No, he doesn't sell cupcakes

[ShadowBall]

As part of class recently, I had the pleasure of not only going to Johnny Cupcakes in Boston, but also meeting Johnny himself. So of course I bought a shirt that cost a small fortune and my mother asked me if it was new.

Being a fan of the man's work on both a creative and professional basis, I said it was and explained how he started his epic little (or not so little) business.

Her only response was, "So he doesn't sell cupcakes? That's false advertising!"

But from what I was told, she is not the first person to assume the man runs a bakery and I'm most certain she won't be the last. On one hand, I can almost understand the confusion - just barely. On the other, it's also like saying, "Durrr - American Eagle practices false advertising because they don't sell no eagles!"

Conversely...one block away from Johnny Cupcakes in Boston is a cupcake shop with prices about as ridiculous as JC. Methinks it's a good setup - eat a cupcake and go buy a cupcake shirt. Or buy a cupcake shirt, get hungry for a cupcake and go to this bakery. Someone was thinking that day.

[tollbaby]

It may not be false advertising, but I can see where the confusion arises... especially as the owner refers to the place as a bakery and tshirts are packaged in bakery boxes.

[Sheldonrs]

Well, if they want to get into "false advertising" claims in Boston, I wonder if anyone is pissed that there is a Quincy Market in Boston, but no Boston Market.
But there IS a Boston Market in Quincy, but no Quincy Market.


:-)

[ShadowBall]

Hehe, true. And the store looks like a bakery inside too - shirts are in coolers and ovens, neither of which actually work. Bakery-style display cases house shirts on baking sheets. Muffin tins are filled with logo-laden pins. Shit, the dressing room looks like a freezer door. A big-ass dough mixer filled with plastic Easter eggs was by the door.

So basically, you can see the entire store from the door and see there are no cupcakes in there. And I have to wonder why the hell anyone would want to buy an actual cupcake from a store sporting a logo that looks a lot like a "poison" symbol. Eh hell, despite the possibly misleading name, the man makes a shitload of money anyway. For every one person who stomps out in a rage over there being no cupcakes, ten more will come in and buy something.

And dammit, now I really do want a cupcake.

[MoonCat]

For every one person who stomps out in a rage over there being no cupcakes,

So, apparently, for some people, looking through the window or stepping inside, seeing NO actual cupcakes and coming to the conclusion that this is a clever gimmick and not an actual bakery, is too damn difficult. It's so much easier to bring their wrong conclusions through the door and throw a fit when they don't get what they expected. Sad.

[Food Lady]

Well, I guess I'll go get a cupcake out of the freezer now.

[ApolloSZ]

Wait... So because his last name is Cupcakes... (Well.. is that his legal last name? Or how hes known?) he should sell cupcakes?

What about a guy called John Painter?

.... *thinks*.... Maybe I should go do some research, yes.

[Mr Hero]

Kinda sucks for all the people named Smith, Baker, or Hunter. They're pretty much stuck with those jobs.

[blas]

That's like my "clever" coworker who makes comments whenever I wear an Aeropostale shirt, that it's not the air mail.

[ShadowBall]

The funny thing is the cupcake store near JC doesn't even have the word "cupcake" in the name. It's just called "Sweet." Some people are just thick, I guess...if taking a brand name literally equates false advertising, then there could easily be a laundry list of companies that "falsely" advertise. WalMart doesn't sell walls. Fashion Bug doesn't sell insects. Old Navy has nothing to do with military veterans. You get the idea.

But I'm sure the guy knew what he was getting into naming his brand after food. His goodies have practically a cult following right now, so it won't matter how many people stomp out screaming over no cupcakes because someone else will come in and buy three shirts.

Sadly, tantrums are not an exaggeration. Johnny said that he's had many people scream, curse at him and actually stomp out of the store because there were no goddamn cupcakes.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Old Navy has nothing to do with military veterans.

"Old Navy" is a term that refers to the pre-1880s US Navy. I know the term from my interest in the US Civil War naval actions (see my avatar). When I first saw an Old Navy store, I wondered what kind of store that would be, knowing the origin of the term. I was disappointed to find out it was a clothing store.