Wednesday, December 29th, 2004

Not Funny

As Staten Island boosters, we’re not amused, either. “Snapple raises stink with S.I. ‘joke’”:

Snapple, the unofficial drink of New York City, may need a lesson in good humor - not to mention good taste.
On its Web site, company officials had the gall to poke fun at Staten Island - then hurriedly pulled the punch line when contacted by the Daily News.

In explaining how to play Snapple’s “Real Facts Game,” a fill-in-the-blank question asked, “The most recognized smell in the world is —–?”

Then came the company’s insulting answer: “No, it’s not Staten Island. It’s coffee.”

Prominent Staten Islanders, among them City Councilman James Oddo, are outraged at the perfidy, comparing the company to our most perfidious allies:

“This from a company allegedly teaming with New York to market the city,” said an incredulous Oddo. “That is one hell of a partner we have. Normally one has to be dealing with France to be treated so badly by a ‘friend.’”

Bonus Point: Snopes’ Snapple Dragoon (addresses those false rumors about Snapple supporting far-right wing causes).