Judge This: Has Hulk Hogan got a case vs. Cocoa Pebbles?
May 24th, 2010. By AbiK
So the Hulk (as in Hogan, not as in Incredible) is suing cereal maker Post over their use of a wrestler, Hulk Boulder, in an ad for Cocoa Pebbles. Hulk Boulder, admittedly, does seem to bear a bit of a likeness to the Hulk Hogan we knew circa 1990—that would be approximately the last year in which we saw that much hair on the human Hulk’s head. (Btw, Hulk Hogan’s real name would be Terry Bollea and he’s now pushing sixty.)
You be the judge on this one, but I’m having a hard time not laughing. Not because there may indeed be a little bit of ripping off the Hulk’s likeness, but because of some of the wording in the lawsuit—such as this where Hulk “is shown humiliated and cracked into pieces with broken teeth, with the closing banner, ‘Little Pieces…BIG TASTE!'”
Humiliated!
According to Tampa Bay Online, the lawsuit says Post Foods never sought or received Hogan’s permission to use his likeness to promote the cereal and Hogan says he raised his objections with Post in August, but the ads continued.
Apparently, Hogan claims he’s been harmed by, “the unauthorized and degrading depictions in the Cocoa Smashdown advertisements.”
What do you think?
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You didn't mention Hulk used to perform by the name Hulk Boulder.
Hi Bryan, You're correct–I had opted to leave it out at the time as there seemed to be enough visually to go on in the clip–but I should've mentioned that. Of note, too, is that Hulk's name was inspired by The Incredible Hulk (hey, apparently there are no "new" ideas anywhere) and he had also used the name "Terry Boulder" at one point.
Get real you loser Hogan. There are lenty of people in the world sadly looks like you. So what are you going to do? Sue them as well.
Give it a rest and stop being so sue happy. You suck, you are a loser and you need to go away!
Hi Noah, You're apparently not alone in your comments rer: Hulk Hogan. Though, I have to say, I don't know that many folks in my little town that look like Hulk…maybe over by the land of OC Choppers?
I got a kick out of Hulk Hogan years ago. But now, I'm sure I'm in a minority, but I'm really tired of him. "Hogan Knows Best", "Celebrity Wrestling", "Brooke Knows Best"…they're all over with. And the tapes that came out…him talking to his son, Nick, when he was in jail. Well, I lost a lot of respect for him.
Hey Dan, Thanks for your comments–and clearly you've sort of followed Hulk along the way. I guess I lost a bit of respect at the get-go when I got dragged to a WWF match–or should I say "show"–eons ago without really knowing what to expect–and it was all so fake–you know, with the guys running around the ring with placards telling the audience to oooooo and ahhhhh and whatever. Blew the whole thing for me. And now, well….
Seems like he's got a pretty good case. His name & likeness were used in a commercial, in a negative way, without his permission.
Hi Bob, Yeah, we'll have to see…thanks for your comment!
Seriously? This guy paraded around half-naked in spandex in front of millions, just to get sweaty holding other guys, and he is worried about this hurting his delicate image? These celebs flaunt their outrageous alter-egos all over, then get whining like two-year-olds when someone imitates them? Even if the muscles and flowing hair weren't synonymous with dozens of wrestlers, and I admit the name is suspiciously close to one of his previous, how does this harm him? This is another case of some rich famous idiot trying to make headlines. If anyone seriously gives this lawsuit credence, it is as sad of testament to our messed up legal system as the lady who put freshly poured McDonald's coffee in her crotch and got burned, then got millions of dollars. People can sue for the stupidest things. Admittedly, Post should have had the brains to pull the add, or recolor the wrestlers hair or something when concerns were first voiced. I guess, in the end, as long as the lawyers walk away rich, both sides will have done a good job of knocking down our legal system one more notch.
Hi Stacie Lynn–Thanks for your comments! I'm with you on the idea that Post probably should've gone with a brunette coif or something–or maybe Hulk Bigrock or whatever. Their creative genius (or the ad agency they worked with) must've been on vacation that day. And yes, it's lawsuits like this that are of questionable value to the bigger picture that give the legal industry a bad name at times. Copyright infringement is certainly a serious issue, but somehow, when viewed through the lens of Hulk Hogan's image, it can appear a bit ludicrous…
He's hurting for money. He's not part of WWE anymore, and he still has to wrestle in the TNA to make any money. His kid and ex-wife have cost him a bundle so he's looking at any way he can for a quick buck.
HULKAMANIA WILL LIVE FOREVER! SCREW COCOA PEBBLES!