Baltimore was home to Gino's, a popular hamburger stand chain founded by the great Baltimore Colt defensive end Gino Marchetti. At their peak around here, they were more popular than McDonald's, because their food tasted better!
Nevertheless, it was still fast food, and it did give rise to a popular joke about taking a date "to an Italian restaurant and going to Gino's." Gino was of Italian ancestry, but he was born in West Virginia, so he was not really an Italian by birth.
That's the crux of a dumb lawsuit now oozing its way through a California courtroom. The good people at Barilla pasta are being sued for allegedly misleading American pastagobblers with fake ads purporting that their noodles are made in Italy.
The suit was brought by Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost, who claim that they were fooled by the slogan "Italy's #1 Brand of Pasta" on the pasta packaging.
So, you're in the Try 'N' Shop and you pick up some Barilla pasta - angel hair, fusilli, bowtie, whatever, and you see the green/white/red Italian flags on the box, does that make you think that the noodles came over here on a boat or something? Ok, most of their products are made in Iowa (primo wheat country!) and New York. What's the problem?
Sinatro and Prost put forth the argument that were hornswoggled by "false advertising" and deceptive marketing. Between them, they spent $6 on Barilla past (Sinatro bought a box of angel hair in San Francisco and Prost went for two boxes of spaghetti in Los Angeles) and they aver that they never would have spent that kingly sum had they only known that they were getting American pasta and not genuine Italian.
"[C]onsumers willingly pay more for Italian sounding and/or looking products," and Barilla leveraged the implied connection to Italy "[i]n an effort to increase profits and to obtain an unfair competitive advantage," the suit states.
Just look at Barilla's website if the hometown of your pasta is such a big deal: "Barilla Pasta that is sold in the United States is made in our plants in Ames, IA and Avon, NY, with a few exceptions. Barilla Tortellini and Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne are made in Italy."
Read further, and you will see that the US manufacturers use the same recipes as do the noodlemakers of Parma, Italy, and on the same type of machines.
Barilla filed for dismissal of the case, on the grounds that Sinatro and Prost couldn't prove financial harm. Yes, they spent six bucks, but they did have dinner with what they bought, right? A judge rejected the request for dismissal last week, though.
In other news, I want my money back for every Belgian waffle, order of French Fries, Chinese dumpling, Fuji apple, Korean barbecue, and Hungarian goulash I've ever had.
I feel abused, and only money can make me feel better. Get me a lawyer.
No comments:
Post a Comment