Deceptive Advertising

“Advertising is the act or practice of attracting public notice and attention. It includes all forms of public announcement that are intended to aid directly or indirectly in the furtherance or promulgation of an idea, or in directing attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment” (quote taken from here). Deceptive advertising, then, is the act of using false or misleading statements and/or claims in the promotion of goods or services.

In China, deceptive advertising is a plague. I haven’t done any research to see if China has its own Federal Trade Commission-esque agency, but even if it does, it’s clearly not very effective. I’ve recently posted a few entries on this blog that touch on this topic, e.g., “Brain Good Good” and “Blondes Might Buy It.” One of my first personal experiences in China with this kind of outright misrepresentation was back in 2004 when I was buying some street dumplings in Shanghai. I asked the vendor if he had meat dumplings. He said yes. I asked for a little tray of meat dumplings. He said sure. I ate a dumpling or two before I realized that the filling was some kind of minced vegetable. I told him the dumplings he gave me weren’t meat. He said he didn’t have meat dumplings. I said welcome to China. He said 没办法, or tough luck.

What set me on this rant was a recent visit to a restaurant called 云南•过桥米线, or Yunnan’s Over the Bridge Rice Noodles. The dish that this restaurant is named after, like everything else in China, has a history. The story goes that there was some scholar who secluded himself on an island relatively far removed from his home so that he could study for the imperial examinations in peace and solitude. Everyday his wife would bring him lunch. By the time she walked over the long bridge to the island, however, the food had become cold. It wasn’t until one day when she cooked a hen to make broth that she realized the layer of oil that rose to the top was tremendously effective at retaining heat. This accidental discovery allowed her to deliver piping hot soup to her husband despite the distance she had to walk to reach him. And so, this Yunnan classic got its name. And by the way, it’s delicious! You can check out this link for more. Anyway, I walked into this restaurant hungry for a big bowl of the stuff. “I’d like one order of Over the Bridge Noodles,” I respectfully requested. “Oh I’m so sorry,” replied the soft-spoken waitress, “we don’t have any of that.” I was there for an early dinner, so I was a bit confused by this response. “Are you all sold out already?” I asked. “No,” she said matter-of-factly, “we just don’t serve that here.” Now I was even more confused. “Are you telling me that your Over the Bridge Noodles restaurant does not serve Over the Bridge Noodles?” She countered with a sheepish smile and a “Can I suggest another noodle dish for you?”

I asked the so-called manager of this well-furnished two-story eatery what the deal was. He was equally as diffident as the underage waitress. Perhaps if this place had been just a little hole in the wall, I could’ve understood. Actually, no, that’s not true. If your restaurant is named after a dish, you should serve that dish. It’s like opening up a shop called Hamburger House and not selling hamburgers. Not only does it not make sense, but it’s not fair…especially if you’re dying for a fat cake of minced beef topped with crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, a melty square of cheese, and tangy bbq sauce, all on top of a toasted sesame seed bun. Oh man, get me to nearest Red Robin!!