Ah, the Joys of Capitalism: Jesus Juice Wine

[Tuckerfan]

I’m just speechless.

A media power couple from Los Angeles is planning to market a wine called “Jesus Juice” that includes a label with the image of a Michael Jackson look-alike in a Christ-like position on a cross.

While the wine carries the name Rheins-Westlake Winery, the producers appear to be seeking a partner in wine production, specifically, “a vintner with a sense of humor, but a seriously good line of wines,” according to the Smoking Gun. They also are willing to sell the “Jesus Juice” trademark.

Come on guys, just relabel bottles of Thunderbird. Nobody’s gonna wanna drink this stuff.

[psycat90]

It doesn’t really matter whether the patent office approves the trademark or not.

That label will never pass TTB’s approval, and they are the governing body over labels of alcoholic products intended for commercial sale in the US.

[Alma]

I would absolutely drink that, if it’s good (hopefully).

psycat90, why wouldn’t it pass? I don’t know about the regulatory body so I don’t know their standards.

[Tuckerfan]

@psycat90

It doesn’t really matter whether the patent office approves the trademark or not.

That label will never pass TTB’s approval, and they are the governing body over labels of alcoholic products intended for commercial sale in the US.

IIRC, they got sued for trying to block “Black Death Vodka” (or some such) and lost. Case went all the way to SCOTUS, I believe.

[bmoak]

C.W. Post originally called “Post Toasties” “Elijah’s Manna”, but that name couldn’t get the approval of British trademark authorities, so he changed it.

[mobo85]

I was reading an article about this- the people who came up with the “Jesus Juice” wine name didn’t plan to make it a commercial product- they only make it for friends, and decided to trademark the name so no one else could steal their idea. Now that they are getting some backlash from religious groups and Jackson’s legal team, they may not go through with it.

[psycat90]

I don’t know anything about Black Death Vodka. I’ve never even heard of it. Unless it’s Blavod, a Black Vodka, which I have seen. Nothing controversial about that label at all.
No nearly nude image in what some would call a controversial pose. No tasteless parody of a celebrity. Just a black label with red lettering.

If that’s not the same product, I’d be interested in reading more about the case, or seeing a picture of the label to get an idea on what they attempted to reject. Or was it the word Death or the words Black Death? I could see that. They’ve got quite a list of words and phrases that are ‘no-nos.’
TTB’s standards are surprisingly (or not so?) conservative.
Rarely do they allow nudity or controversial images. While the label shown on TSG’s site is not nudity, it is controversial in its obvious Jesus pose/attire and MJ attire.

TTB has allowed use of celebrities on labels as a tribute, Marilyn Monroe wines are a big hit, but I’m about 99.9% certain they wouldn’t allow one as a parody.

I stand by my statement.
That label would never pass. And I seriously doubt any bonded winery with even a half-assed reputation would even submit it.

[Tuckerfan]

Black Death Vodka.

Black Death, a vodka distilled from beets in Luxembourg was banned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in 1992, which asserted that the liquor’s name and label-featuring a sinister image of a grinning skull in black top hat-created “the misleading impression of bubonic plague and poison.” Cabo, the importing company, won its appeal against the ban in a federal district court the same year.

Didn’t make it to SCOTUS, but the rest of the details I got right.

[psycat90]

Cool. Thanks. I actually have seen that label, though it was about 10 years ago, and I don’t think I knew the name, or even that it was vodka.

I’ll have to find a bottle. I just gave my little sister and her new hubby one of these as a bridal shower gift a couple of weeks ago. It’s one of my favorite packages, and some decent wine.