Duke has become the subject of national discussion through an unlikely setting, taking on a supporting role in the latest season of HBO’s hit TV show, “The White Lotus.” However, University administrators are far from enthusiastic about its portrayal.
Season three of the popular dramatic comedy series centers, in part, around the Ratliffs, a Durham-based family split along Tobacco Road lines. Father Timothy and eldest son Saxon are Duke graduates, while mother Victoria and daughter Piper are Tar Heels; youngest son Lochlan is a high school senior weighing his options after being accepted to both schools.
Saxon comes across to viewers as a playboy stereotype at best, with a crude and chauvinistic demeanor that crosses the line into incest at worst. Meanwhile, Timothy is involved with a shady money laundering scheme that later drives him to contemplate suicide — in a scene that has since been widely shared across social media, the Ratliff patriarch is depicted holding a gun to his head while wearing a T-shirt with “Duke” emblazoned across the front.
In a Wednesday Bloomberg article, Frank Tramble, vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs, rebuked the show’s use of Duke’s branding in association with the Ratliffs.
“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 exists,” he wrote in a statement to the news outlet, which he later shared with The Chronicle.
The University reportedly did not approve the use of its logo or branding in the show, and it remains unclear whether HBO or its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, informed Duke that it would be referenced before season three aired.
“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 wrote in the statement.
Although Tramble made no indication that Duke might pursue legal action, several experts have noted that brands tend to have little standing in film and TV trademark infringement cases.
“You get quite a lot of protection under the First Amendment for artistic endeavors as long as you’re not doing something that would be considered defamatory,” intellectual property business attorney Scott Landsbaum told Bloomberg, adding that the inclusion of a brand name on a T-shirt constitutes fair use.
David Olson, associate professor at Boston College Law School, corroborated this interpretation in an article from The New York Times, noting that trademark use in fiction “enjoys wide legal latitude.”
The University did not respond to The Chronicle’s request for comment on whether it intends to pursue legal action against HBO or Warner Bros. Discovery.
Duke took particular issue with the representation of suicidal ideation in connection with its image. Tramble noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses and shared that the University would be “using [its] brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available” to counteract its less-than-favorable “White Lotus” appearance.
In response to an X post with over 3 million views that features a screenshot from the controversial scene, riffing off the possibility of an upset against No. 1 Duke men’s basketball in the NCAA Tournament, Duke’s official account replied: “Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. Rivalry is part of March Madness, but some imagery goes too far. If you or someone you know needs support, call or text the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988.”
When asked about Duke’s representation in the show more broadly, current students pointed mainly toward a depiction of the University as “pretentious” and the contrast drawn with UNC.
Sophomore Jeter Sison pointed to a political distinction set up between the two schools through the characters of Saxon and his sister Piper, an aspiring Buddhist who comes across to viewers as more progressive than her family members. Sison said the siblings represent more conservative and liberal viewpoints, respectively, a depiction that translates to their schools. To him, this portrayal didn’t “resonate;” Sison noted that he “saw Duke students in both of them.”
“I personally have experienced plenty of Pipers [on campus] — people who want to rebel against their privilege and wealthier parents in pursuit of a more … honorable thing,” Sison said.
Sophomore Clara Smith said the show painted Duke in a “very old-school, Southern” light, which she thought was a more accurate characterization of the upper echelon of students at its rival.
“I feel like we feel amongst the student body here [that Duke is] very northeastern-heavy and very California-heavy comparatively speaking to UNC, which I think is a little bit more representative of this older, Southern, wealthier money ideal for a lot of people from North Carolina,” she said. “[Duke is] definitely a lot more diverse in terms of where we take our students from.”
Even though he thinks “The White Lotus” got some things wrong about Duke, Sison said he doesn’t mind.
“I’m not mad at the perception. I feel like it’s a perception that most people already hold about us,” he said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Michelle Voicu contributed reporting.
Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.