Ben Stein Sues Kyosera Printers, Ad Agency for Political Discrimination
by Hollywoodland
Economist and writer and humorist and actor Ben Stein has filed suit against Kyoscera Corp and advertising agency Seiter & Miller alleging that an agreement for him to appear in TV commercials was illegally breached because of his personal and political beliefs about global warming. Stein’s memorable jacket-and-tie deadpan persona has figured in numerous TV commercials and appearances. Not to mention his iconic turn in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. According to Stein’s suit, Grace Jao of Seiter & Miller in December 2010 contacted his agent Marcia Hurwitz of Innovative Artists about appearing in commercials for Kyocera printer products and about speaking at a company function. Over the course of about five weeks, the suit claims, the parties reached an agreement on all significant deal points including payment of Stein’s fee of $300,000 for shooting the commercials and for the speaking engagement. The circumstances led Hurwitz to believe the deal was done, the suit says, and Stein planned accordingly.
Early in February 2011 Jao contacted Hurwitz, the suit says, to inform the agent that questions had been raised over Stein’s beliefs about global warming and the environment and whether they were “sufficiently conventional and politically correct for Kyocera,” according to language in the suit. Hurwitz told Jao that as far as she was concerned the deal was done, the suit said, and Stein’s political and scientific views were not part of his contract for extolling the company’s printers.
Full piece here.
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59 Comments
Wow, so not being a zombie can cost you a job these days, eh? Welcome to the modern world.
You hire a conservative thinker, you get conservative thoughts. No idea what Kyocera was expecting with Ben Stein.
Wow! What a bunch of imbeciles. Stein's ads would naturally boost their sales, but I guess that's not important to them or their stakeholders. Why didn't they contact Al Gore or Ed Begley, Jr., to front their products if their primary concern is global warming? Idiots!
Welcome to another visit by the Global warming Nazi's. I mean that in the truest way, who would have thought in 2012 that towing the party line was necessary to be employed like it was in jolly old Germany circa 1939.
I try to be consistent, and if I'm being consistent I have to admit that a company is free to spend its money on whoever it wants. Now, if a contract is broken, then a person has the right to sue (which is what Mr. Stein did.) But as far as not hiring someone in the FIRST PLACE because of their politics–a company is free to do that. (And I am free to avoid any company who uses–oh I don't know–say Alec Baldwin as a spokesperson.)
You can see it right here this morning. A troll has been through here thumbing you first posters down because you are not following orders from Der Obamher!
On the basics, I'm actually torn on this — Kyocera has been touting it's "green" image for a while, and if no contract was ever signed it's within their rights to back out of an agreement with Stein if they disagree with his stance on global warming, just as it's with consumer's rights not to buy a Kyocera copier/printer because they're a company that injects politics into their operations.
That said, the story goes on to say this:
If you're going to hire Ben Stein and enter into negotiations with Ben Stein, then drop out and hire a Ben Stein lookalike, I'd say Ben Stein has decent grounds for breach of agreement, since you're attempting to insinuate to viewers that a celebrity endorsed your product when he didn't, and he didn't because you refused to let him, not because he backed out of the deal. Capital One can't dump Alec Baldwin because he's a butthead and then bring in an Alec Baldwin lookalike to do their credit card ads, as much as Alec Baldwin deserves to be dumped for being a butthead. Same rule applies here.
Soros doesn't pay those jackasses for nothing.
Poor Mr. Stein. I am a big fan of his work. I hope this all turns out OK for him.
Basic breach-of-contract case; "political discrimination" (not a cognizable legal tort) doesn't enter into it. Either there was or was not a contract, or perhaps (given the allegation that "circumstances led Hurwitz to believe the deal was done…and Stein planned accordingly"), promissory estoppel applies.
The science is settled – global warming enthusiasts are id10ts!
…Your comments are so winsome and vapid, PA – I can't understand your lousy rating – can you ?……
Sorry Ben I like you, but Corporations hire and fire spokesmen all the time for their actions, comments and attitudes. You of all people should appreciate that the fundamental goal of a corporation is to maximize shareholder value and they ahve no obligation to protect your free speech rights. What's next? Rosie O’Donnell sues Smith & Wesson for not using her in their pistol ads?
Another tip for Ben. The deal isn't "Done" till the ink is drying on the contract.
No I can't FamousDrScanlon. I may have a troll or I just am not liked. Thank you for the kind words though!
…Perhaps your writing is too ambiguous and folks can read it two ways….
…try a little more "muscularity" – you know, be direct and dramatic… ; )
Interesting. Thanks for the info. Any tips are grateful!
“sufficiently conventional and politically correct for Kyocera" Conventional with whom? Politically correct? Does that mean adhere to the AGW facist ideology or become a victim?
You mean….. "Any tips are appreciated."…..
…or…. "I am grateful for any tips."…
… Forgive me, I taught English Comp to grade-schoolers, and old habits die hard…. ; )
Yay, Kyocera! Way to turn-off over HALF of your potential customer base!
Idiots.
Playing politics is no way to run a corp…unless you're a Marxist buddy to Obama, like Jeff Immelt.
But can you then go out and hire a look-alike and run a commercial trying to convince people that Ben Stein is endorsing your product when he didn't? If Stein is going to win his suit, that's really where the dispute is, in Kyocera misappropriating his well-known persona after breaking off negotiations with Ben's agent, but then running the same ad campaign as if they actually had hired Stein.
Ha ha. No need to be forgiven. Thank you very much. I really need to do better when I type. I just graduated college after all!
What happened Ben??? You have lately been preaching we need to raise taxes and support Obama on the tax issue. You must had thought that doing that would help you in the world of liberals. Guess you were wrong.
Good!!!!!!!
Ben sold out by supporting Obama and the Democrats on taxes. I always turn the channel when I see him on FOX. He reminds me of Scarboroughurgh.
enough said!!!!!
…Yes, Shippensburg, wasn't it ?…..
…..Damn leftist professors probably wasted your time and money with Marxist politics in the classroom, when they should have made sure you learned the fundamentals of communication…….
…Not your fault……keep posting here and you are sure to gain wisdom as you go…..
Just sent Kyocera an email that I would be contacting my friends/family/local elected officials and let them know not to purchase any of their products.
Ben Stein is an avowed israel firster. I am glab he is not earning 300k for basically nothing. His suit is frivolous.
Who would have thought Mark Ruffalo would be impersonating Ben Stein?
Brilliant!
Yeah, that wording made my jaw hit the floor too, Depth.
But never have I felt prouder to be a Conservative than when I re-read that line.
Not to love Der Obamher vould be a great disgrace,
So ve Heil! Heil! in Der Obamher's face!
Ven Der Obamher says, "Ve ist der master race"
Ve HEIL! HEIL! Right in Der Obamher's face
Not to love Der Obamher is a great disgrace
So ve HEIL! HEIL! Right in Der Obamher's face
Ve bring the vorld new order
Heil Obamher's vorld New Order
Everyone of foreign race vill love Der Obamher's face
Ven ve bring to der vorld disorder
Ven Der Obamher says, "Ve ist der master race"
Ve HEIL! HEIL! Right in Der Obamher's face
Not to love Der Der Obamher is a great disgrace
So ve HEIL! HEIL! Right in Der Obamher's face
If they breached the contract they need to pay.
If they don't like his politics, they are free to not contract with him and they can deal with any fallout.
BTW, nice of the writer to finally spell Kyocera correctly the third time the name was used in the article.
Awesome usage of the song from the iconic Donald Duck WWII cartoon. Mad props.
Nobody seems to be bringing that up at all, which I guess I'm not totally surprised about. I liked him up until he supported Obama on a couple things and I was done after that. Heck, I can't even be friends with people that support Obama anymore, nor can I support a media personality who does in basically any way.
Yep,we have to turn their plan onto themselves,and soon.TAKE ALL THEIR MONEY!Go Ben,make it hurt!!!!!!!
Yep,ANOTHER afirmative action journalist hire.Down here in the south,we're swamped with these young dudettes!
Yes, Shippensburg is correct. Actually it was not really that bad. Yes, I had liberal professors but all of them were pretty centrists in their beliefs. Heck, we have an ROTC and had a Nativity scene during Christmas!
Thanks for the encouragement though! And feel free to "proof-read" my posts. Any tips are appreciated ha ha.
…ALL of your liberal professors were centrist ?…..
…That sounds unrealistic – maybe you are naive…
I hope Ben is wealthy, because pointing out this discrimination has moved him from the greylist to the blacklist.
They are stuck in their own little bubble.
I'd be willing to bet that 'Kyosera' could give a Rats Rump about their spokesman's politics. As long as he sold product.
Sorry, made a mistake. I meant to say that I was not attacked for having some conservative beliefs in my papers (I actually got an A on a paper for using the National Weekley as a source) and most of the stuff I was taught was pretty tame. The worst I got was having to read a book about the Iraq War for a class that was very biased but all in all it was a pretty tame college.
….What is "National Weekley (sic)"…?
I personally prefer Springtime for Hitler (Obama) LOL
Oops, meant to write "National Review" a conservative magazine that I like to read. I really need to slow down when I type ha ha.
….What do you like about "National Review"…?
I like how the writers construct and debate various topics that liberals either to boast about or refuse to acknowledge such as diplomacy and warfare. Very brilliant stuff.
….It's been a pleasure chatting with you, PA…..
….But, I'm concerned you managed to graduate college with subpar writing skills…….
..Did you manage to find a job – you're not a liberal professor, are you ?…. *smile*
It has been a pleausre as well Dr. Thank you!
Ha ha. I will continue to work on my writing skills for the future.
Right now a part time job at a gorcery store. Nothing to do with being a professor hee hee.
….Your job is just as worthwhile – no, more – than many professorships….
….Unless you are poisoning the food, like so many professors are trying to poison minds……
Author of the piece (hollywoodland) might want to learn the correct spelling of Kyocera, he/she only had three different variations of it.
"Why didn't they contact Al Gore or Ed Begley, Jr. …"
Exactly!!
Well, I like Stein but I suspect he's talking out of his backside here. And he has been known to do that.
Focus on this statement: "The circumstances led Hurwitz to believe the deal was done, the suit says, and Stein planned accordingly."
That seems to say that the deal WAS NOT done at all and that a final agreement contract HAD NOT BEEN signed. Absent a real contact (signed, sealed, etc.) there's nothing here to sue against other th an just being a harrassment suit.
Perhaps there is a real signed and countrersigned contract but it doesn't sound like that. The story really strains to work around this point. Seems to me its a bogus suit on Stein's part and he is certainly capable of that.
Irrelevant.
Except that your comments don't apply to Ben Stein. He is a progressive. He worked for Nixon. He also believes that taxes should be raised. Just do a Youtube search for Ben Stein taxes.
This is what frustrates me about Mr. Stein. Then I remember that he worked for Nixon…
I totally love glab. We used to eat it all the time when I was working in the Czech republic. Good stuff. Particularly with sour cream and paprika.
I guess Kyocera only wants lefties buying their printers. I'll make a note of that for future reference.
Donald Duck-The Original Angry Bird
He gets $300,000 to make a 30 second commercial?
Wow! That is quite the paycheck!
It's sad that a scientific theory whether wrong or right (as a non weather related scientist it looks poorly supported to me) can even be called a political stance.
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