The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the manufacturer of a garbage disposal shown in the pilot of NBC’s Heroes has filed a lawsuit in federal court in an attempt to prevent the network from rebroadcasting the episode. The series premiere depicted invulnerable cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) mangling her hand in an In-Sink-Erator brand disposal, manufactured by Emerson.
The company claims NBC Universal Television didn’t have the right to use the In-Sink-Erator disposal without permission. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, says the scene “casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product.”
“It’s a trademark thing,” a spokesman tells the newspaper.
The pilot already has been rebroadcast on NBC, and on Sci Fi, which is owned by NBC Universal. It’s also been available on NBC.com.
(Via TV Tattle)
October 4th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
And online via many, MANY BitTorrents!
October 4th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
How funny. As if anyone outside the (presumably) highly competitive and lucrative
sink disposal market even noticed.
/good show though
//slashies!
October 4th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
“casts the disposer in an unsavory light, irreparably tarnishing the product.”
‘Cause any other disposer would’ve left her hand in perfect condition?
October 4th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
So what exactly happens when you put your hand in a garbage disposal unit?
October 4th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
This.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Come on, the best line there has to be “Its a trademark thing”. Thats an official company statement! Am I the only one that thiks thats funny.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Y’know, it may be a Brer Rabbit stunt (which will henceforth be called “pulling a James Meeley”). As Ralph pointed out, who was paying attention to the brand of disposal before the lawsuit?
“P-please, Mr. NBC, don’t show our powerful disposal on your nationally broadcast hit show. I kn-know millions will see that the In-Sink-Erator can cut through meat and bone and keep running b-b-but we don’t want that kind of attention! Emerson, the proud makers of the amazing In-Sink-Erator, demand, loudly, that you stop showing the In-Sink-Erator in your show, or we will be forced to go to paper after paper telling them about how you have sullied the name of the Emerson In-Sink-Erator!”
October 4th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Ridiculous. Hoping NBC files for dismissal and it is granted.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
It was also reboardcast on the USA network this Monday.
October 4th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
I hope they sue every network that has ever used a garbage disposal in their programming. And every commercial, too. It will help them pass the time.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Are you freaking kidding me?
I couldnt tell what brand it was.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
Jeez. Did anyone actually pay attention to the brand that was being used?! I know I didn’t.
October 5th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Ahh, the land of lawsuits…
October 5th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
And yet there’s probably some horror movie somewhere that used a garbage disposal in some gruesome way and escaped litigation.
October 6th, 2006 at 12:35 am
Great, another waste of time lawsuit.
October 9th, 2006 at 10:56 am
Well, if worse comes to worse, I’m sure they can edit out the nameplate on the disposal.
Insinkerator is a terrific brand of disposal. My mom dropped a spoon into hers. It shredded the spoon, and once all of the twisted metal bits of spoon were removed, the thing still ran perfectly.
As for what would happen to your hand…unless you jammed your hand all the way to the bottom, it would just beat and cut the bejesus out of the tips of your fingers.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:57 am
was wondering when heroes is going to be back on the air?