Jax finds wine logo to be in pour taste – NY Daily News

[b]Jax finds wine logo to be in pour taste[/b] [i]Grapes of wrath A CBS News producer and his actress wife found inspiration for their private-label wine, Jesus Juice, in the form of Michael Jackson, who – surprise! – is not happy.[/i] Michael Jackson would probably be the first to say that Santa Barbara D.A. Tom Sneddon tried to crucify him during his child-molestation trial. Still, the Gloved One doesn’t appreciate seeing himself dangling like Christ on a bottle of “Jesus Juice.” The singer’s attorneys are taking more than oenophilic interest in a trademark application for a Merlot spoofing Jackson’s nickname for the wine he allegedly served to his young accuser. Veteran “CBS Evening News” producer Bruce Rheins, who headed the network’s coverage of the Jackson trial, and his wife, actress Dawn Westlake, filed a trademark application for Jesus Juice in January 2004, two months after the Pop King was busted. Last month, Rheins and Westlake gave patent officials a copy of their proposed Jesus Juice logo, featuring a nearly naked man wearing a sequined glove, loafers and a black fedora that covers his face. Jackson’s spokeswoman, Raymone Bain, tells us, “I fully expect that [Mr. Jackson’s lawyers] will have an objectionable response.” [img]http://newsbusters.org/media/BRJesusJuiceaccoutrements-1.JPG[/img] [i]Bruce Rheins posing with the t-shirt and mug depicting Jackson on the cross. – Photo courtesy of [url=http://newsbusters.org/node/2723]Newsbusters.org[/url][/i] Some Christian groups also have objections. “This is offensive on many levels,” Catholic League President William Donohue said. “Not only are they ripping off Jesus to make a cheap political point, but a man who is a senior producer at CBS is doing it. This seriously compromises his integrity on all matters religious.” Thesmokinggun.com reports that the “Rheins-Westlake Winery” was looking for a partner (preferably “a vintner with a sense of humor, but a seriously good line of wines”). But Rheins tells us that their Jesus Juice was never meant for public consumption. “My wife and I are hobby winemakers,” he said. “We made a few bottles for friends. We never wanted to sell it. We only trademarked it because we didn’t want other people to try to make money off it. “I apologize to anybody who is offended by this. It was an irreverent idea that, in hindsight, I would discard — just like I’ll probably discard those labels.” Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/363539p-309537c.html