Jumping the Shark: Katy Perry Fails to Secure 'Left Shark' Trademark
More than two months after Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, people have stopped talking about the enormous gold-plated lion and the cameos from Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott – but they’re still talking about “Left Shark."
The back-up dancer, who grooved next to Perry during a beach-themed medley of her hits, shot to viral stardom after his awkward moves suggested he'd forgotten the choreography.
It was easily, and surprisingly, the most talked-about moment of Perry's show, leading one enterprising designer to try and make a few bucks by selling his own “Left Shark” merchandise on Etsy.
Perry, however, was not having that, and jumped that shark promptly -- sending him a cease-and-desist letter, and following it up by attempting to trademark Left Shark’s iconic design.
The U.S Trademark Office rejected her request this week, with the explanation that not enough people immediately make the connection between “Left Shark” and a Katy Perry performance.
So for now, Left Shark belongs to all of us, and he's been getting around. He recently appeared at the iHeart Music Awards and Coachella, and apparently has landed an upcoming role in the hugely popular video game “World of Warcraft”, although “SB-Nation” said this about it's poor dancing skills: “if it is keeping with true Left Sharkness, it will be bad at fighting”.
In the meantime, get your proper dance moves ready for tonight, as Yahoo Live is streaming a concert from the band Kodaline. They’re starting the show at 4 p.m. PT, and you can catch it here.
Watch Katy Perry's music videos below:
