Duke University isn’t a big fan of their appearance in The White Lotus Season 3

Fans are loving The White Lotus Season 3, but the same cannot be said about Duke University. The sixth and latest episode of the HBO drama was quite a heavy one, showcasing an incestuous threesome and a suicide attempt. Duke University has expressed that it does not approve of The White Lotus associating the university with scenes and topics they don't endorse.

The White Lotus Season 3 is set in Thailand and is centered around guests at a luxury resort. Two of those guests, Timothy Ratliff (played by Jason Isaacs) and his son Saxon Ratliff (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger), are Duke alumni. Duke University might not have said anything if the show had only mentioned the characters' educational background, but it is the use of their logo on a t-shirt worn by Timothy in the attempted suicide scene that has raised concern.

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Why is Duke University not a big fan of their appearance on The White Lotus Season 3?

Duke’s vice president for communications, marketing, and public affairs, Frank Tramble, has spoken out on behalf of the university. In a statement to Bloomberg, Tramble said,

The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far,

Tramble also said,

“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. As imagery from the show is being shared widely across social media, we are using our brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”

The White Lotus Season 3 did not get Duke University's permission before showcasing its logo in such a sensitive scene, which is what the university did not like. As an educational institute, Duke recognizes the high number of suicides that occur on campuses and does their part in raising awareness and offering help. Hence, Duke University feels the show's portrayal of their logo in a scene that shows a Duke alumni contemplating suicide is misleading and does not reflect their values.

Tramble also told The New York Times,

Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling but characters’ prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none

It isn't uncommon for artists to use trademarked logos without the trademark holder's permission. Since the First Amendment does give artists the right to use such trademarks to express their art, Duke University can not do much legally. In an interview with the New York Times, Jeanne Fromer, a professor at the New York University School of Law, expressed how the limitations of the law put Duke University in a disadvantageous situation. However, the law does try to maintain a balance to be fair to both parties, artists and trademark holders. Hence, it will be interesting to see what unfolds if Duke University decides to take legal action.

He also said,

“On the one hand, I understand that Duke is trying to disassociate themselves from this. On the other hand, they’re drawing attention to it.”

Duke University has done its part in keeping its side of the street clean. Hopefully, viewers will understand that Duke does not associate itself with the scene in the show. New episodes of The White Lotus Season 3 come out every Sunday at 9 pm ET/PT.

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