Big Brother's Deaflympian Matt Klotz's Censored/Blurred Tattoo
CSUSOP stands for the Commission of the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics.
The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020 requires the CSUSOP to describe the status of any United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) licensing arrangement;
On September 30, the CSUSOP finished its work and will be scheduled to submit its final report to Congress in Spring 2024. However, I am requesting the CSUSOP to know why Deaflympian Matt Klotz’s tattoo (pictured below) is censored/blurred in CBS’s ‘Big Brother’ show.
Decider exclaims, “It’s actually pretty straightforward: it’s the Olympic rings with the Deaflympics logo added to the center ring.”
Here is the official Deaflympics logo:
Watch the video, “Deaflympics Logo In Sign,” signed by Ralph Fernandez of Washington, DC, who designed this logo. Currently, he is the International Sports Director at the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD.)
Whoa! Who is Matt Klotz??????
At the 2022 Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, Klotz set a new Deaflympic record for most medals ever by an athlete in a single Deaflympic Games, with 14 shiny pieces of metal (five golds, two silvers, and seven bronzes.)
Could you read what Klotz told Reality Titbit about his Deaflympic experience? You can count how many medals he earned in the past three Deaflympics: Bulgaria in 2013, Turkey in 2017, and Brazil in 2022. Click on his list.
Proudly, Klotz got this tattoo on October 25, 2013, after participating in the Bulgaria Games, where he got the first Deaflympic gold medal.
What is wrong with Klotz’s tattoo in ‘Big Brother’?
“It seems that CBS didn’t obtain permission from the tattoo artist to display Matt’s tattoo on screen,” mentions Global Village Space. “The decision to cover up Matt's tattoo highlights the importance of respecting copyright laws and protecting the rights of tattoo artists.
Decider points out, “Tattoos are protected by copyright. In most cases, tattoos are owned by the tattoo artist. In order for a person’s actual tattoos to be shown on television or film, permission has to be obtained from the tattoo artist.
ScreenRant says, “The Olympics air on NBC, and CBS, which airs Big Brother, might not have wanted to show the Olympic rings on their network. Another possibility is that the tattoo is subject to copyright laws that would require CBS to get permission from the tattoo artist in order to air it on television.”
Olympics???
The Colorado Springs Business Journal explains, “In 1978, Congress passed the Amateur Sports Act — revised in 1998 to the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act — which … gives the USOC more power than other organizations to protect its intellectual property.” [I’ve written about that before here.]
To protect your rights, I am encouraging you to read the following guidelines:
USOPC - USOPP Intellectual Property
ICSD - Identity Guidelines
The CSUSOP Commissioners should re-read what Donalda Ammons, a former ICSD President, wrote her public comment.
"To achieve these environments, I resolutely believe it is necessary for Congress and the USOPC to establish funding mechanisms and implement structural reforms—including revising the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to insert the Deaflympics alongside the Olympics and the Paralympics so that Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans are better protected from abuse, mistreatment, and discrimination and are afforded equal access to the provisions of the Act as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
So it is time for the CSUSOP to recommend Congress to include Deaflympians in the Act mentioned above.
In conclusion, I am smiling weakly while looking at what ScreenRant wrote:
“As a Deaflympics athlete, his tattoo is a reminder of his achievements and goals. Matt is bringing awareness to the deaf community as Big Brother viewers watch him compete on the show. His tattoo might be concealed, but it is surely a good luck charm to him that inspires him to reach for the stars.”
At that time, he was only 17 years old. Suddenly, Klotz is a heavy favorite to win the Big Brother 25, according to AOL.com article published yesterday (Oct. 27)
