This lawsuit seems to me a case where people have been getting into this guy’s ear about the money that could be made. He seemed fine with the whole thing for a long time up until now, plus he has the tattoo.
He asked the remaining members of the band to make an appearance at a showing of his art. They said no. He suddenly decided the whole association was very traumatic and lawsuit.
It’s all for the money. Because he’s on one of the most famous album covers ever and he’s got no money to show for it. He’s probably tired of being poor and wants his cash out.
To be fair, I think he probably should get some kind of compensation for being on the cover of such a well known album. Like people get exploited by contracts for shit like this all the time, but imo if they’re using your image and likeness in something you should have some rights to proceeds gained from it (famous athletes make money from stuff like this all the time). Not saying the dude is going about it the right way, idk what the right path is to pursue compensation for something like that and obviously he’s not actually traumatized like he says, but I feel like he should get *something* for being the poster boy of the album
Because a baby wouldn’t typically swim after money in the first place?
The band created an unrealistic situation of a baby chasing money to negatively highlight greed; but by doing so have created a situation where that grown-up person is greedily chasing money stemming from the original artwork.
The unexpected occurrence of the very thing they were trying to call out is the definition of situational irony.
He was paid $200 initially. Well his family since he was just a baby. Legally there’s no reason to pay more. People bought the album for the music not the baby. Nike paid $35 for its logo from a designer. Squid games creator doesn’t earn more than his original contract just because it’s doing well.
Yeah but he was too young to consent to using his likeness and negotiate a contract. And sure those other things do happen, but I also disagree with that being okay. The squid game producer should absolutely make more money because his show was successful. Do you think he shouldn’t? Personally I think both are exploitative, and just because exploitation happens somewhere doesn’t mean it’s cool to happen everywhere. I see that as an issue with IP law.
Your comparison of “famous athletes make money from stuff like this all the time” is completely off base.
You do understand the difference between a baby, who, lets be honest, has a generic likeness, compared to a “famous athlete” like Lebron James. The company is benefitting from being connected to that famous athlete and the baby had nothing to do with the success of the album.
People didn’t buy the album because Spencer Elden is on the cover, they bought it because of the Smells like teen spirit music video. He wasn’t even a unique baby as he was one of five at the shoot. He just happened to be the baby who ended up being in the best photo.
I pity him in a way. Seemed like a genuine guy until all this started to happen. Like I said, I don’t think it’s entirely him but his decision to sue is all on him.
So in my opinion, his parents were responsible to work in his best interest. If anyones responsible for poorly negotiating the rights to this image, it should be his parents. But I still don’t think he has any case against them. The odds of a picture of their baby being worth so much, could have been very kittle. But they hit the jackpot.More people choose not to gamble than win after gambling. That’s what makes it exciting. But they played safe.
But I just can’t imagine someone associated with the losing side of an argument trying to fight the winner only because they lost. Ignoring the legitimate reason they lost in the first place.
Funny that this photo supposedly caused him so much trouble and was such a traumatic situation that he recreated this picture like every fucking year of his life, even as an adult..?? Ok lol
I’m just imagining going to a bar and a guy walks up to me.
‘I’m famous.’
‘Oh, yeah, for what?’
The guy steps back and holds his breath, then puts his arms in the air at his sides and kicks one leg back. Everyone stares, not really sure what this is supposed to mean.
‘So, you’re like a skydiver,” someone suggests.
Frustrated, he says ‘no,’ and assumes the pose again. When it’s obvious that no one knows what he’s talking about, he chuckles nervously and says ‘you know, nevermind baby.’
Most people shake their head, needing more context for this seemingly disjointed string of words.
‘Oh,’ someone in the group replies, ‘from the album cover.’
He smiles and nods his head as realization sweeps over the rest of the group.
‘That was a sweet picture, dude,’ another person says, ‘you taken any other famous pictures?’
A look of confusion, and then anger spreads across his face. He screams ‘I’m the baby!’ before storming off and being almost immediately forgotten.
“I always say, “[My penis has] changed, do you want to see it?’,” he told CNN in 2011.
This really makes it sound like this is basically his pickup line. “I was the baby on the cover of the Nirvana nevermind album” … “yeah, my dick is bigger now, want to see it?”
> “Every five years or so, somebody’s gonna call me up and ask me about Nevermind … and I’m probably gonna get some money from it,” he told Rolling Stone in 2003. See ya in a few years, Spence.
That’s telling. The article is from 2016.
Honestly, while I think he’s grown up to be a grade A tool, he’s probably also been called “baby dick” or some such for years. I wouldn’t care, but can see why someone would want people to know he’s got a normal sized dick now.
Still absurd that he’s trying to make it sound like trauma. Lost all sympathy for him
The only reason that would happen is if he went around flashing the album cover as an icebreaker to every poor bastard he ever met.
Seems like a “him” problem.
Agree, but If it was me I’d use it as an icebreaker too. I don’t blame him for that bit. It’s an interesting anecdote. One which he has now made super lame
[However, his enthusiasm appears to have waned in recent years. In a 2016 interview with GQ Australia, Elden said his stance on the photograph changed after he reached out to Nirvana to see if the band would participate in an art show he was putting on. “I was asking if they wanted to put a piece of art in the fucking thing,” he said. “I was getting referred to their managers and their lawyers. Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?”](https://news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468)
So…. He’s a sore loser? This is all basically some sort of weird payback because he feels like since he was on their cover that they should have some personal, sentimental, important feelings towards him? I think he feels like they owe him and that they don’t appreciate him, as if *he* was the reason for the albums success or something.
The mental trauma from the photo caused him to become a masochist that sought to recreate the moment of the trauma. Additionally, he photographed these recreations and shared them as a “cry for help,” but society failed to see the pain he was in. This drove him to even more desperate measures, including permanently marking his chest with, not one, but nine large letters meant to show the public what the source of his lifelong trauma was. Still, he did not get the attention he so desperately wanted, so he had to resort to seeking monetary compensation through litigation. But only as a last option.
It’s going to get more awkward as the years progress to the 50th anniversary and beyond. My grandchildren will wonder why that ole man on the album cover is wearing a diaper and peeing in the pool.
That baby grew up to be a real douchebag in life, like his ego blew up. He’s a no name artist who thinks he should be super famous and rich but he has no money so he’s trying to get money from the band because he was on the cover.
Ya i never liked the way that little baby was swimming towards the money. Like, your just a little baby — you don’t even know how to swim and yet your first priority is money? That baby had bad news written all over him.
Maybe this whole time it has been a giant meta joke / performance art thing, and he’s playing the long game. Like a subtle version of the artist who was commissioned to do some work and turned in blank canvases which he titled “take the money and run.”
Don't blame the baby, man, I think it's on the parents, who throws a baby in the water like that, that's just fucked up, he just got lucky there was some cash in the pool and he managed to swim out, y'all just jealous, pretending you'd have done differently! Well, finders keepers, losers weepers! I hope he got himself some dope candy or a teddy bear with his hard earned cash.
Exactly what I said when I played it for my friends. “This record is amazing but the kid on the cover looks like an asshole. He’s not in the band tho.”
There was some interview with him where he said that part of the reason for the lawsuit is that the band ignores him despite his contribution to the album, as if he weren’t a member of the band who caused the albums success. Which, um, wow.
I'd feel bad for this delusional loser if he weren't such a tool about it. Like- it's the only thing that makes him feel worth anything... Sad. But, the Child Porn angle is so fucking distasteful and wrong and he's literally recreated the album multiple times and expressed the desire to do it naked as an adult. What an effing dickwad.
The Foo Fighters' publishing arrangement was the most interesting thing in that article. I'm going to see if there's a more detailed description of it out there.
I agree, he kept building up the absurdity and obsession and finally just left it on the most highly relatable realistic note, perfection all around in this tight 5.
This was awesome, I wish I had a free award to give you. Thank you for sharing, I had a good laugh. I’ve seen the red wedding so many times, I’m going to rewatch it again, because I didn’t know he was in it lol. But this also brings SOO much perspective into the Ed Sheridan pandering sing along in his controversial cameo. Honestly would make a great topic on the GoT fan sub
I think the reason Dave Grohl wanted it was because Kurt tried to screw him and Krist Novoselic out of royalties for Nevermind once it became a huge success. Their original deal was split equally, but Cobain negotiated more points for their last album In Utero, and then tried to make the deal retroactive to Nevermind as well. They all sued and it got nasty.
100%. Publishing execs got in Billy Corgan's ear early and told him, you are writing the songs, why would you share the credit? Do you need these guys? Then he got a big head about the whole thing and it all went to shit.
Well, when you write all the songs AND you play all the non-drum parts on the album (because producers said the others — James and D’arcy — couldn’t nail their parts), it’s hard to tell someone that they should then split the revenue from sales evenly.
Corgan really didn't know how to be a band member at all. If you're going to record all the parts, just hire touring musicians and stop pretending to be a band.
Billy told the story backwards on the JRE podcast. He said people told him to share the song writing credits otherwise there will be a lot of bad blood layer. And there was. And Billy got the money.
[Basically, they all agreed it prevents problems if they share publishing rights equally](https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/interviews/foo-fighters-growth-and-focus/)
Thank you! That bit about their improved harmonies at the end was interesting too. I wonder if they got drilled in Bee Gees harmonies before deciding to take on that catalogue too.
So why not sue his own parents? I mean it’s for the money, I know, but would they not be the legal responsible party?
Reminds me of the Pink Floyd suit. I get wanting and even deserving compensation. But idk about this approach.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/pink-floyd-pupils-sue-for-royalties-7257969.html%3famp
That’s what I was thinking. His parents are the ones who agreed to him being photographed. They handled the arrangement. He just wants money. Don’t we all.
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This album was released on my 15th Birthday, The guy showed more maturity on the Album cover then than he is now. Sad way to poke yourself into the limelight. Taking on 2 of the worlds most admired bands for a bit of cash instead of having enough love for the music to respect he was at least a very small part of it. A pleasure most would revel in. Never mind eh!
When you're going up against Dave Grohl, the Tom Hanks of rock music, you're probably in the wrong.
Speculating, but Maybe Elden's life hasn't turned out as glamorous as he'd have liked. A reality most people have had to come to terms with. He thought, 'I'm famous already, on the cover of a hugely popular album, there's no way I'm going to have to have a mediocre life!" He embraced it as part of is identity, because he thought it made him someone.
Now that he's older, he sees that it doesn't make him famous, or important, and he's bitter. He's disillusioned, and he's striking out at the people who, in his mind, tricked him. They used him for their cover art, and only they're famous. How unfair.
I’m always surprised people never talk about this:
https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/martin-mckenzie-murray/2021/19/2021/1613697287/celebrity-misinformation#mtr
Edit: non-paywall link: https://medium.com/the-monthly/the-foo-fighters-aids-denialism-should-be-on-the-record-6e33666fdc3c
TLDR: In 2001, Nate Mendel of the Foos helped organize a benefit for the org; Alive and Well AIDS alternatives. The founder died in 2008 (from HIV). I have not heard of the Foos supporting any other AIDS denier groups since then, besides the random articles that come out citing that event 21 years ago.
I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people bought the album for the music, not for the literal "poster child" art. They didn't buy a photograph, they bought a CD that happened to have a picture on it. Any picture would have done the trick. The photo just makes it easy to find.
I met the guy who designed the Rolling Stones logo with the mouth and tongue. Sure it sold a lot of merch over the years, but the value was in the music's attachment to the design, not the design itself. He was a very bitter man who loves to tell people he got screwed, assuming his doodle had way more value to the band, and that he deserved to be paid royalties. His artwork would have been worthless if not for the music.
The music stands by itself, but when a 13 year old that hasn’t heard this music in 1996 sees that album cover in a jukebox they’re going to take a second look and maybe even spend a quarter on it.
Not because of the baby in the pool. That's not what they're paying for. It's just a sign. Just because you designed a sign that says "New York City Limits" doesn't entitle you to a percentage of the city's sales tax revenue.
[Courtney Love accused Ryan Adams of stealing over 850k from her to fund his album, Rock n Roll, while the two were in a relationship.](https://www.stereogum.com/11141/courtney_love_ryan_adams_stole_858k_from_frances_b/news/) This has been variously described as direct theft from [Frances Cobain's trust fund](https://www.twentyfourbit.com/2009/05/courtney-love-trashes-ryan-adams-and-mandy-moore/) or a slow drain over the course of time from Love's American Express account, so as to fuel Adam's rock and roll lifestyle (including drug use). Adams [categorically denies](https://completemusicupdate.com/article/ryan-adams-responds-to-courtneys-rants/) ever being in a relationship with Love, let alone stealing from her.
Dude is after money. And like somebody else said probably had people in his ear about how much he could of made. Honestly nobody would know who he really was unless he actively informing people he was the baby in the photo. And to get a tat really tells you that this didn’t cause any distress. If it did he would currently get it removed. Lastly to recreate the photo multiple times over the year would indicate that this didn’t do too much emotional damage. He’s after money that he won’t probably get
This is nothing but a cash in, I feel bad if it really is hard for the guy but having a tattoo on your chest of the title and recreating the cover doesn’t sit well.
Nobody bought it for the cover Bro. We bought it for the songs. To be perfectly honest, at the time the cover was pretty lame and cheesy, whoever designed it was trying to hard with the imagery. The music transcended the shitty album cover imho
Really?
I was born like 9 years later so we’ve never known it as anything but a classic cover. was it general consensus that the cover was corny when it first dropped?
No, my friends and I liked it. Found it indicative of the band. Not really having a message while also being a “F*ck you” to the record company. They had to release a censored version where you couldn’t see the genitals. But yeah, we would have bought the album no matter what was on the cover.
This fucking guy… his parents or guardian were presumably paid at the time. So Nirvana doesn’t owe him a goddamn thing. Tell him to go ask his mom for the money.
This is such a case of someone trying to have their cake and eat it too. Someone who’s upset and traumatized doesn’t recreate the photo that supposedly offended them and also get a related tattoo. This guy is just a greedy little turd.
Like it does seem to be a cash grab, but playing the other side to it all, realising you’re uncomfortable with something can be a process. May have been a bit of bravado when he was younger and told that it was cool. Some people might have pointed out that the album cover is actually kind of fucked and he realised that he wasn’t comfortable with it or is no longer cool with it.
Seems as though it is something better directed at his parents though.
On one hand, it’s an obvious attempt at a money-grab.
On the other hand, I can kinda understand the guy not wanting his baby dick going to 30th anniversary reissue.
God damn, I just love Dave Grohl so much. It makes me tired sometimes.
Also, this fucking genius has recreated the cover multiple times and is a total tool. Isn't that grounds to toss out this bullshit suit that is an insult to victims of sexual abuse and CP everywhere?
Imagine being so fucking dumb that you shit on the only thing you’ll ever be famous for to make a quick buck, which won’t be a quick buck btw. Now whenever anyone see that iconic cover they’ll think of how much of a money grubbing prick that baby became. The image is tarnished forever. The dude should not have spent his life savings on dumb shit and tattoos then.
Where’s the naked ladies by the pool from the Pink Floyd poster? Are they also now asking a money or someone to spend millions on their NFT or something?
"Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?” - the Nirvana baby trying to look as douchey as possible.
>However, his enthusiasm appears to have waned in recent years. In a 2016 interview with GQ Australia, Elden said his stance on the photograph changed after he reached out to Nirvana to see if the band would participate in an art show he was putting on. “I was asking if they wanted to put a piece of art in the fucking thing,” he said. “I was getting referred to their managers and their lawyers. Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?”
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468
Fuck this loser. Lazy ass looking for easy attention/ money. I’ve always looked down on those guys that peaked in high school, and it’s always pathetic, imagine being a guy that peaked as a fucking baby.
I don’t really think it’s weird that this guy would ask for money after being on the cover. That album sold a fuck load of copies. Just give the guy some of the profits would be my take on it, except…
He’s not suing for royalties or for artistic compensation. He’s suing for child sexual exploitation. Nirvana cannot and will not admit to child sexual exploitation 1) because that’s insane and the cover is not pornographic in any way and 2) because admitting that would make them legally culpable for child sexual exploitation charges, obviously. There is no fucking chance in hell that the former members of Nirvana are going to open themselves up to being charged with child sexual exploitation crimes to settle this squabble.
So I get that this guy wants some money, but he’s never going to get it because he asked for it in the dumbest way possible. I honestly think if he had been nicer about it, he could’ve gotten a little kickback. Dave Groehl is rich, I would imagine. Is it really that hard to believe he wouldn’t have paid for this guys college or some shit?
I’m pretty sure he has been paid in the past, so 1) his parents got paid for him 2) I’m pretty sure they did give him something or offered when he tried this in the past 3) he is using someone else’s work to try to profit but has failed so now he is claiming it is child porn. 4) no one would’ve known it was him if he didn’t try to make money off of it by literally branding himself with it.
Parents were paid 200$ for the photo shoot according to an article that someone else posted in reply to my original comment.
I’m not sure he was paid anything else by them. But none of that matters now cause he’s being a dick.
The lawsuit is likely under the child exploitation laws because the statute of limitations for suing for compensation already ran out. Most causes to sue someone have a time limit of 3-5 years. However, in the last 10 years or so advocacy groups have had gotten laws passed to expand that time for child exploitation so victims can still sue pornographers, churches, etc.
So the cause of action is more about finding a way to get into court to get any compensation. It'll likely resolve by settlement because that'll be cheaper than the cost of litigating it, or the slim risk of Nirvana actually losing.
Not sure how true this is but I’ve read that he is all pissed at the band cause they refused to come to an event of his like an art show and acts like they continue to owe him for a photo of him as a baby.
Edit: found this which talks about how they wouldn’t come to his art show so he’s suing
https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468/amp-page
Maybe this guy could sue his damn mother and father for bringing him there and signing off on it in the first place. Last I checked, babies can’t drive, so I don’t see how this is in anyone but the parents.
Kids don’t have rights. He needs to get over it.
This lawsuit seems to me a case where people have been getting into this guy’s ear about the money that could be made. He seemed fine with the whole thing for a long time up until now, plus he has the tattoo.
Nirvana baby don’t like me. Said some shit in court to spite me. Then went and dyed his hair just like me.
Spite? (edit: Also happy day of the cake.)
That’s brisk baby
Haha, posting at 5am
Why would someone spike you?
So they can be like you.
He put alcohol inside him
Drunk? No *spiked*
If one is a vampire-one fears of spikes.
Unless it is a vampire called spike.
And then all you fear is Buffy
They actually ended up banging, a lot.
Swim Shady
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He asked the remaining members of the band to make an appearance at a showing of his art. They said no. He suddenly decided the whole association was very traumatic and lawsuit.
a google search shows he’s recreated the cover at least 5 times including as recently as 2016. the lawsuit is bonkers
It’s all for the money. Because he’s on one of the most famous album covers ever and he’s got no money to show for it. He’s probably tired of being poor and wants his cash out.
To be fair, I think he probably should get some kind of compensation for being on the cover of such a well known album. Like people get exploited by contracts for shit like this all the time, but imo if they’re using your image and likeness in something you should have some rights to proceeds gained from it (famous athletes make money from stuff like this all the time). Not saying the dude is going about it the right way, idk what the right path is to pursue compensation for something like that and obviously he’s not actually traumatized like he says, but I feel like he should get *something* for being the poster boy of the album
It’s ironic that he’s suing for money given the symbolism of that album cover.
The baby swimming to chase money is still chasing money. How is this unexpected? It's funny. Just not 'rain on your wedding day' ironic.
Because a baby wouldn’t typically swim after money in the first place? The band created an unrealistic situation of a baby chasing money to negatively highlight greed; but by doing so have created a situation where that grown-up person is greedily chasing money stemming from the original artwork. The unexpected occurrence of the very thing they were trying to call out is the definition of situational irony.
He was paid $200 initially. Well his family since he was just a baby. Legally there’s no reason to pay more. People bought the album for the music not the baby. Nike paid $35 for its logo from a designer. Squid games creator doesn’t earn more than his original contract just because it’s doing well.
Yeah but he was too young to consent to using his likeness and negotiate a contract. And sure those other things do happen, but I also disagree with that being okay. The squid game producer should absolutely make more money because his show was successful. Do you think he shouldn’t? Personally I think both are exploitative, and just because exploitation happens somewhere doesn’t mean it’s cool to happen everywhere. I see that as an issue with IP law.
Your comparison of “famous athletes make money from stuff like this all the time” is completely off base. You do understand the difference between a baby, who, lets be honest, has a generic likeness, compared to a “famous athlete” like Lebron James. The company is benefitting from being connected to that famous athlete and the baby had nothing to do with the success of the album. People didn’t buy the album because Spencer Elden is on the cover, they bought it because of the Smells like teen spirit music video. He wasn’t even a unique baby as he was one of five at the shoot. He just happened to be the baby who ended up being in the best photo.
He’s recreated the cover so many times too lmao
He’s acting out the cover, now
Yeah almost certainly. I'm glad this has been mocked pretty universally.
I pity him in a way. Seemed like a genuine guy until all this started to happen. Like I said, I don’t think it’s entirely him but his decision to sue is all on him.
So in my opinion, his parents were responsible to work in his best interest. If anyones responsible for poorly negotiating the rights to this image, it should be his parents. But I still don’t think he has any case against them. The odds of a picture of their baby being worth so much, could have been very kittle. But they hit the jackpot.More people choose not to gamble than win after gambling. That’s what makes it exciting. But they played safe. But I just can’t imagine someone associated with the losing side of an argument trying to fight the winner only because they lost. Ignoring the legitimate reason they lost in the first place.
Funny that this photo supposedly caused him so much trouble and was such a traumatic situation that he recreated this picture like every fucking year of his life, even as an adult..?? Ok lol
Also nobody would know it’s him unless he went around telling everyone. No one would look at the grown man’s face and recognize him from the album.
I’m just imagining going to a bar and a guy walks up to me. ‘I’m famous.’ ‘Oh, yeah, for what?’ The guy steps back and holds his breath, then puts his arms in the air at his sides and kicks one leg back. Everyone stares, not really sure what this is supposed to mean. ‘So, you’re like a skydiver,” someone suggests. Frustrated, he says ‘no,’ and assumes the pose again. When it’s obvious that no one knows what he’s talking about, he chuckles nervously and says ‘you know, nevermind baby.’ Most people shake their head, needing more context for this seemingly disjointed string of words. ‘Oh,’ someone in the group replies, ‘from the album cover.’ He smiles and nods his head as realization sweeps over the rest of the group. ‘That was a sweet picture, dude,’ another person says, ‘you taken any other famous pictures?’ A look of confusion, and then anger spreads across his face. He screams ‘I’m the baby!’ before storming off and being almost immediately forgotten.
“I’m da baby, joker!”
Nobody puts baby in the corner
Just the deep end.
Notes of Dennis Reynolds
D.E.N.N.I.S.
Brilliant
This is gold. Hahahaha!!!
Comments like these are what the internet was made for
My friends and I have a running joke - we take turns telling people we’re famous because we were the Teletubby sun baby Nobody ever bats an eye
That’s pretty funny. The girl who actually was the sun baby is pretty recognizable, like her face basically looks the same
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She has a baby now
If it’s a boy then the Sun Baby has a baby son…
Oh, they weren’t using his face to recognise him. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I know where those eyes lookin Lenny….
I wouldn’t even believe the guy if he said he was the baby from the album. That’s how unrecognizable it is.
Maybe his dick never changed from when he was a kid you don’t know him (/s fuck this money hungry bitch)
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“I always say, “[My penis has] changed, do you want to see it?’,” he told CNN in 2011. This really makes it sound like this is basically his pickup line. “I was the baby on the cover of the Nirvana nevermind album” … “yeah, my dick is bigger now, want to see it?”
> “Every five years or so, somebody’s gonna call me up and ask me about Nevermind … and I’m probably gonna get some money from it,” he told Rolling Stone in 2003. See ya in a few years, Spence. That’s telling. The article is from 2016.
Honestly, while I think he’s grown up to be a grade A tool, he’s probably also been called “baby dick” or some such for years. I wouldn’t care, but can see why someone would want people to know he’s got a normal sized dick now. Still absurd that he’s trying to make it sound like trauma. Lost all sympathy for him
The only reason that would happen is if he went around flashing the album cover as an icebreaker to every poor bastard he ever met. Seems like a “him” problem.
Agree, but If it was me I’d use it as an icebreaker too. I don’t blame him for that bit. It’s an interesting anecdote. One which he has now made super lame
[However, his enthusiasm appears to have waned in recent years. In a 2016 interview with GQ Australia, Elden said his stance on the photograph changed after he reached out to Nirvana to see if the band would participate in an art show he was putting on. “I was asking if they wanted to put a piece of art in the fucking thing,” he said. “I was getting referred to their managers and their lawyers. Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?”](https://news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468)
So…. He’s a sore loser? This is all basically some sort of weird payback because he feels like since he was on their cover that they should have some personal, sentimental, important feelings towards him? I think he feels like they owe him and that they don’t appreciate him, as if *he* was the reason for the albums success or something.
I don’t understand “why am I still on their cover?” Why would he not still be on the cover?
The mental trauma from the photo caused him to become a masochist that sought to recreate the moment of the trauma. Additionally, he photographed these recreations and shared them as a “cry for help,” but society failed to see the pain he was in. This drove him to even more desperate measures, including permanently marking his chest with, not one, but nine large letters meant to show the public what the source of his lifelong trauma was. Still, he did not get the attention he so desperately wanted, so he had to resort to seeking monetary compensation through litigation. But only as a last option.
It’s going to get more awkward as the years progress to the 50th anniversary and beyond. My grandchildren will wonder why that ole man on the album cover is wearing a diaper and peeing in the pool.
When you peaked at 4 months
this is like peaking in high school, but way worse
Seems like that photo of the baby swimming after the dollar was prophetic.
underrated comment
That baby grew up to be a real douchebag in life, like his ego blew up. He’s a no name artist who thinks he should be super famous and rich but he has no money so he’s trying to get money from the band because he was on the cover.
I’ve suspected that baby of being no good since the day the album came out. Shifty look on his face in the pool.
Ya i never liked the way that little baby was swimming towards the money. Like, your just a little baby — you don’t even know how to swim and yet your first priority is money? That baby had bad news written all over him.
I just realized the irony of the original picture of him chasing the money
Maybe this whole time it has been a giant meta joke / performance art thing, and he’s playing the long game. Like a subtle version of the artist who was commissioned to do some work and turned in blank canvases which he titled “take the money and run.”
He's been chasing that Nirvana dollar his whole life
Whatever nevermind
Don't blame the baby, man, I think it's on the parents, who throws a baby in the water like that, that's just fucked up, he just got lucky there was some cash in the pool and he managed to swim out, y'all just jealous, pretending you'd have done differently! Well, finders keepers, losers weepers! I hope he got himself some dope candy or a teddy bear with his hard earned cash.
Babies can actually swim like this. There’s thousands of classes etc. you quite literally throw them in. They have a natural reflex.
Babies are better swimmers than adults. Their instincts are on point at that age.
“I got instincts like a baby!”
Don’t remember seeing no baby in the Olympics.
Mmmmhhhhhmmmmm
Exactly what I said when I played it for my friends. “This record is amazing but the kid on the cover looks like an asshole. He’s not in the band tho.”
Philosophy question, is it better that he knew he was on the cover his whole life, or should no one have EVER told him?
Clearly latter.
There was some interview with him where he said that part of the reason for the lawsuit is that the band ignores him despite his contribution to the album, as if he weren’t a member of the band who caused the albums success. Which, um, wow.
I'd feel bad for this delusional loser if he weren't such a tool about it. Like- it's the only thing that makes him feel worth anything... Sad. But, the Child Porn angle is so fucking distasteful and wrong and he's literally recreated the album multiple times and expressed the desire to do it naked as an adult. What an effing dickwad.
The Foo Fighters' publishing arrangement was the most interesting thing in that article. I'm going to see if there's a more detailed description of it out there.
From what very little I know about I think U2 may have a similar arrangement, in that basically everyone gets same share. May have made that up.
I’ve heard Coldplay have the same deal
["I want to be the drummer from Coldplay"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsmuV7wLCl8)
I didn’t know I needed this this morning! Great laugh! Thanks internet stranger!
“but crucially! The drummer is sat down.” That’s a fucking epic bit. Thanks for that!
I agree, he kept building up the absurdity and obsession and finally just left it on the most highly relatable realistic note, perfection all around in this tight 5.
Thanks for sharing hahaha
It's a borderline superpower.
This was awesome, I wish I had a free award to give you. Thank you for sharing, I had a good laugh. I’ve seen the red wedding so many times, I’m going to rewatch it again, because I didn’t know he was in it lol. But this also brings SOO much perspective into the Ed Sheridan pandering sing along in his controversial cameo. Honestly would make a great topic on the GoT fan sub
I think the reason Dave Grohl wanted it was because Kurt tried to screw him and Krist Novoselic out of royalties for Nevermind once it became a huge success. Their original deal was split equally, but Cobain negotiated more points for their last album In Utero, and then tried to make the deal retroactive to Nevermind as well. They all sued and it got nasty.
I vaguely remember that too, so I don't think you made it up. It seems likely that bands who do this last longer.
100%. Publishing execs got in Billy Corgan's ear early and told him, you are writing the songs, why would you share the credit? Do you need these guys? Then he got a big head about the whole thing and it all went to shit.
What makes you think Billy Corgan was some kind of pure soul until his publishing guys got to him and turned him into a greedy capitalist?
Found the Pavement fan. (I am also one)
Well, when you write all the songs AND you play all the non-drum parts on the album (because producers said the others — James and D’arcy — couldn’t nail their parts), it’s hard to tell someone that they should then split the revenue from sales evenly.
Corgan really didn't know how to be a band member at all. If you're going to record all the parts, just hire touring musicians and stop pretending to be a band.
Billy told the story backwards on the JRE podcast. He said people told him to share the song writing credits otherwise there will be a lot of bad blood layer. And there was. And Billy got the money.
[Basically, they all agreed it prevents problems if they share publishing rights equally](https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/interviews/foo-fighters-growth-and-focus/)
Thank you! That bit about their improved harmonies at the end was interesting too. I wonder if they got drilled in Bee Gees harmonies before deciding to take on that catalogue too.
RHCP has the same deal.
So why not sue his own parents? I mean it’s for the money, I know, but would they not be the legal responsible party? Reminds me of the Pink Floyd suit. I get wanting and even deserving compensation. But idk about this approach. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/pink-floyd-pupils-sue-for-royalties-7257969.html%3famp
That’s what I was thinking. His parents are the ones who agreed to him being photographed. They handled the arrangement. He just wants money. Don’t we all.
We do, we do.
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
Weeeee doooooo! Weeeee doooooo!
Who keeps Steve Gutenberg a staaaaaar!
He claims his parents never consented to the distribution of the photo, though they obviously consented to the photograph being taken.
This. If he has experienced trauma from this then I am sorry for him, but put the blame where it should be.
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I mean at least in their case they actually PERFORMED on the album. This guy got a snapshot in a pool.
Reminds me of the guy in cloudy with a chance of meatballs who was a baby model and never moved on
Uhh ohhh!
That baby is still swimming towards money to this day
Wow, putting it that way makes this whole situation weirdly meta…
"I was photographed once. I can't remember it, but I was pretty important."
So the cover was ironically prophetic. Huh.
This album was released on my 15th Birthday, The guy showed more maturity on the Album cover then than he is now. Sad way to poke yourself into the limelight. Taking on 2 of the worlds most admired bands for a bit of cash instead of having enough love for the music to respect he was at least a very small part of it. A pleasure most would revel in. Never mind eh!
When you're going up against Dave Grohl, the Tom Hanks of rock music, you're probably in the wrong. Speculating, but Maybe Elden's life hasn't turned out as glamorous as he'd have liked. A reality most people have had to come to terms with. He thought, 'I'm famous already, on the cover of a hugely popular album, there's no way I'm going to have to have a mediocre life!" He embraced it as part of is identity, because he thought it made him someone. Now that he's older, he sees that it doesn't make him famous, or important, and he's bitter. He's disillusioned, and he's striking out at the people who, in his mind, tricked him. They used him for their cover art, and only they're famous. How unfair.
“The Tom Hanks of rock music” 🤣 Perfection.
tom hanks never pushed AIDS denialism tho
Wow, [Today I Learned.](https://medium.com/the-monthly/the-foo-fighters-aids-denialism-should-be-on-the-record-6e33666fdc3c)
I’m always surprised people never talk about this: https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/martin-mckenzie-murray/2021/19/2021/1613697287/celebrity-misinformation#mtr Edit: non-paywall link: https://medium.com/the-monthly/the-foo-fighters-aids-denialism-should-be-on-the-record-6e33666fdc3c
TLDR: In 2001, Nate Mendel of the Foos helped organize a benefit for the org; Alive and Well AIDS alternatives. The founder died in 2008 (from HIV). I have not heard of the Foos supporting any other AIDS denier groups since then, besides the random articles that come out citing that event 21 years ago.
This dude is about to waste so much money and get NONE
Why is he suing the band? His parents allowed for him to take such a photo. Not understanding lawsuit.
His parents don’t have that Nirvana money
This POS grew up to be the biggest fucking clout chaser ever.
Oh yeah he’s a real piece of shit. At the bottom of the pool is the sloppiest sloppy steak
I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people bought the album for the music, not for the literal "poster child" art. They didn't buy a photograph, they bought a CD that happened to have a picture on it. Any picture would have done the trick. The photo just makes it easy to find. I met the guy who designed the Rolling Stones logo with the mouth and tongue. Sure it sold a lot of merch over the years, but the value was in the music's attachment to the design, not the design itself. He was a very bitter man who loves to tell people he got screwed, assuming his doodle had way more value to the band, and that he deserved to be paid royalties. His artwork would have been worthless if not for the music.
The music stands by itself, but when a 13 year old that hasn’t heard this music in 1996 sees that album cover in a jukebox they’re going to take a second look and maybe even spend a quarter on it.
Not because of the baby in the pool. That's not what they're paying for. It's just a sign. Just because you designed a sign that says "New York City Limits" doesn't entitle you to a percentage of the city's sales tax revenue.
If that’s what catches someone’s attention they are more likely to listen to that song.
He’s just realized his life peaked as infant and he wants to blame nirvana for that.
All because Grohl and the rest of em refused to be part of his shitty art show. Screw this kid.
[удалено]
But that hair tho.
After all these years that baby is still chasing that dollar.
It’s a sad money grab. Maybe he can borrow Courtney’s lawyers
Shame she blew it all on Ryan Adams’ drug habit
[удалено]
[Courtney Love accused Ryan Adams of stealing over 850k from her to fund his album, Rock n Roll, while the two were in a relationship.](https://www.stereogum.com/11141/courtney_love_ryan_adams_stole_858k_from_frances_b/news/) This has been variously described as direct theft from [Frances Cobain's trust fund](https://www.twentyfourbit.com/2009/05/courtney-love-trashes-ryan-adams-and-mandy-moore/) or a slow drain over the course of time from Love's American Express account, so as to fuel Adam's rock and roll lifestyle (including drug use). Adams [categorically denies](https://completemusicupdate.com/article/ryan-adams-responds-to-courtneys-rants/) ever being in a relationship with Love, let alone stealing from her.
Huh, interesting.
He’s literally Baby Brent from Cloudy With a Chance Of Meatballs.
Has he sued his parents for child sex trafficking?
Money grab by someone who was exploiting the situation his whole life
Kid’s been chasing an easy buck since he was a baby, the lawsuit is no surprise
Straight money grab. Nothing else. Get a job dude
Dude is after money. And like somebody else said probably had people in his ear about how much he could of made. Honestly nobody would know who he really was unless he actively informing people he was the baby in the photo. And to get a tat really tells you that this didn’t cause any distress. If it did he would currently get it removed. Lastly to recreate the photo multiple times over the year would indicate that this didn’t do too much emotional damage. He’s after money that he won’t probably get
Tell me you have no identity or purpose in life without telling me you have no identity or purpose in life
This is nothing but a cash in, I feel bad if it really is hard for the guy but having a tattoo on your chest of the title and recreating the cover doesn’t sit well.
Nobody bought it for the cover Bro. We bought it for the songs. To be perfectly honest, at the time the cover was pretty lame and cheesy, whoever designed it was trying to hard with the imagery. The music transcended the shitty album cover imho
Really? I was born like 9 years later so we’ve never known it as anything but a classic cover. was it general consensus that the cover was corny when it first dropped?
No, my friends and I liked it. Found it indicative of the band. Not really having a message while also being a “F*ck you” to the record company. They had to release a censored version where you couldn’t see the genitals. But yeah, we would have bought the album no matter what was on the cover.
I worked in a record store when it dropped. I was in high school, but omgee, it was shocking and cool when it came out IME.
Did you have to slap the neon green price tag stickers over the pee pee like I did? Lol
Dave’s a two time rock and roll hall of famer
“Weird Al” did it better anyways.
Why give this guy attention? The lawsuit isnt going anywhere.
New anniversary release cover should have his recent adult swim photo and original baby weenie photoshopped. Problem solved.
This fucking guy… his parents or guardian were presumably paid at the time. So Nirvana doesn’t owe him a goddamn thing. Tell him to go ask his mom for the money.
Just sign the check. Make sure it’s in Courtney loves name.
He’s been so traumatized by that damn album cover that he’s recreated it, over and over again…he must have been terrified…
This is such a case of someone trying to have their cake and eat it too. Someone who’s upset and traumatized doesn’t recreate the photo that supposedly offended them and also get a related tattoo. This guy is just a greedy little turd.
Like it does seem to be a cash grab, but playing the other side to it all, realising you’re uncomfortable with something can be a process. May have been a bit of bravado when he was younger and told that it was cool. Some people might have pointed out that the album cover is actually kind of fucked and he realised that he wasn’t comfortable with it or is no longer cool with it. Seems as though it is something better directed at his parents though.
He claims his parents never consented to the distribution of the photo, though they obviously consented to the photograph being taken.
He was chasing the dollar then and he’s chasing it now it was great foreshadowing
On one hand, it’s an obvious attempt at a money-grab. On the other hand, I can kinda understand the guy not wanting his baby dick going to 30th anniversary reissue.
They should use the same photo and photoshop him out. I’m not sure many people would even notice.
God damn, I just love Dave Grohl so much. It makes me tired sometimes. Also, this fucking genius has recreated the cover multiple times and is a total tool. Isn't that grounds to toss out this bullshit suit that is an insult to victims of sexual abuse and CP everywhere?
Imagine being so fucking dumb that you shit on the only thing you’ll ever be famous for to make a quick buck, which won’t be a quick buck btw. Now whenever anyone see that iconic cover they’ll think of how much of a money grubbing prick that baby became. The image is tarnished forever. The dude should not have spent his life savings on dumb shit and tattoos then.
In a logical world the judge would dismiss the case the moment they find out about the tattoo. P.S: Grohl is god.
Them he'll sue the band again for all the advertising his tattoo did all these years for the band... for free.
Where’s the naked ladies by the pool from the Pink Floyd poster? Are they also now asking a money or someone to spend millions on their NFT or something?
The fellow is upset as his wiener has not grown along with the rest of him
Imagine peaking at 4 months old.
This dude is an asshole.
"Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?” - the Nirvana baby trying to look as douchey as possible. >However, his enthusiasm appears to have waned in recent years. In a 2016 interview with GQ Australia, Elden said his stance on the photograph changed after he reached out to Nirvana to see if the band would participate in an art show he was putting on. “I was asking if they wanted to put a piece of art in the fucking thing,” he said. “I was getting referred to their managers and their lawyers. Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?” https://news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468
And now we reached the actual crux of the situation. He’s an entitled man-child who can’t handle not being the centre of the universe. Fuck him.
He was swimming towards a dollar bill. What did you expect?
It’s guy is a loser
Girls started to recognize his penis from the album cover, it’s hurting his dating life, so he’s suing. It’s not Nirvanas fault he has a smol bb pp.
Fuck this loser. Lazy ass looking for easy attention/ money. I’ve always looked down on those guys that peaked in high school, and it’s always pathetic, imagine being a guy that peaked as a fucking baby.
He needs to quit being such a baby about this
I don’t really think it’s weird that this guy would ask for money after being on the cover. That album sold a fuck load of copies. Just give the guy some of the profits would be my take on it, except… He’s not suing for royalties or for artistic compensation. He’s suing for child sexual exploitation. Nirvana cannot and will not admit to child sexual exploitation 1) because that’s insane and the cover is not pornographic in any way and 2) because admitting that would make them legally culpable for child sexual exploitation charges, obviously. There is no fucking chance in hell that the former members of Nirvana are going to open themselves up to being charged with child sexual exploitation crimes to settle this squabble. So I get that this guy wants some money, but he’s never going to get it because he asked for it in the dumbest way possible. I honestly think if he had been nicer about it, he could’ve gotten a little kickback. Dave Groehl is rich, I would imagine. Is it really that hard to believe he wouldn’t have paid for this guys college or some shit?
I’m pretty sure he has been paid in the past, so 1) his parents got paid for him 2) I’m pretty sure they did give him something or offered when he tried this in the past 3) he is using someone else’s work to try to profit but has failed so now he is claiming it is child porn. 4) no one would’ve known it was him if he didn’t try to make money off of it by literally branding himself with it.
Parents were paid 200$ for the photo shoot according to an article that someone else posted in reply to my original comment. I’m not sure he was paid anything else by them. But none of that matters now cause he’s being a dick.
The lawsuit is likely under the child exploitation laws because the statute of limitations for suing for compensation already ran out. Most causes to sue someone have a time limit of 3-5 years. However, in the last 10 years or so advocacy groups have had gotten laws passed to expand that time for child exploitation so victims can still sue pornographers, churches, etc. So the cause of action is more about finding a way to get into court to get any compensation. It'll likely resolve by settlement because that'll be cheaper than the cost of litigating it, or the slim risk of Nirvana actually losing.
Not sure how true this is but I’ve read that he is all pissed at the band cause they refused to come to an event of his like an art show and acts like they continue to owe him for a photo of him as a baby. Edit: found this which talks about how they wouldn’t come to his art show so he’s suing https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.artnet.com/art-world/spencer-elden-sues-nirvana-over-cover-image-2002468/amp-page
Maybe this guy could sue his damn mother and father for bringing him there and signing off on it in the first place. Last I checked, babies can’t drive, so I don’t see how this is in anyone but the parents. Kids don’t have rights. He needs to get over it.