Token challenge
TVO sends legal threat over pothead Polkaroo
TORONTO A mascot maker says he will not buckle to legal threats from Ontario’s public broadcaster about his pothead parody of the beloved children’s TV character Polkaroo.
Mark Scott enthralled revellers and international media at a cannabis legalization celebration in a Toronto park earlier this month with his costume of a joint-toting, red-eyed marsupial called Tokaroo — an unsanctioned riff on Polkaroo, the multicolour muumuu-clad creature who has been a fixture on TVO since the early 1970s.
Scott said he spent more than two decades donning the greenfurred, yellow-tailed Polkaroo costume at promotional appearances, but his relationship with TVO has soured after he received a ceaseand-desist notice from the publicly funded TV station this week.
In a signed letter, a lawyer wrote that TVO failed to find an “amicable resolution” with Scott over what the broadcaster contends to be an “unauthorized use” of its mascot, which the station claims could pose “a very real threat of tarnishing Polkaroo’s reputation.”
The letter demands confirmation from Scott that he will cease and desist his activity by Friday (Oct. 26) afternoon.
“Polkaroo is an established and trusted trademarked TVOkids mascot that is appreciated across generations,” TVO said.
“While we can understand the nostalgia, TVO does not endorse this parody of Polkaroo, or the fact that it is being associated with an activity that is neither legal for children nor recommended for use by children. We are asking Mark Scott to take appropriate action to stop the use of this character.”
While he is considering his options before the Friday deadline, Scott said he is intent on continuing his project, insisting he has been clear that it is in no way affiliated with TVO or Polkaroo.
“I think that TVO is being a little bully-ish about this,” said Scott. “(Their slogan is), ‘Never stop learning,’ and they’re doing a lot of ‘never’ and ‘stopping.’”
Scott maintains that any similarities between Polkaroo and Tokaroo are “purely coincidental,” but he said both are committed to the development of young minds.
While Polkaroo guided kids on psychedelic journeys of imagination, he said Tokaroo teaches adolescents about responsible drug use through irreverent humour.
Scott said Tokaroo is just one character in his troop of “Candoroos,” which he hopes to develop into a mature-themed educational web series.
There’s also Rainbowroo, who talks about LGBTQ identity; Signaroo, who is deaf and uses sign language and Reddyroo, who has special needs.
“This is not a preschool program. This is for the internet, and is really to deal with the adolescent identity and social issues,” Scott said.
“There will be a clear, no-nonsense discussion about it using whatever language needs to be used, even if it’s foul language or street language, it will be appropriate to the people we’re talking to.”