The Star Wars Kid sues for 250,000

Sam Or I · Post by **Sam Or I** » 2003-07-23 02:02pm

[quote]A video featuring a Quebec teenager's acrobatic battle moves has become the latest Internet sensation and a source of guffaws for millions. Ghyslain Raza, now better know as the Star Wars Kid, isn't laughing.

Trois-Rivieres, Quebec is hardly a galaxy far, far away, but the city is the unlikely home of a very reluctant Jedi Knight.

Raza, 15, shot a video of himself for a school project -- a mock sword fight intended for viewing by a handful of people.

But a few of his classmates uploaded it to the Internet, and within days it had been doctored to look like a scene from Star Wars.

Millions have watched the video, including many people in Trois-Rivieres.

"He makes a fool of himself anyway. You see the guy, you say 'Oh God,'" says CyberCafe owner Luc Sirois.

The story made it into numerous publications worldwide, including the New York Times. Now it has landed in court.

The four students who allegedly put the video on the Internet are facing a $250,000 lawsuit. It claims Raza has suffered "harassment," "ridicule" and "persecution" at school and in the public at large.

Raza ended up leaving high school and finishing his year in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital.

An employee of Raza's old school says the pressure on the young man was intolerable.

"When 500 people laugh at you every noon when you walk into the cafeteria, it can't be easy," says Rafael Jacob.

And in cyberspace it's not easy keeping a low profile once you get linked to Star Wars.

"Star Wars is one of the biggest virtual communities. There are millions of fans. So take this kid, put it together with Star Wars and bingo, it's a hit," says Internet consultant Francois Charron.

It's also eliciting some sympathy. There's an online petition asking Lucasfilm to give the Star Wars Kid a cameo in the next installment of the film.

"... this poor kid is living the nightmare of having his private dorkiness projected across the world to giggling Web users," it reads.

All the result of an encounter with the dark side of the Internet.

[/quote]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... TVNewsAt11

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-07-23 02:17pm

What a crybaby he should have been careful when he filmed himself,and removed the damn tape from the camera.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-07-23 03:16pm

what he should have done is gone to a wars convention and milked it. gods know how many uberwarsies idolised him up until the sueing.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2003-07-23 04:17pm

404 not found

anyway, where can I see this

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2003-07-23 04:22pm

You know, it's funny.. at first it seemed like he enjoyed the attention in the earlier interviews with him. But now.. maybe too much teasing for a 15 year old?

But it seems like he was laughed at BEFORE this too, if I understand what that cybercafe guy was saying.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2003-07-23 04:43pm

Depends on the situation.

If the 'uploaders' got the tape by less then honest means, by all rights, sue there asses off. The same if it was given with the condition 'going give it out, it was for school', etc.

However, if he gave it to them to "hey, do whatever', he's whining like a bitch.

However, I'd like to know why there wasn't discipline to the uploaders at school, and why there was not a school wide announcement that he didn't make it, and the people that made it would be punished, etc.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-07-23 04:54pm

That's odd. People over the internet have raised thousands of dollars for the guy. They even donated an Ipod to him.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-07-23 06:19pm

Fuck that whiner. Its not like you shit your pants in public or anything (although I almost did watching that video) be a fucking MAN and live up to it, as much fun as free money is (250,000 canadian dollars could buy a very nice pez dispenser) get over it!

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-07-23 06:39pm

Darth Fanboy wrote:Fuck that whiner. Its not like you shit your pants in public or anything (although I almost did watching that video) be a fucking MAN and live up to it, as much fun as free money is (250,000 canadian dollars could buy a very nice pez dispenser) get over it!

Your mistakin Canadian money with Russian money.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-07-23 06:54pm

Raza ended up leaving high school and finishing his year in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital.

I'm thinking that he might just have a valid case here if that's the truth...

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2003-07-23 06:55pm

Ace Pace wrote:404 not found

anyway, where can I see this

Here, to original and many different remakes.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-07-23 06:57pm

Montcalm wrote:
Your mistakin Canadian money with Russian money.

Indeed, 250,000 Canadian dollars won't buy a pez dispenser

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-07-23 07:32pm

"When 500 people laugh at you every noon when you walk into the cafeteria, it can't be easy," says Rafael Jacob.

Are you people fucking stupid or something? You say its nothing but it seems you haven't read the article. This kid is LAUGHED AT every day and is never going to get this forgot or put in the past. I would be fucking pissed if something like this happened to me and I would beat the shit out of the people responsible I would be that pissed.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-07-23 07:39pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Montcalm wrote:
Your mistakin Canadian money with Russian money.
Indeed, 250,000 Canadian dollars won't buy a pez dispenser

Dark Primus · Post by **Dark Primus** » 2003-07-23 07:39pm

I agree with you Alyeska. Being mocked is not fun, I can tell you that for my own experience. Its a living hell.

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-07-23 08:07pm

As long as he doesn't go off on a murderous rampage, it's fine with me.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-07-23 09:04pm

I'm with the kid. 250K might be a bit much (or it may not, this kid probably gets teased so much that his life is absolutely miserable), but his "friends" were not supposed to distribute that video on the Internet. He deserves some recompensation for emotional distress.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-07-23 09:17pm

Great, its nice to know we live in a society where someone who cant take a joke can collect an obscene paycheck. Oh wait, he's French Canadian, Go FIGURE!

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-07-23 09:20pm

Weren't these kids that uploaded this thing to the internet his friends though? Hmmm maybe he's just answering their sadism. Ill have to rethink, but I still get revulsions everytime I see that six figure lawsuit number. wheres the $250K going to come from with these kids, lunch money?

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2003-07-23 10:00pm

Under Canadian law, it would be a lean on future earnings until paid off.

Now, if this is $250,000 between all the people responsible for the upload, that's not that bad. Also, $250,000 is probably he high end figure, and I wouldn't expect him to get the full settlement. More then likely, he just wants to put them through the hell he has been through.

On, and by the way. the Canadian Dollar is trading at 71 Cents american.

So, that $250,000 Canadian is about $ 178,647.45 American.

That would be one hell of a peez dispenser.

Oh, historical FYI.

At one time the Canadian Dollar was traded at HIGHER then the American Dollar.

So there

Anyway, back on topic....

Even in Quebec, he will not win that much cash. More then likely, it will be tossed out of court or settled. I could honestly see him suing the school for not disciplining the students.

I agree with what someone else said.

MILK it MAN!

Heck, call internet radio shows and do a tour and rake in some cash.

David · Post by **David** » 2003-07-23 10:07pm

so how did the classmates get the video? If they stole it, then it's a crime. If he gave it to them, he has no case.

h0rus · Post by **h0rus** » 2003-07-23 10:10pm

Darth Fanboy wrote:Weren't these kids that uploaded this thing to the internet his friends though? Hmmm maybe he's just answering their sadism. Ill have to rethink, but I still get revulsions everytime I see that six figure lawsuit number. wheres the $250K going to come from with these kids, lunch money?

Even if he doesn't win jack, at least these fucking cornball husker motherfuckers won't do something stupid like this ever again. Too bad their names aren't revealed. I can imagine what kind of annoying things can be done to those jerkoffs. Btw, getting teased/harassed repeatedly over a long time is not a 'joke'. Someone busting your balls once is a fucking joke, but this is definitely not.

Dark Hellion · Post by **Dark Hellion** » 2003-07-23 10:34pm

While I am normally somewhat sympethetic, this kid deserves it. He tapes himslf flopping around with a staff like an idiot, and then presumes that no one will ever see it.
I have as much sympathy for him as for the people who tape their affairs and accidentally put it in the honeymoon video case.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-07-23 10:56pm

Durran Korr wrote:I'm with the kid. 250K might be a bit much (or it may not, this kid probably gets teased so much that his life is absolutely miserable), but his "friends" were not supposed to distribute that video on the Internet. He deserves some recompensation for emotional distress.

Rather like the friend of mine from college who was awarded $1mil. for 'emotioinal damages, libel, and slander" from a local T-shirt manufactor.
Why?
Because the company took his picture from an article in the college magazine, labeled him as a "Non-Skater", "Uncool", and "Nerdy", and placed it on a T-shirt next to a picture of some "Cool Skater" doing some fancy stunt, with the logo "Don't be UnCool". The shirt sold out two runs before the store was ordered to stop producing them.
Everywhere my friend went, someone (usually from his dorm) was wearing this shirt and ragging on him. While he was a grad student, he had also just turned 16. It's bad enough to be picked on in High School. Male college students seem to regress further.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-07-23 11:04pm

The little moron should back off. He profited considerably from that video and now he wants to sue because people are laughing at him? If the prick was smart, he'd laugh about it, because nothing will make him being mocked worse like acting like suing his fellow students for a stupidly large amounts of money because he's upset over a prank.

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The Star Wars Kid sues for 250,000

The Star Wars Kid sues for 250,000

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