Chuck Norris is sure in the news a lot lately. He's now suing author Ian Spector in an attempt to get his new book The Truth About Chuck Norris withdrawn from distribution. Norris' lawsuit also lists Penguin publishers as co-defendants. At first glance, it might seem that the martial arts icon is being a bit thin-skinned. Spector's book is an obvious farce that centers on web-based Paul Bunyan-like tall tales relating to his image as a seemingly invincible action star. Among the witticisms found in the book:
• Chuck Norris can charge a cell phone by rubbing it against his beard.
• When an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger†aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side.
• Chuck Norris was the first person to tame a dinosaur.
• Chuck Norris once visited The Virgin Islands. Afterward, they were renamed The Islands.
• Every piece of furniture in Chuck Norris’s house is a Total Gym.
Aside from these harmless yucks that only enhance Norris' tough guy image, there are others to be found on a web site run by Spector at www.chucknorrisfacts.com These play up the violent nature of his persona and imply he's an out-of-control killing machine. Still, anyone with an I.Q. higher than their shirt size would recognize these as purely tongue-in-cheek, affectionate tributes to Norris. Indeed, Norris has apparently tolerated all of this until publication of Spector's book. As with many celebrities, they are often happy to look the other way in terms of how their image is used on fan web sites, but the line is crossed when it becomes a commercial venture.
Norris' suit states that Spector's suit implies he has a friendly relationship with the author (they apparently met at some point in the past). Spector also insinuates that he had Norris' approval for the book, with his thanks to the actor "for playing along." Norris contends he has nothing to do with the book and never granted such approval. He maintains that many of the "legends" presented therein imply he is a violent wild man with a racist streak. A look at Spector's web site shows some curious aspects: there are T shirts bearing Norris' image that are for sale and some of the "legends" on the site are termed "Chuck's Favorites: Picked by the Man Himself!" There are also links to Norris' official web site at www.chucknorris.com and to his autobiography. The clear implication is that Norris is a participant in the site. Spector's site is devoid of any background information about who runs it or how to contact them - an oddity, given the fact that the site implies Norris approves of the concept.
Norris' suit claims damages to his reputation and seeks to get the book withdrawn from distribution. The book has been selling remarkably well and as of this date, ranks #376 on Amazon. According to Norris' suit, he had advised Penguin in advance that he had not authorized the book and advised them not to publish it. Penguin did so anyway, which brings up the cloudy legal area of books pertaining to celebrities. Anyone can author a book pertaining to a public figure, and as long as it isn't libelous, there is little the celebrity can do about it. However, if a celebrity's image is used in a way that might be deceptive or harmful to their reputation, then they may have legal recourse. Spector's book clearly implies Norris approved of it, based on meetings the author claimed to have had in the past with the action star. Whether Spector has a legitimate point or whether he interpreted some casual meetings with Norris as an indication of an actual friendship, remains to be seen. As of today, Penguin has not responded to the suit.
Norris has been in the headlines recently for filming a tongue-in-cheek political endorsement ad for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Opponents scoffed when they saw the ad saying it was goofy and embarrassing, but in the weeks since it was released, Huckabee has vaulted from "also ran" status to being the frontrunner in the Iowa caucuses. Coincidence? Hmmm, never underestimate the power of Chuck Norris. Ironically, this anecdote would have made a good entry in Spector's book!
In the meantime, you can get your copy of The Truth About Chuck Norris from The Cinema Retro Amazon Book and Movie store by clicking here. Who knows? If Norris prevails, it might become a collector's item- Lee Pfeiffer