A portmanteau is a word that fuses two or more words to give a combined meaning. Think animatronics or guesstimate. Well, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are getting in a tizz over another portmanteau… namely, their ‘Californication’. The group want to sue some TV types after the name was used in the popular series (airing in the UK on Channel Five) which stars former X Filer, David Duchovny as a Hollywood writer.
Of course, Californication is the title of their 1999 LP, DVD and single. The band’s front man Anthony Kiedis said in a statement “‘Californication’ is the signature CD, video and song of the band’s career. For some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right.”

The band are seeking damages, restitution and “disgorgement of all profits derived by the defendants” and also want to stop ‘Californication’ being used as a title in the future. Now, who fancies telling the band that Californication is a portmanteau of California and fornication, written about in Time Magazine on August 21, 2025 and has been seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. states of Colorado and Oregon ever since? [via Uncut]

Possibly related:

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2. Red Hot Chilli Peppers play Woodstock as… lightbulbs.

3. Carling weekend link round-up: bottling, bridges and “Beat It”

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5. Taxicab Classics - Take it Easy by The Eagles

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Tuesday November 20th, 2007 at 12:30 pm