Comments on: PostSecret Fans in Uproar Over NBC Show

By: patrick

patrick — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:13:15 +0000

PostSecret fans….maybe you should be upset at frank for stealing your secrets, fears and desires and making millions off of them rather than be mad at NBC copying an enaler

By: What Will the Upfronts Bring for Web Video?

What Will the Upfronts Bring for Web Video? — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:41:50 +0000

[...] Gemini never really took off, Fears changed its name and its focus possibly after catching the ire of the PostSecret fan base and Salon has yet to [...]

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:38:08 +0000

One of the reasons why Postsecret is so touching is because each postcard was written by a real person. Each postcard is a window into another human soul. I doubt that same magic will translate to TV, but who watches TV anymore anyway?

By: sk

sk — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:23:08 +0000

I think nbc should give credit to postsecret. & money too.

because well duh it was Franks idea & because the idiots at nbc can't think of anything new they rip off of other people.

By: Chrissy

Chrissy — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:38:01 +0000

There’s something degrading to the secret itself having it shown how Hollywood wants to rather than how the secret’s owner wants to. We all know that Hollywood often plays up things to make them more “appealing” when that’s not how it was originally established. A post card designed by your own hand to express what you want how you want it is more personal than a story passed through several other hands and twisted until it works. I will always prefer to see how the sharers want their secrets expressed on PostSecret rather than how some group of directors want to share them on NBC.

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:59:23 +0000

This is disgusting. Postsecret is special to a lot of people, its unique, its different. NBC is not only ripping Postsecret off, but also destroying the entire idea for many people. Its going to become silly secrets that aren’t worth hearing about, and its going to be more about the ‘Hollywood’ aspect, actors and stuff. I do hope that NBC comes to their senses and doesn’t produce this show.

By: me

me — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:26:00 +0000

Frank is not completely innocent here…you all make him out to be a saint…I am sure he would agree that he is NOT a saint. he does after all sell a lot of your secrets in those books…you don’t get a cut of that…

By: Aly

Aly — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:44:15 +0000

While I’m curious to see how NBC would portray this post-secret spin off, I wouldn’t feel comfortable watching it. My loyalty lies with Frank and the rest of the postsecret community. You see, what NBC obviously fails to realize is the real impact that post-secret has had on so many of our lives. It’s become the common denominator of today’s human issues and it’s what unites us and makes us feel unified with eachother. When you take something so pure and so profoundly affecting to so many people, and you try to exploit that goodness for profit, of COURSE you’re going to have an issue on your hands. That’s the one big thing about the post-secret community that NBC needs to grasp: it’s united us and we’re going to protect that with everything we’ve got. Post-secret is a powerful thing, and unfortunately for you, NBC, you don’t stand a chance.

By: secretlover

secretlover — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:04:54 +0000

Oh, sure they got the idea from somewhere else. The network didn’t come up with it, it was just pitched to them. Well, you know what? Those are pretty weak excuses. The cold truth is that NBC greenlighted it, NBC will pay for its production and NBC will be profiting from it, so it IS NBC’s product. By the way, aside from the blatant content thievery that this is, let’s not forget that this new push for user generated content is yet another dodge around paying actual writers and other production personell. The networks aren’t forging a brave new artistic path, they are trying to squirm out of having to pay anyone residuals, since “reality” programming was specifically excluded from that concession in the new contract.

By: Penelope

Penelope — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:45:58 +0000

and incidentally, making a postcard with YOUR ARTWORK ON IT and a secret is NOT equal to confession.

at all.

By: Penelope

Penelope — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:43:30 +0000

THIS is EXACTLY why it is not worth watching tv.
NBC would bring even the internet down to itself (who knew THAT was possible).
The excuse that an outside producer may or may not have ripped off the idea is ridiculous on its face: NBC is obligated NOT TO STEAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, that they accepted the idea and continue to use it after being made aware of the situation is here for all to see. Whatever they may have been ignorant of, they know now. An outsider bringing in the idea does not remove culpablity. And the equivocating on “well, may be it’s just unintentionally similar” is patently disingenuous. NBC would make a porn-commercial of a successful, sincere site. The beauty of the situation: the stirring up of drama over their own theft: Is is theft? What do you think? The bodies at 9!

How ugly NBC is. No amount of happy PR or swooshing graphics changes the fact. Your actions speak for themselves. It’s not a surprise, it’s disgusting as usual.

By: emm

emm — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:31:13 +0000

Don’t get me wrong…I am a fan of postsecret…but postsecret did not start the the concept of disclosing a “secret” to a stranger…think HBO’s Taxicab Confessions (since 1995) or church confessionals.

By: sf

sf — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:37:34 +0000

Theft should be discouraged! I’m surprised Frank hasn’t commented on this issue yet.

By: cheri

cheri — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:56:16 +0000

Of course it’s a rip-off. If it was an original idea that would have happened on its own, they wouldn’t refer to it as similar to Post-Secret. They’re using his name to bolster their own ratings with no endorsement from Post Secret. Shameful stealing of thunder.

By: skwerl

skwerl — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:27:14 +0000

First off, I don’t own a television, and refuse to do so, simply because the majority of it is pandering to the baser instincts of people. That said, there’s no surprise, here. Nor should there be any shame. I respect Frank, and have been following PostSecret for a while now. But, PostSecret is not an original idea. It’s an old idea ported to a new medium. NBC is taking that old idea and porting it to yet another medium. Much as I hate to say it, NBC is doing nothing wrong. To say they stole the idea from Frank is absurd. You might be able to say they stole the idea from the Catholic Church (confession), maybe, and you would be closer to accurate. As a matter of fact, NBC will be adding a whole new layer to the concept. With PostSecret, you have the unadulterated postcard sent it, left to translation by the readers alone. With NBC’s thing, you add a third and fourth or more layers to the mix. So now you have the original secret, the director’s vision, the producer’s vision, the actor’s portrayals, and the personal interpretation of the viewers. It will, by the end of it, be so far removed from the utter simplicity of Frank’s vision, that the resemblance can be likened to that of a poodle to a wolf. We know they’re related, but if you didn’t know beforehand, and you saw them each, it wouldn’t be an obvious conclusion.

So that’s my two cents. Yes, NBC sucks balls. Frank and PostSecret are awesome. But in this situation, NBC’s not really the bad guy.

By: Susanna

Susanna — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:08:06 +0000

It seems that the network has already provided the proof against them by posting this in the synopses for the show: “Fears, Secrets and Desires is the peacock’s exclusive new original series. Think of it as a video version of PostSecret.” Changing mediums shouldn’t be enough to void any copyright issues