When University students Jamie Slade, Brian McAndrew and Michael Bishop, the three members from the comedy rap group “Supwitchugirl,” uploaded a little ditty called “I Love My Ducks” onto YouTube two weeks ago, they hoped some of their friends might watch it.
When they woke up Monday morning, the song was on Jerry Allen’s sports radio show and everyone was watching it. Since it was originally uploaded, the video has been viewed almost 130,000 times, Supwitchugirl’s Facebook group has grown by more than 3,000 members, and football coach Chip Kelly invited the group to his office to tell them how much he liked it.
Not bad for some friends working out of their apartment. The trio records on McAndrew’s computer while McAndrew holds a microphone up. There’s a note from a neighbor taped to the fridge that reads: “Dear neighbors, please do not shout, rap or sing past 9 p.m., especially on weeknights. All of the units are very close.”
But as happy as the group is with the video’s popularity, Supwitchugirl’s overnight success also attracted some negative attention — the legal kind.
The video included a guest appearance by the Duck mascot, Puddles, which is copyrighted by Disney. Shortly after the video gained traction, the University athletic department contacted the group and requested they take it down. But by that time, it had gone viral.
The athletic department said the video’s runaway success did not change the legal reality of the situation. The University immediately contacted Disney about the video, and the student inside the Duck suit was suspended from appearing at Saturday’s Arizona football game.
“The stance has not changed whatsoever,” Executive Assistant Athletic Director Dave Williford said. “The issue has been solely with the unauthorized use of the mascot, which is copyrighted by Disney.”
Williford stressed that he didn’t have anything else against the video, which he called “very creative.” When asked if the department has considered hiring Supwitchugirl to do more work for the Ducks, Williford said the delay in taking down the video didn’t leave a good impression.
“That generally would not lead to further projects, but I can’t speak for all the factions in the athletic department,” he said.
Williford said “discussions have been held” between the University and Disney regarding the video, but he declined to comment on the specifics. However, University spokesperson Julie Brown said the University has not received a response from Disney.
As for Supwitchugirl, the group’s members are enjoying the limelight and the break from their weekly schedule of producing videos for DuckU, a student-run television program.
“We want to do an electronic song with RoboDuck next,” McAndrew said, referring to the short-lived Mandrake mascot that appeared during the 2003 football season.
Supwitchugirl has already received an offer to write and produce another video for money — Duck-themed, of course. But the group said it doesn’t want to jinx things.
“We don’t want to put out something bad now,” Bishop said. “That would just ruin it.”
Slade added, “(The offer) was really business-like. We just want to have fun.”
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