STAN FREBERG HERE...Oprah Vs. The Cattle Barons
Stan Freberg here. It's "Oprah vs. the Cattle Barons," and the barons lost. It was not only a victory for her, but for free speech. [:60 SPOT BREAK]
Freberg here. Veggie libel laws have been enacted in 13 states, including Texas. For example, I'd better not disparage an apple in Aspen, or a hubbard squash in Houston.
The Texas cattlemen who sued Oprah for a show about mad cow disease, in which she said she was swearing off hamburgers, tried to put the case under the legal umbrella of the veggie libel law, claiming her remarks made beef prices drop.
"Too much of a stretch," the judge ruled. "A cow is not a vegetable," and threw out that aspect. The jury ruled in favor of Oprah, and her right to free speech. Good!
Seems this rutabaga went into a bar and...what? Oh. My lawyer says, "Don't press your luck."
Hmm. Wouldn't want to be vegetably incorrect.
Stan Freberg here.
Copyright (C)1998, Stan Freberg/Freberg, Ltd. (but not very) Distributed by Dick Brescia Associates and Radio Spirits, Inc.