independence. He explained why Beck did not file a libel lawsuit in the United States. He pointed out that because Beck was a public figure he had to prove a legal standard referred to as actual malice, and show that Eiland-Hall knew his assertions were inaccurate. He explained that this did not apply to Eiland-Hall's website even if it was knowingly inaccurate, because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell that no proof is needed for an absurd statement made in the context of satire.

#### Supplemental filing and surreply

Beck submitted a supplemental filing in the case on October 13, 2009. In the supplemental filing, his attorneys argued that the joke of the Eiland-Hall website was not obvious; therefore, the website's domain name was misleading. The filing asserted: "While there is absolutely nothing humorous or amusing about the statement made by Respondent in his domain name that 'Glenn Beck Raped and Murdered a Young Girl in 1990,' the average Internet user finding the domain name GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlin1990.com ("Disputed Domain Name") in a search would have no reason not to believe that they will be directed to a website providing factual information (as opposed to protected criticism or similar protected speech) about Mr. Beck."

On October 20, 2009, Eiland-Hall filed a surreply in response to Beck's supplemental filing. Eiland-Hall asserted in the surreply that Beck was the butt of a viral joke which was protected speech even if it was not perceived as comedic in nature by the subject. He stated Beck had depreciated the value of the First Amendment by attempting to evade its reach in a legal proceeding outside U.S. courts.

#### WIPO ruling

On October 29, 2009, the WIPO ruled against Glenn Beck in the case. For Beck to have prevailed in the case, the WIPO court would have had to have ruled in Beck's favor on three issues: that the domain name could be mistaken for the mark "Glenn Beck"; that Eiland-Hall did not have a justifiable stake in the name, and that the domain name was "bad faith". On the first point, WIPO arbitrator Frederick M. Abbott ruled that the domain name could be confused with the "Glenn Beck" mark. On the issue of profit from Beck's mark WIPO ruled that there had not been substantial commercial activity to warrant this particular claim. Abbott was the sole arbitrator on the WIPO panel.

Abbott concluded that Eiland-Hall had legitimate interests in the website's name for purposes of political satire in the form of comedic parody. Abbott did not draw a conclusion on the third point, noting that it was unlikely that Beck would have prevailed on the "bad faith" issue. Abbott wrote that the determination of whether the website is defamatory would not be an issue for WIPO. Instead, the WIPO limited the case's scope to a determination of whether the website registrant had engaged in "abusive domain name registration and use".

### Eiland-Hall gives domain to Beck

On November 6, 2009, Eiland-Hall wrote to Beck, giving him control of the domain free of charge, and providing Beck with its username and password. Eiland-Hall wrote that he had made his point, and the act of filing the complaint exacerbated the situation for the complainant. Eiland-Hall explained his rationale for giving away the domain name, citing his desire to protect the applicability of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had been satisfied.

Techdirt reported on November 6, 2009, that GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com was a dead site; by November 10 the domain name was registered to Beck's company, Mercury Radio Arts. In a notice posted to one of his other websites, Eiland-Hall wished Beck (then suffering from appendicitis) well, and characterized the conclusion of the case as a success. In a post on his blog, Eiland-Hall's lawyer Marc Randazza described the case as a victory for freedom of speech.

Beck did not respond to Eiland-Hall's letter, and Beck's representative declined comment to PC Magazine about the conclusion of the case. Lawyers for Beck did not respond to a request for comment about the WIPO ruling from National Public Radio.

## Commentary

### Complaint and response

Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Corynne McSherry and Paul Levy of Public Citizen commented on the case to Ars Technica, calling Beck's trademark claim before the WIPO ridiculous. The Citizen Media Law Project agreed with this assessment. Levy noted that domain names, in and of themselves, could be seen as defamatory; however, the statement in the domain name would have to be deemed both false and malicious. Levy and McSherry thought that the filing may have been to ascertain Eiland-Hall's identity, which was anonymous prior to the complaint. McSherry couldn't recall a prior case where an individual asserted a domain name was libelous. Jack Bremer of The First Post wrote that the attempt by Beck's lawyers arguing the domain name of the website was itself defamatory had likely never occurred before in the field of information technology law.

Media commentators, including Paul Schmelzer of the Minnesota Independent, Andy Carvin of National Public Radio, and Andrew Allemann of Domain Name Wire, considered Randazza's legal brief entertainingly written. Writing for Bostonist, Rick Sawyer called Randazza's legal brief very funny and considered him among the uproariously amusing wordsmiths in North Shore, Massachusetts. Eriq Gardner of Adweek noted that the case had strategic import for the field of politics, referring to Beck's style of commentary as exemplified in the interview with Congressman Keith Ellison. Chris Matyszczyk of CNET News commented on the legal issues of the case; he asked whether it should hold to U.S. law as it involved two citizens, and additionally wondered if Beck was asserting trademark over his full name or his individual first and last names as well. Ed Brayton of ScienceBlogs called Randazza's request that Beck stipulate to United States law intellectually creative. Daily Kos pointed out the inherent hypocrisy in Beck's legal position of seeking redress in an international agency when compared to his prior statements criticizing foreign law in favor of U.S. law.

### Streisand effect

Commentators analyzed Beck's actions with respect to the "Streisand effect". Jim Emerson of the Chicago Sun-Times commented that the website's disclaimer was not enough to dissuade attorneys representing Beck from attempting to have the site removed, which triggered the Streisand effect and backfired against their client. Jeffrey Weiss of Politics Daily wrote that by taking legal action, Beck achieved the one impact he did not desire, namely garnering more attention for Eiland-Hall's website. John Cook of Gawker noted Beck's attempts to remove the site from the Internet helped assure it would become noteworthy because of his actions.

Mike Masnick wrote about the case on Techdirt, commenting on the effect of Beck's actions on the meme's spread. He observed in retrospect it would have been advantageous for Beck to have simply done nothing rather than encourage the meme as a byproduct of his attempts to remove it from the Internet. Masnick pointed out that Beck's actions provided legitimacy to the meme's noteworthiness. Steffen Schmidt wrote of Beck's predicament in a Des Moines Register article: "Mr. Beck has quite a task ahead of him. Shutting down one web site is like trying to eradicate Pueraria lobata the dreaded Kudzu vine that is eating the South." Citizen Media Law Project observed Beck had exacerbated the situation by intimating legal tactics against Eiland-Hall, which served to increase the popularity of the meme and coverage of it among blogs.

## Impact

At the conclusion of the WIPO case Glynnis MacNicol of Mediaite commented that those afforded freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment — including Glenn Beck — must allow for an Internet environment with the same rights given to everyone. Brayton of ScienceBlogs pointed out that Beck and his lawyers never replied to Randazza's request for all parties to stipulate to the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment in the case. Brayton observed that this was irrelevant as Beck's case was weak even when examined under the standards of the UN agency. Of Eiland-Hall's decision to turn the domain over to Beck after the conclusion of the case he commented that this was a wise strategic move. Monica Hesse of The Washington Post remarked upon the conclusion of the case that the division between what is considered libel and satire was murky, and asked whether this determination was more difficult to make on the Internet where speech can be amplified by others.

Wendy Davis of Online Media Daily commented on the potential impact of the case, and observed it was a victory for proponents of Internet rights. Davis pointed out a judgment for Beck would have enabled additional WIPO cases from individuals who were the focus of satire on the web, as a way for those people to avoid judgment in U.S. courts which adhere to First Amendment case law. John Cook of Gawker called Eiland-Hall's decision to turn the domain name over to Beck an optimal end to the affair which emphasized the ridiculousness of Beck's actions. Citizen Media Law Project assistant director Sam Bayard applauded WIPO's decision, noting, "It's good to see that this WIPO arbitrator had no interest in allowing Beck to circumvent the guarantees of the U.S. Constitution."

The Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote in his 2010 book Tears of a Clown, that Beck had been baited by Eiland-Hall to confirm the importance of the United Nations. Alexander Zaitchik came to a similar conclusion in his 2010 book Common Nonsense, and pointed out the discrepancy between Beck's criticism of the United Nations as part of a New World Order with Beck's subsequent reliance upon the WIPO where he chose to file the case. The case was cited by Jude A. Thomas in a 2011 article published in the John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law. In a discussion of the conflicts between freedom of speech and trademark, Thomas noted that panels of the UDRP have concluded website operators had fair use over domain names even in cases where the name in question was exactly the same as that trademarked by the individual filing the complaint to the WIPO.

## See also

- Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget
- "Dances with Smurfs"
- Glenn Beck Program
- List of Internet phenomena
- List of satirists and satires
- News satire
- "Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson"

Lawsuit filed by political commentator Glenn Beck against Isaac Eiland-Hall


Fatboy (EastEnders)

Arthur "Fatboy" Chubb (also credited as Fat Boy) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Ricky Norwood. He made his first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 before appearing in the spin-off. Fatboy is one of four main characters in the first series of E20 and makes cameo appearances in the second and third series. He was created by the EastEnders: E20 writing team during a BBC summer school in August 2009. He frequently uses London street slang and is described as brash, confident, caring, a hustler and a womaniser. Norwood won the Best Newcomer award at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards and Most Popular Newcomer at the 2011 National Television Awards for his portrayal of Fatboy, and has been nominated for two further awards. In 2014, Norwood was temporarily suspended from the soap for two months after a tape of improper conduct involving him leaked onto the internet. In November 2015, the character lost his nickname and was simply credited as Arthur Chubb from 20 November until his final appearance.

On 16 October 2015, it was announced that Norwood was to leave EastEnders at the end of his contract. Details of when or how Fatboy would leave were not revealed but Norwood filmed his final scenes later that month. He departed on 24 December 2015, but was killed off-screen in the next episode. However, for the death of his friend Dot Branning (June Brown), a card of condolence was sent to her funeral in his name, speculating that Fatboy may have survived his apparent death. In 2023, Norwood filmed an unannounced cameo appearance as part of a flashback sequence to coincide with the return of Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), which aired on 29 August 2023.

## Storylines

Fatboy meets with friend Mercy Olubunmi (Bunmi Mojekwu) to help with a project to encourage more young people to the church. They meet Leon Small (Sam Attwater) and Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny) and start squatting in a flat. On their last night in the flat, he arranges a party but leaves before the police arrive. Knowing they can no longer stay there, he invites Zsa Zsa, Mercy and Leon to stay at his house in Wanstead, but Mercy goes home to her grandmother. After several weeks, Leon and Fatboy return to Walford to look for Zsa Zsa, who has run away. They eventually settle in and make new friends. Fatboy, Leon, Zsa Zsa, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), Lucy Beale (Melissa Suffield) and Lucy's brother Peter (Thomas Law) go to Hampshire and he attends a party with Peter while the others spend time in the woods. He is reunited with Mercy but a fight breaks out, so they escape and drive back to Fatboy's uncle's home. Peter hits something with the van and the next day they fear it was Leon, as he is missing, but he eventually turns up.

During a party at the community centre, Fatboy smuggles in alcohol and kisses Denise Fox (Diane Parish), angering her husband Lucas (Don Gilet), who throws Fatboy out and begins angrily preaching to him. This causes Fatboy to argue with Mercy. During the argument, Mercy pushes him and he falls onto a tree in the Square's gardens planted in memory of Lucas's ex-wife Trina (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), snapping it. Fatboy enlists the help of Mercy, Leon and Zsa Zsa to replace it, but as they dig it up, they uncover a dead body, that of Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner (Lee Ross), who Lucas murdered eight months previously. After he smashes Dot Branning's (June Brown) window, she makes Fatboy fix it. He does a bad job so she insists he pay for a professional, asking Fatboy to wait in her house for the professional to arrive. The two eventually become friends. After Leon and Zsa Zsa move away, he joins the local church choir with Dot.

Fatboy gets a month's trial on the market with his own stall, starting a repair business. He reveals that his father, Ashley Chubb (Colin Mace), has lost his job and his parents have split up. Ashley arrives in Walford, asking for his son's help, as he has spent Fatboy's inheritance on alcohol. Mercy reveals she may face exportation as her visa has expired and Fatboy tells Ashley he is in love with Mercy. Ashley reports Mercy to the UK Border Agency so that Fatboy will forget about her, and she decides to leave before she has been asked to. Fatboy and Mercy say an emotional goodbye, but Fatboy stops her taxi and proposes marriage, realising she can stay in the country if they are married. The pair get married, but Mercy feels guilty about the deception, so decides to go back to Nigeria anyway, and they say an emotional goodbye. Fatboy is distraught over his loss and eventually decides to move in with Dot. Mercy's sister Faith Olubunmi (Modupe Adeyeye) then arrives in Walford to tell Fatboy that Mercy has had their marriage annulled. Fatboy starts a relationship with Faith, but it soon ends.

Fatboy develops feelings for his friend Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), though Whitney is involved with Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline). When Whitney and Tyler's relationship breaks down, Fatboy admits his feelings for Whitney and the pair start a relationship. Eventually, Whitney admits that she wants Tyler. Fatboy is heartbroken and punches Tyler. When Denise Fox (Diane Parish) gets unwanted attention from a man at a party, Fatboy defends her and they end up having sex. The next morning, an embarrassed Denise tells him it was a mistake, but he cannot stop thinking about her, and eventually plucks up the courage to go to her house, where she is unable to resist him. However, the relationship ends, and Fatboy then starts a relationship with Poppy Meadow (Rachel Bright). Eventually, Fatboy and Poppy both go to lodge with Dot. Fatboy and Poppy's relationship turns sour when Poppy suggests that they should buy a house together. He suggests to Poppy that they rent a flat to begin with and take it from there. However, when Denise feels uncomfortable with the way fiancée Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) is treating her, she gets comfort from Fatboy and the pair are unable to resist each other. When Poppy finds out that they shared a kiss, they realise that they are not right for each other and break up.

When Fatboy is told that he is no longer needed to work at The Queen Victoria public house, he accepts a job at Ian's restaurant as a waiter. Denise feels awkward and confesses the truth to Ian, but does not mention Fatboy's name. At The Queen Vic, Fatboy consoles Denise when their kiss during the engagement party is revealed. Fatboy begins running the car lot in Walford. His friendship with Donna Yates (Lisa Hammond) grows and they have a one-night stand, but, feeling it is making their friendship weird, he rejects her afterwards despite her thinking she might have deeper feelings for him. Things between them are awkward, and when Donna's foster brother Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) finds out, he confronts Fatboy and locks him in a cupboard. He returns the next day to find that Fatboy has not been discovered, and from how scared Fatboy is, realises something is wrong. Fatboy opens up about the fact his mother used to lock him up for extended periods of time, which led to him assuming the comedic persona of "Fatboy". Vincent convinces him to use his real name, Arthur, again, and gives him a job as DJ at his bar, The Albert, as long as he no longer puts on a false persona, starting with admitting to Donna that he will now be showing his true self to her.

Fatboy gets tangled in Vincent's vendetta against the Mitchell family and trying to kill Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Fatboy repeatedly tries to convince Vincent to stop, and interrupts Vincent when as he is about to throttle Phil. Fed up with his interference, Vincent threatens Fatboy with violence against Dot if he does not leave Walford forever. Fatboy tells Dot that he is going to see his father for Christmas and shares a final dinner with her before saying goodbye. He confronts Vincent one last time, demanding that he stay away from Dot, and leaves Walford. The next day, Vincent discovers Ronnie planned to have him killed and crushed in a car, but asked for the car's driver to be killed, assuming it would be Vincent. Fearing that his mother Claudette Hubbard (Ellen Thomas) has been kidnapped and could possibly be killed, Vincent rushes to the scrapyard to rescue her, only to find Fatboy's phone and necklace amongst some blood in the boot of the crushed car. Distraught about Fatboy's apparent death, Vincent tells Ronnie the car was empty and urges Claudette to end their feud with the Mitchells as it has caused Fatboy's death. Weeks later, Vincent confronts Claudette, who admits she knew that he would be killed if he was driving, so sent Fatboy instead.

## Creation and development

Fatboy is one of four characters created for the first series of the EastEnders online spin-off EastEnders: E20 who also appear in the main show, along with Zsa Zsa, Leon and Mercy. Fatboy, along with the other characters from E20, was created by the show's thirteen writers during a summer school run by the BBC in August 2009. Open auditions for the cast were held at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Norwood's casting was announced on 25 November 2009, on which he said "I am so excited to be on the show. It's an honour to now be part of a show that has been on in my house for as long as I have been alive. I am born and bred in the East End—a stone's throw from the real Albert Square. It feels like a homecoming. I love being part of a cast that feels like family and can't wait to have a scene in The Vic." Kenny, who was also one of the writers, said a character like Fatboy would not have appeared in EastEnders had he not been written by young people. Norwood stated in 2013 that being from east London and playing a character from east London meant that he could "bring the truth to that character from the knowledge I have. [I can] try and bring the truth out of that instead of doing it from an outside perspective."

Although his co-stars Attwater and Kenny were axed from the cast in May 2010, Norwood revealed his contract had been extended to December 2010, saying that the producers saw "some future in Fatboy". In January 2011 it was reported that due to the character's popularity, producers were planning to expand Fatboy's family and were in the process of casting his father, Ashley Chubb. An EastEnders insider is reported to have said "Fatboy has been a real hit with viewers and the bosses have decided that it's now time to bring in his dad so people can see what Fatboy is really all about." Norwood's contract was once again renewed in late 2013 for another year, by the new executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who promised "juicy storylines" for the character. One source from the programme said "Fatboy is a popular character and appeals to all ages. He's not had a decent storyline for a while but always provides much-needed humour in Albert Square. [...] He’s got some good stuff coming up and is an important member of the cast."

### Characterisation

When the character was announced, he was described as a hustler who sees everything as an opportunity, and has created several personas since the age of seven to hide his real self. Norwood expanded on this, saying "when he was in school and the register was being read out and it got to his name it would be 'Chubb!' and all the kids in school would start taking the mickey out of it. What he did was create something even more ridiculous to take away from that. He took the mickey out of himself and took the power away from those that were taking the mickey out of him. [...] For the same reason most kids put on a front, it's to protect himself from the world. He doesn't like his real name so he tried to create something that would get away from that and Fatboy was that creation. The street and the slang stuff is not something that is far away from him, it is still from the area that he lives in. Fatboy was someone he adopted to put a brave face on, to put a mask on himself, to protect Arthur from the world." Before adopting the "Fatboy" persona, he would adopt personas of men he saw on television, and Norwood said Fatboy was "an awkward kind of child". Fatboy comes from a wealthy background, and gets what he wants from his parents, with whom he has a good relationship, but hustles to hide the fact. He often wears clothing brand Ed Hardy, and his speech has, according to Norwood, a "unique rhythm". Norwood is able to make viable changes to the script to make it sound more authentic.

Norwood said the character's introduction was "trying to bring the street to Albert Square" and that the street slang the character uses is what he grew up with himself. He described the character in an interview with entertainment website Digital Spy as "[wanting] to be a gangsta at times, a caring person, a player, a womaniser, the businessman... There are so many things that he wants to be and that shifts depending on the situation," adding that he is quick to solve problems and always has a plan. Additionally, a profile for the character on the official EastEnders website calls him brash, a wheeler-dealer, confident and a loveable soft-touch.

Norwood said in January 2011 that Fatboy has developed over time and is continuing to develop, with more sides to his personality being shown. Fatboy's caring side is shown in several EastEnders scenes, most notably his friendship with Dot, and a scene where Fatboy and Mercy bring a cake to Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) after her child dies of cot death. Although Norwood said in January 2011 that Fatboy will always be a joker, he felt it was good to show Fatboy's softer, more intelligent side, saying that the character's "street" side drops quickly when he is around Dot and Mercy. Norwood said that Fatboy wants to improve himself, but fears that showing his caring side in London will get him beaten up.

### Relationships

#### Mercy Olubunmi

In April 2011, Mercy faces deportation to Nigeria, and Fatboy plans to save her by proposing. Norwood revealed that Mercy is shocked by the proposal, adding "Mercy thinks he's lost his marbles, but soon comes round to the idea. Fatboy reckons that this isn't about his feelings, it's all about keeping her in the UK. Of course, he's also hoping that if she stays, maybe she'll end up liking him in the way he likes her. [...] You can get into a lot of trouble for [trying to fool immigration officials], [b]ut all Fatboy can think is, 'How can I save Mercy?' She's the girl he loves." Although Fatboy is in love with Mercy, he does not believe that Mercy sees him as more than a friend and may call off the wedding if he tells her. He does not think of the consequences, such as imprisonment. Norwood revealed that Fatboy has known Mercy since they were nine years old and he had feelings for her when EastEnders: E20 started, as he was upset when she got pregnant by someone else. He said that Fatboy would be heartbroken when Mercy leaves. Norwood told Inside Soap that the wedding creates more problems for the characters, rather than solving all their problems. The fact that they try so hard to prove they are genuine makes it "very hard for them to be friends." The wedding episode sees Fatboy have a dream come true, but at the same time it is a nightmare for him. Knowing the wedding is a sham he is "waiting for that monster to appear". Ashley turns up and is annoyed that Fatboy has kept the wedding a secret, and of this, Norwood stated: "When [Ashley] finds out what has happened he is pretty shocked. He tries to make Fatboy see the consequences of his actions, but Fatboy doesn't want to hear it—his dad has already betrayed him when it comes to Mercy." Mercy is shocked to learn that Fatboy did not tell her that Ashley reported her. Although Norwood concluded that Fatboy "will go to the ends of the earth to make this marriage work".

#### Denise Fox

In October 2012, it was confirmed by Daniel Kilkelly, a reporter for Digital Spy, that a new storyline would see Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Fatboy spend the night together after he rescues her when she gets unwanted attention from a man. Norwood, who plays Fatboy, told Inside Soap, "Right now, I don't think Fatboy is looking for love - but he's happy to be swept off his feet by Denise, who's this hot older woman he never imagined he could be with."Denise is a scorching woman - she's got a dynamite body and a beautiful smile. She's way out of his league, but there is a lot of chemistry between them. I think they'd make a really good couple. That would be cool. Fatboy may be young, but he's got an old soul and he's not just some young boy messing about. There is potential there if Denise could see it, but because of the age thing, I think she might worry that people were saying things about her. Right now, she's just enjoying herself." Norwood added that while the pair's relationship was sexual, a serious future for them could be possible.

#### Poppy Meadow

In November 2012, Fatboy starts a relationship with his friend Poppy Meadow (Rachel Bright). This was teased by executive producer Lorraine Newman when it was announced Poppy was to become a full-time character. She said, "We'll see Poppy become involved in a relationship very soon, which is progressing very well in the material we're working on at the moment." Digital Spy said of the relationship that "viewers will have to wait and see who she falls for and how things pan out as the new plot develops". It was confirmed that Fatboy would be Poppy's new relationship when they kiss in 22 November's episode. The pair "grow close" after Poppy's sister Tansy Meadow (Daisy Wood-Davis) visits and Fatboy acts as Poppy's "high-flying" businessman boyfriend to help Poppy look good in front of Tansy. Bright said of the relationship: "It's really sweet. I don't think Poppy or Fatboy realised they liked each other as they've been friends for a while. She's unsure at first because she doesn't want to ruin a friendship. She's also been unlucky in love, so she's a little bit wary. But I think she can trust Fatboy. I think the pair of them need love."

In December 2012, it was announced that Fatboy and Poppy would have a BBC Red Button special episode, after Poppy decides to spend Christmas with Fatboy. The story continues on the Red Button. Bright said, "Poppy spends the day with Fatboy. She is under pressure to go back to her family, but realises she doesn't want that. [She] and Fatboy have a romantic day, but you don't see anything on screen [in the Christmas episode] because it is dominated by the Brannings. There will be an interactive section where viewers can press the red button and see a ten-minute film of how Poppy and Fatboy spent their day."

In January 2013, Norwood told Amy Duncan from Metro that the relationship with Poppy was "needed for Fatboy" as he had so far been unlucky in love and "to find somebody that liked him as much as he liked her has been a great boost for him and it's definitely put an extra spring in his step." He noted a comedy aspect of their relationship, calling it "quite sweet" and "funny". He opined that it would be "excellent" if they were to marry, saying their wedding would be "crazy".

### Departure

On 16 October 2015, it was announced Norwood had been axed from EastEnders after nearly six years in the role of Fatboy, after show bosses chose to write the character out. It was revealed that Norwood would be filming his final scenes in the upcoming weeks and producers had chosen to keep details surrounding Fatboy's exit under wraps. A show spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Ricky will be leaving EastEnders. We wish him all the best for the future" whilst a show insider commented: "Ricky is a great guy and very popular on set. He's leaving the show as it's the end of Fatboy's storyline, but everyone wishes him well for the future." Fatboy's last appearance was on 24 December 2015.

On 7 December 2015, the show's executive producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, said that "Someone will die on Christmas Day that we haven't revealed to anyone, so that will be a surprise." This turned out to be Fatboy, who died off-screen in a case of mistaken identity prior to the episode broadcast on 26 December 2015. This was not well received by fans and many set up petitions to bring the character back.

## Other appearances

Fatboy appears in extra content on the official EastEnders: E20 website. In one video, Fatboy gives his top ten tips for surviving life in Albert Square. Another features him recording a video on his mobile phone for Mercy, in which he admits he once thought he would end up in a romantic relationship with her. In other videos, he is filmed on a webcam singing along to the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious" and catches Leon posing, threatening to post the video on the Internet. In August 2010, an official account on the social networking site Twitter was created for Fatboy, along with three characters from series 2 of EastEnders: E20. Posts on Twitter revealed Fatboy has sold a fake ID to Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen) but the photo looked nothing like her and the age was wrong.

Fatboy makes cameo appearances in series 2 of E20, where his argument with Naz continues in episode 1, and she steals back her money. Fatboy attends a dance audition, and witnesses Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson) bribing Skolla (Tony Adigun) to let Asher's brother Sol (Tosin Cole) through even though he failed his audition. Asher threatens Fatboy with a knife, telling him that he saw nothing. In episode 5 Fatboy attends callbacks for the dance group, and in episode 7, he dances with the group again and helps break up a fight between Asher and Sol. In episode 10, Fatboy attends the dance-off between Skolla's crew and Flawless. He also appears in series 3. In episode 1, when Faith Olubunmi is homeless, she asks Fatboy if she can stay with him but he refuses.

Fatboy also appears in "East Street", a charity crossover episode between EastEnders and Coronation Street, broadcast on 19 November 2010 as part of the BBC One telethon for the children's charity Children in Need. In the non-canon episode, Fatboy is in Walford's café while Denise Johnson and Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth) from Coronation Street argue over their similar storylines. Fatboy says Gail is the winner after saying she has been in prison. He also appears in scenes in The Queen Victoria.

In "All I Want for Christmas", a mini-episode shown on the BBC Red Button service on 27 December 2012, Fatboy appears with his girlfriend Poppy, in which they are shown getting drunk on Christmas Eve, and having dinner on Christmas Day. Poppy is sick with food poisoning the next day, so Fatboy leaves her to look after herself. The next she is well again and Fatboy makes it clear that he wants sex with Poppy, as it would be their first time together. Poppy decides to spend the rest of Christmas with her family, and while she is gone, Fatboy buys food and gifts, but gives them to a homeless man who tells him Christmas is about love, not material things. As Poppy is about to leave with her sister Tansy Meadow (Daisy Wood-Davis), Fatboy stops the car. He later tells her he wants to wait to have sex with her and says he loves her, and she says it back to him.

Fatboy also appears in the third episode of the online spin-off Tamwar Tales – The Life of an Assistant Market Inspector, titled "Fatboy", which was first shown on 8 August 2013. In the episode, Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) tries to get Fatboy to turn his music down but they end up doing the Harlem Shake. Their full Harlem Shake dance was also posted online separately, prior to the spin-off.

## Reception

In April 2010, six main characters were axed from EastEnders by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. Fatboy was not one of them, but Stuart Heritage from The Guardian felt that he should have been, calling him "A wodge of irritating comic relief [...] who is yet to serve a purpose other than making me genuinely dislike young people. [...] He must go, preferably in a scene where he falls down the world's largest flight of stairs." Heritage later called Fatboy an "obnoxiously two-dimensional dubstep-fixated stock [character] transparently modelled on Jar Jar Binks." A writer for the website Watch With Mothers called the character an asset to EastEnders, expressing pleasure that the show was trying to appeal to younger viewers, while another called him irritating and zany. A writer for The Northern Echo wondered if Fatboy, along with Leon and Zsa Zsa, brought a new injection of life into the soap or took away screen time from more established characters. Grace Dent from The Guardian changed her opinion of Fatboy over time, saying:

> Fatboy has won my heart. What began as horrified staring at this huge, bug-eyed child in a fluoro Ed Hardy hoodie, the Venn diagram meeting point of Jar Jar Binks and Dappy from N-Dubz, has now shifted to deep love. I love Fatboy's "wheels", ie a retired, graffiti-splattered ice-cream van. I love his simple approach to life: making money, "checkin out batty", eating jollof rice. Get rich or die trying (though by "die", I really mean "get sulked at by Dot Branning and refused a last-minute service wash"). I love how much Fatboy infuriates old-fart viewers with the uncomfortable truth that he's actually quite authentic. [...] Without Fatboy, EastEnders right now is a wholly compelling, yet dark place.

Julie Emery from Heat criticised Fatboy's fashion sense, especially from the episode broadcast on 12 May 2011, saying "We know clashing prints are soooooo this season, but really, Fatboy, they do nothing for you. And while we're at it, stop wearing that tinny 'F' round your neck, for flip's sake. You're not a gangster rapper, and anyway your real name's Arthur." Emery also said the storyline where Fatboy asks Mercy to marry him so she can stay in the country sounded "somewhat familiar", as Coronation Street was featuring a similar storyline at the same time. Amy Duncan from the Metro said Fatboy was one of her favourite young characters in EastEnders and said that, with Poppy, he "bring[s] some much-needed light into the soap". Vicky Prior from the Metro said that Fatboy "is easily one of the best characters in EastEnders, able to interact seamlessly with other characters, both young and old."

Norwood has received four award nominations for his portrayal of Fatboy. In May 2010, he received a nomination in the "Best Soap Newcomer" category at the 14th TVChoice Awards, and in July he was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards, which he went on to win in September. In September 2010, he was nominated in the newcomer category of the 16th National Television Awards, which he won in January 2011. In May 2011, he was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2011 British Soap Awards.

Following the character's death, "#Fatboy" trended on social network Twitter; a petition was set up online asking for Treadwell-Collins to revive the character; as of 30 December 2015, the petition received 2,780 signatures.

## See also

- List of EastEnders characters (2010)
- List of EastEnders: E20 characters

UK soap opera character, created 2010

Television characters introduced in 2010


Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a visual novel adventure video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth title in the Ace Attorney series, and was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in Japan in 2007 and in the West in 2008, for iOS and Android in 2016, and for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. It is also set to be released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One in 2024, as part of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy compilation.

The game takes place seven years after the previous game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations. Phoenix Wright, the main character of previous titles in the series, has been stripped of his attorney's badge, and Apollo Justice, an up-and-coming attorney, becomes his apprentice, working with Phoenix's adopted daughter Trucy on four cases. The player's goal is to get their clients declared not guilty; to do this, they investigate the cases and cross-examine witnesses. When finding inconsistencies in witness testimonies, the player is able to present pieces of evidence that contradict the witnesses' statements. They can also use the "perceive" system, in which they are able to see nervous motions or actions during witness testimonies, similar to a tell in poker.

The game was developed by a team of 28 staff members, including producer Minae Matsukawa, director Mitsuru Endo, and character designer Kazuya Nuri. Series creator Shu Takumi, who wrote the game's scenario and took on a supervisory role for the production, had wanted the series to end with Trials and Tribulations, as he felt that Phoenix's character had been explored fully; when it was decided that the game would get made, he wanted it to have a new main character with a new story, and wanted Phoenix to not make an appearance. Despite this, it was decided that Phoenix would serve as a mentor to Apollo. Apollo Justice sold around 250,000 copies during the first retail week and 515,417 by the end of 2007, and has been mostly positively received by critics.

## Gameplay

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is, like the rest of the Ace Attorney series, a cross between the adventure game and visual novel genres. The player's goal is to defend their clients in four cases, and prove their innocence. The gameplay is separated into two types of situations: Investigations and trials.

During the investigation phase of each case, the player explores the game world by either using the stylus or the D-pad to select the actions they wish to engage in: Examine, Move, Talk, or Present. The player converses with non-player characters by selecting dialogue and can move around the game world by selecting the locations they wish to travel to. Information gained during Investigation Mode can be used during the Trial phase of the game and items picked up can be used as evidence. The player cannot progress without completing certain actions. Ema Skye, a character from the DS remake of the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game, often provides the player with opportunities to use DS features such as the microphone to perform actions such as dusting for fingerprints.

The trial portions consist of listening to and cross-examining witness testimonies. The player is given the option to either Press or Present evidence in response to statements made by witnesses. The player can either select their choice or yell into the microphone. By choosing Press, the player questions the witness's statement, which sometimes causes the witness to change their testimony. When finding inconsistencies in the testimony, the player may choose Present in order to show a piece of evidence that they think contradicts the testimony. The player has a health bar, representing the judge's patience. If the player presents incorrect pieces of evidence or choose incorrect answers to questions in court, health is lost. If the health bar reaches zero, the player loses the game and their client is declared guilty. A new system, known as the "Perceive System," can be used to look for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to a tell in poker. The game also includes a "Crime Recreation Mode" that models evidence or the crime scene in a 3-D rendition and allow the player to explore the recreation to look for clues. Additionally, the game often recreates the crime in cutscene sequences, allowing the player to observe the action and find contradictions.

## Synopsis

### Setting and characters

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney takes place seven years after the events of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations. Like previous Ace Attorney games, it consists of several cases, or "Turnabouts". In each, the protagonist, Apollo Justice, must prove the innocence of a client accused of murder using evidence and testimony. Once the opening level is concluded, he is hired to work in the offices of disbarred attorney Phoenix Wright, who has been forced to turn to professional gambling to support his adopted daughter Trucy Wright, a young magician who becomes Apollo's trusted assistant and fellow investigator.

### Story

Apollo and his mentor Kristoph Gavin, an old friend of Phoenix's, are called to represent him against charges of murdering one of his customers in a rigged game of poker. In the middle of his testimony, Phoenix inadvertently names Kristoph as a witness, and with the help of a falsified piece of evidence provided by Trucy, exposes him as the real murderer. Impressed by Apollo's performance, he invites him to start his own practice out of Trucy's talent agency.

A few weeks after accepting the offer, Apollo is assigned to investigate three separate incidents: a hit-and-run involving Phoenix, the theft of a noodle vendor's cart, and the disappearance of Trucy's favorite pair of panties. At the same time, the Kitaki crime family hires him to defend one of their own, Wocky Kitaki, in a murder trial concerning the death of Dr. Pal Meraktis. By connecting the incidents to evidence recovered with the help of Detective Ema Skye, Apollo discredits the case against Wocky by proving that his fiancée, Alita Tiala, was the only one who could have committed the crime.

As a token of respect, prosecutor Klavier Gavin, Kristoph's brother and Apollo's rival, invites him and Trucy to attend a concert for his band, the Gavinners. During a guest performance by the diva Lamiroir, her manager Romein LeTouse is shot and killed in her dressing room. When Machi Tobaye, Lamiroir's pianist, is accused for the killing, Apollo, through an extensive investigation, discovers that Machi and one of the Gavinners, Detective Daryan Crescend, conspired to smuggle contraband into the country, and that Letouse, in reality an undercover Interpol agent, was murdered to cover it up. The case nearly falls apart due to a lack of decisive evidence, but Apollo is able to squeeze a confession out of Daryan by threatening to have Machi testify.

In the final case, Apollo is selected to serve as the defense in an experimental jury-style trial system organized by Phoenix, called the "Jurist System". His client, professional forger Vera Misham, is accused of poisoning her father Drew. After Vera succumbs to poison while testifying, the jurists are instructed by Phoenix, who is the chair of the Jurist Simulated Court Committee, to play a "game" using the "MASON System", which simulates Phoenix's personal investigations. Seven years earlier, while representing magician Zak Gramarye in court, Phoenix was tricked into using false evidence created by Vera, costing him his reputation and job. Zak subsequently disappeared, leaving his daughter Trucy in Phoenix's custody. Over the years, Phoenix uses his experience and connections to gradually uncover the truth: Trucy and Apollo are half-siblings gifted with a unique power of perception by their mother, Thalassa Gramarye. Furthermore, Zak was forced to abandon Trucy, his daughter, in order to honor the wishes of her grandfather, who passed the legal rights to his magic to her side of the family. It also transpires that Zak was Shadi Smith, the victim in the first case, who had come to give the rights to Magnifi's magic to Trucy before being killed by Kristoph when the latter recognized him.

The whole matter takes a surprise turn when Kristoph is summoned to testify and it transpires that he was Zak's original attorney before being fired after losing a game of cards with the defendant. In truth, he was the one who had requested the creation of the false evidence from the Mishams in order to win the high-profile case and become famous. Apollo accuses Kristoph of setting up Phoenix with the false evidence out of both revenge and jealousy before attempting to kill everyone related to the case out of fear of being found out. Following the final arguments, the player takes control of Lamiroir, who is one of the jurists for the case, and must decide whether or not Vera is guilty. If "Guilty" is chosen, it triggers an alternate ending in which a hung jury forces the court with no choice but to delay the verdict. Vera's condition worsens and she dies soon after, resulting in the case receiving no conclusion and an uncertain future for the Wright Anything Agency. If "Not Guilty" is chosen, then Vera is declared innocent by unanimous vote and ultimately recovers from the poison. With his name cleared, Phoenix considers applying for readmission to the bar and assures Lamiroir, who is really Thalassa in disguise, that he will watch over Apollo and Trucy.

## Development

Apollo Justice was developed by a team of 28 staff members. It was produced by Minae Matsukawa and directed by Mitsuru Endo, with character design and art by Kazuya Nuri, while series creator Shu Takumi wrote the game's scenario and took on a supervisory role. Takumi had wanted the series to end with the previous game, as he felt its main character, Phoenix Wright, had been fully explored and that his story had been told; he said that it is important to know when to end a story, that he did not want the series to become a shadow of its former self, and that he did not see any reason to continue it. When it was still decided that a fourth game would be made, Takumi wanted it to have a new main character and a new story; he did not plan to have Phoenix appear in the game, but his colleagues wanted him in the game in some form, which led to him being the accused in the first case in the game.

Early in development, it was proposed that the game would use 3D graphics, as a way to make a big impact worthy of the start of a new Ace Attorney series; eventually they settled for a 2D style, with a few 3D elements. Apollo Justice was the first game in the series to feature videos created using motion-capture data. A male staff member of the Research & Development team was chosen to be the motion-capture actor for a female character; the producer described him as being "a natural" at it. Voice acting was also provided by Capcom staff members. During development, staff members visited real courts to watch and study the trials. Most of the game's music was composed by Toshihiko Horiyama, with Hideki Okugawa composing three songs and Akemi Kimura and Shu Takumi composing two songs each. A soundtrack album, Gyakuten Saiban 4 Original Soundtrack, was released on June 27, 2007. A concert, based on the music from Ace Attorney and entitled Gyakuten Meets Orchestra, took place in Tokyo in April 2008. A CD of the concert was published on July 16, 2008.

Alexander O. Smith, who worked as a writer on the localization of the first Ace Attorney game, also worked on the localization of Apollo Justice. Localization of the game was already in progress by August 2007. The name "Apollo Justice" was decided in collaboration between the Japanese and American divisions of Capcom; it took them twenty-two meetings to decide on it. During the localization, there was some debate about the use of the word "panties" to describe Trucy Wright's magical bloomers, a prop she uses in her magic shows; some on the localization team felt that it was inappropriate to joke about an underage girl's panties, and wanted them to be localized as "magic pants", while some felt that the joke would be lost if the player already knew that they were massive bloomers. Janet Hsu, one of the staff members working on the localization, made an argument for "emotional accuracy", saying that the Japanese version of the game was trying to make the player feel at unease over looking for what they might imagine to be "sexy lingerie", and then let the player feel relief at finding out that it is a prop for a magic show. In the end, they were referred to as "panties".

### Release and compilation

The game was announced in 2005, and was originally planned to be released in 2006 in Japan. A demo version of the game was first made available at Tokyo Game Show in 2006, and an English trailer was presented at the following year's Tokyo Game Show. The game was eventually released in Japan on April 12, 2007, with North American, European, and Australian releases following on February 19, 2008, May 9, 2008, and May 22, 2008, respectively; the Australian release was handled by Nintendo Australia. In Japan, a limited edition of the game was made available. It includes branded headphones, an Ace Attorney dictionary on a DS card, and a series highlights DVD. A keychain depicting Apollo was included with preorders purchased at GameStop and the online Capcom store.

A new version with high-resolution graphics was released in English and Japanese for iOS on December 1, 2016 and for Android on December 8. A Nintendo 3DS version was released digitally on November 21, 2017 in North America and on November 23 in Europe, and was released both digitally and physically in Japan on November 22, 2017. It is also planned for release in early 2024 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, as part of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy compilation, alongside its sequels Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice.

## Reception

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney was well received by critics. 1UP.com commented that, "the Phoenix Wright games are by far the best-written titles you'll find on the DS, and Justice is no different." 1UP.com also commented that the added features made especially for the DS were "super engaging even though the actual actions aren't that difficult to do." On 21 November 2013, RPGFan placed the game 5th on their top 20 Nintendo DS games list. The Nintendo 3DS version was the tenth highest rated game of 2017 for the platform on the review aggregator Metacritic.

IGN largely agreed with 1UP but commented that "the first Apollo Justice title plays identically to the Phoenix Wright trilogy". IGN Australia noted out that complaints about the previous games, such as that "finding the right path through the game feels like a process of trial and error" and that players could beat the game by "routinely pressing at every available opportunity and then using a minimum of logic," were not fixed in Apollo Justice. Additionally, "the game's rather obtuse, long-way-around approach to problem solving" caused what IGN viewed to be unnecessary delays to the game. IGN also felt that new features were "a little gimmicky" but did not "detract from the experience in the slightest." However, IGN Australia thought the game was "great" overall. The game was nominated for "Best Story" in IGN's 2008 Video Game Awards, though it did not win.

These views were echoed by many reviews. GameSpot felt that the story, while strong, "moves along at a snail's pace" and that "many of the series' flaws are still present." A "lack of innovation and change" was the main sticking point for GamePro, who thought of Apollo Justice as "a solid distillation of the franchise formula." The Nintendo World Report felt that the game "builds upon the Phoenix Wright trilogy" even though "gameplay remains mostly unchanged." GameSpy pointed out that the game's use of the DS's touch features, "vastly improves the experience" though the crime scene reenactment is "all too brief."

Apollo Justice sold around 250,000 copies during the first retail week, and had more than 500,000 copies shipped by the end of its second week in Japan. By the end of 2007, it had sold 515,417 units. The game performed well commercially in North America, charting as the fifth best selling Nintendo DS game in the region during its release week. The Nintendo 3DS version was the fourteenth best selling game in Japan during its debut week, selling 4,832 copies.

2007 video game