Tom Scharpling Accuses Google of Stealing "Best Show" Song for Chromebook Ad

Tom Scharpling Accuses Google of Stealing "Best Show" Song for Chromebook Ad

Photo by Rob Hatch-Miller

Last night, “The Best Show” host Tom Scharpling tweeted a link to a new Google Chromebook commercial (seen below). He pointed out the similarities between the commercial’s music and a song he wrote and repeatedly performed on “The Best Show” called “Come on Y’All It’s Time to Have Fun”.

Scharpling called Google “the bad guys,” saying they “lift[ed]” the running gag for their ad. “STEAL FROM SOMEONE WHO GETS PAID, YOU RATS,” he wrote.

Reached for comment, Scharpling sent the following statement to Pitchfork:

When I hear elements of The Best Show in other comedy I’m usually flattered, because there are certainly elements of other comedy and comedians in The Best Show. But this is not a matter of influence or parallel thinking. This is a case of straight up thievery.

Google is a terrible company whose crimes against humanity are legion. And shamelessly ripping off content from a radio show that I have written and performed for free over the last fifteen years is merely their latest shameful act.

I will be pursuing this matter to the fullest extent of the law. Future updates and new episodes of The Best Show will be posted at www.TheBestShow.net.


The good guys will win in the end!

We’ve reached out to Google for comment. 

Here are some more of his accusatory tweets:

You’ve gotta be kidding me with this. Hey Best Show fans, does this song sound familiar at all? https://t.co/Jf2hQ1RZDA

— scharpling (@scharpling) November 19, 2015

This upsets me. The Best Show has been something we’ve done FOR FREE. Google slides in and lifts a long-running idea. What do I do here?

— scharpling (@scharpling) November 19, 2015

I quit. Google > Best Show The bad guys won! RIP TOM https://t.co/Jf2hQ1RZDA

— scharpling (@scharpling) November 19, 201

Where does Google get off stealing a song I wrote and joked about on The Best Show for years? https://t.co/Jf2hQ1RZDA

— scharpling (@scharpling) November 19, 2015

He also retweeted this audio clip from 2013:

@scharpling 1/15/2013 pic.twitter.com/FTBcBikCYZ

— Jake Fogelnest (@jakefogelnest) November 19, 2015

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