# Realistically, what would have happened to the Stay Puft Corporation after the events of Ghostbusters 1?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** movies
**Created:** [November 24, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844 "2021-11-24T03:53:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/1 "2021-11-24T03:53:44Z")
Let’s consider if it happened in “our” world and not linger on the whole ghost/afterlife complications, and ignore everything that happens in the future movies, what would happen to the Stay Puft corporation after their mascot was last seen rampaging around New York City?
Would they have kept their mascot claiming this was all free publicity, would they quietly replace the mascot, would they actually fully rename and rebrand like Aunt Jemima did because of public outcry, or would the entire brand be sued out of existence for all the people that were hurt/killed by the mascot on its rampage?
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/2 "2021-11-24T04:28:40Z")
It wasn’t clear to be anyone was killed. Stay Puft was moving pretty slowly, I think people had a chance to get out of the way.
The subsequent films seem to very strongly suggest that what people chose to do after these wild events was try to pretend they never happened.
---
### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/3 "2021-11-24T05:11:26Z")
Their stock price soars. I would absolutely, to this day, buy stay puft marshmallows if they existed and I ever bought marshmallows.
---
### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/4 "2021-11-24T06:10:50Z")
The Michelin Tire man would get very jealous.
---
### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/5 "2021-11-24T06:35:15Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> would the entire brand be sued out of existence for all the people that were hurt/killed by the mascot on its rampage?
I’m no big-city lawyer, but I don’t think I could see how anyone could prove in a court of law that Stay-Puft Inc. was legally responsible for acts committed by the avatar of an Elder God that happened to resemble their trademark. Seems like a force majeure issue to me.
---
### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/6 "2021-11-24T11:17:59Z")
They sue Ray for copyright infringement.
---
### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/7 "2021-11-24T11:25:53Z")
“Nice thinking Ray!”
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ctgn7kKYHo)
---
### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/8 "2021-11-24T12:07:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> > [@Asuka](#):
> >
> > would the entire brand be sued out of existence for all the people that were hurt/killed by the mascot on its rampage?
>
> I’m no big-city lawyer, but I don’t think I could see how anyone could prove in a court of law that Stay-Puft Inc. was legally responsible for acts committed by the avatar of an Elder God that happened to resemble their trademark. Seems like a force majeure issue to me.
True, but the way they seem to forget about ghosts in the second movie makes me think they must’ve had some cover-story. And the company doing some sort of promotional stunt would be a pretty obvious one to go for.
@RickJay, even if no one died, I do believe the marshmallow fell apart and rained down on everyone, so there’s still the issue of damage.
---
### Author:  [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/9 "2021-11-24T12:39:11Z")
Stay Puft comes out with a special “limited edition” bag of marshmallows.
Ghostbusters “action figures” become a hot collector’s item. The Giant Stay Puft figure is deliberately underproduced to pump up the frenzy.
Someone produces an inflatable lawn decoration.
Good Housekeeping comes out with a recipe to make a Stay Puft cake.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/10 "2021-11-24T14:02:46Z")
Considering that sales of Corona beer are up significantly the past year and a half, I’d guess that the Say-Puft Marshmallow Company would be doing just fine.
---
### Author:  [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/11 "2021-11-24T14:37:15Z")
Is that really true?
I just remember all the news articles a year ago that were basically “Dumb Americans not buying Corona beer because they think it has the Coronavirus”
---
### Author:  [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/12 "2021-11-24T15:10:02Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> They sue Ray for copyright infringement.
I was thinking they’d be suing Zuul.
Not sure how you would serve the subpoena though.
---
### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/13 "2021-11-24T15:11:02Z")
“I am the gatekeeper. Are you the key master?”
“No, I am the process server.”
---
### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/14 "2021-11-24T15:13:35Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> They sue Ray for copyright infringement.
At the very least, they deflect the blame to him (reasonably; it was his fault, not theirs, that a gigantic version of their mascot went on a rampage).
---
### Author:  [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/15 "2021-11-24T15:17:27Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> I just remember all the news articles a year ago that were basically “Dumb Americans not buying Corona beer because they think it has the Coronavirus”
Googling “corona beer sales” gets me headlines that mostly say that sales are up, in spite or, or because of the name. The only headlines that indicate a downward trend are from very early on, like Feb and March of 2020.
And I don’t think it was so much “Dumb Americans”, as simply a normal reaction to something that reminds you of something unpleasant.
If you did a controlled study, and I’m not sure exactly how you would, I would hypothesize that a person’s average consumption of “Granny Smith” apples would go down for a time after their grandmother passes away.
Not because they confuse the apples with their grandmother, but because the name brings up painful emotions.
---
### Author:  [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/16 "2021-11-24T15:18:29Z")
If Ray had thought of Mickey Mouse instead, I’m sure Disney would find a way.
---
### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/17 "2021-11-24T15:30:46Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> @RickJay, even if no one died, I do believe the marshmallow fell apart and rained down on everyone, so there’s still the issue of damage.
That, and the whole stepping-on-a-church thing.
---
### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/18 "2021-11-24T15:50:26Z")
Stay Puft would sue NYC because _why not_ who would in turn sue Ghostbusters, Inc. who obviously have no malpractice insurance.
---
### Author:  [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/19 "2021-11-24T15:56:02Z")
People dying of heart attacks happens all the time from incidents even if there was no direct deaths.
If Stay Puft was at the Capitol Building they’d claim he killed multiple people including police officers.
---
### Author:  [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844/20 "2021-11-24T15:57:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> The subsequent films seem to very strongly suggest that what people chose to do after these wild events was try to pretend they never happened.
Which frankly dampened my appreciation for the sequel. I _hate_ that “we-forget-it-ever-happened” trope that sequels seem rife with. Or TV series like the early 90’s _War of the Worlds._
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistically-what-would-have-happened-to-the-stay-puft-corporation-after-the-events-of-ghostbusters-1/954844.md?page=2)