MOCKERY: A new parody café attempts to incorporate Starbucks’ protected trademark into its brand.
By Ruthie Farrell, Staff Writer
TV personality Nathan Fielder is the cunning “mastermind” behind the mock coffee joint “Dumb Starbucks,” which opened last weekend in Los Angeles. This new café features everything one would expect from Starbucks with one exception—the word “dumb” placed in front of everything. Creativity seems to be falling by the wayside as craftiness takes over modern trends. Why create an original brand when you can just copy someone else’s?
The question here is whether or not this sly gentleman has the legal right to manage his company. “Dumb Starbucks” not only replicates the popular coffee shop’s name, but it also includes its same atmosphere and drinks. At “Dumb Starbucks,” beverages like “Dumb Iced Caramel Macchiatos” and “Dumb Chai Tea Lattes” are available to order. Everything from the color scheme to the font of the menu is sadly familiar. Though it is doubtful that this business should be upheld by the law, Fielder does present an argument that justifies his venue. A paper entitled “Frequently Asked Questions” that is located in the store explains his reasoning: “By adding the word ‘dumb,’ we are technically ‘making fun’ of Starbucks, which allows us to use their trademarks under a law known as ‘fair use,'” the paper reads. Fielder argues that he is simply expressing his artistic side in the form of a parody, and that the coffee he distributes is a piece of his art. Many people responded positively to the idea of a mock coffee shop. At times, the line outside of “Dumb Starbucks” had customers waiting for hours. Strange as it is, everyone wanted to get their hands on fake Starbucks coffee, even when most online reviews rated the drinks as being “horrible” and “bitter.”
While one might understand his “joke,” the real Starbucks isn’t laughing. In an email to the Associated Press, a Starbucks spokesman said, “While we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark.” Apparently, adding one word to the front of a very common brand is not original. Where is the creativity? The only thought that is required to create a business like this is how to make it survive in a courtroom.
Everything seems the same nowadays. Not only are businesses like “Dumb Starbucks” earning public support, but the mainstream media is starting to show laziness as well. A good majority of songs released over the past thirty years use the same chord progressions—even films lack inventiveness. The ratio of original films to unoriginal films drops each year. Out of the top ten box office movies in 1981, seven were original creations. That number dropped to zero by 2011. That year, the most successful movies were either sequels or adaptations. The last thing society needs is a corporate mindset driving the entertainment industry. Creativity is required to create art—that applies to both media and cafés like “Dumb Starbucks.”
Unfortunately for Fielder, his business will not last long. Los Angeles County health officials are in the process of shutting “Dumb Starbucks” down for not having proper permits. I agree with most L.A. residents like Rebecca Metz, who said that a mock café is “a really smart marketing stunt.” But clever stunt or not, the trickery that “Dumb Starbucks” brews is just about as likable as a bitter cup of coffee.
Photo courtesy of www.northjersey.com