How did Starbucks, Fuddruckers, and Carl's Jr. respond to Idiocracy?
In the movie Idiocracy (2006), several real-life name brands are made fun of. The three I remember:
- Starbucks gives hand jobs
- Fuddruckers changes its name to "Buttf***ers"
- Carl's Jr. changes its slogan from "Don't bother me, I'm eating" to "F**k you! I'm eating."
Did the makers of Idiocracy make any effort to get permission to use these brand names? If not, have any of these companies expressed disapproval?
Best Answer
First of all, the production staff lawyered up real well. From a Slashfilm interview with Mike Judge:
And as far as the products stuff, I remember writing it and going, “Oh man, there’s no way we’re going to clear all of this stuff.” And I had a meeting with the lawyers, who were actually really cool and really liked the script. [laughs] And in the Beavis & Butt-Head movie I couldn’t even have a bottle that was shaped like a Jack Daniel’s bottle. I couldn’t have, there was more, it was just ridiculous on that [movie].
But on Idiocracy, when we were talking about Starbucks, the lawyers said, “Well, it would help if you didn’t pick on just one company and if you did more than one.” So, [laughs] I was like okay, and that’s why there’s the whole red light district with Starbucks and there’s an H&R Block with “Tax Return and Relief,” and all of that. But the other stuff, Carl Jr’s, that was all in the script, and I couldn’t believe it all cleared.
Second, it wasn't high profile enough to cause the companies any big issues (from the same interview):
At one point, [Fox] told me, “Hey, it’s not testing well, we’re not going to spend a lot of money promoting it.”
Pictures about "How did Starbucks, Fuddruckers, and Carl's Jr. respond to Idiocracy?"
What was the restaurant in Idiocracy?
Fridays: Now, yup, sex restaurants. The movie focuses a lot on Starbucks (which became the world's most popular exotic boutique) and Fuddruckers (which, naturally, evolved to ButtF*ckers). Two other restaurant chains don't get so much attention but have gone through the Idiocracy time warp as well.What happens at the end of Idiocracy?
The film ends with Joe's inaugural speech, where he praises earlier civilizations for their technology and wonders, and expresses hope this society will one day as well.What is the meaning of the movie Idiocracy?
What does Idiocracy mean? An idiocracy is a disparaging term for a society run by or made up of idiots (or people perceived as such). Idiocracy is also the title of 2006 satirical film that depicts a future in which humanity has become dumb.The Man Behind Starbucks Reveals How He Changed the World
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