Company Uses Jennifer Hudson's Family Tragedy to Promote Bedside Shotgun Rack

Unlike Insensitive Capitalists of Tragic Events like the Deaths of Elvis Presley and Princess Diana, Company President Issued a Press Release Using Hudson Family Grief to Pitch Product

According to an October 29, 2008 report by Sara Olkon of the Chicago Tribune, Home Back-Up Protection President A. John Peters says he feels sorry for the Hudson family and does not want this kind of thing to happen to other people. Peters feels so sorry for the Jennifer Hudson family that he used their name and their tragedy in a press release to sell his company's bedside shotgun rack for $39.95 plus shipping and handling.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the press release was titled "Could a Bedside Shotgun Rack Have Saved Jennifer Hudson's Family from Tragic Death?" The shotgun rack is designed to fit between the mattress and box spring of a bed and is called The Back-Up. Peters adds in the press release that The Hudson family is just one of too many Americans gunned down in their homes.

Peters told the Chicago Tribune reporter that he did not issue the press release to capitalize on the Hudson family murders but suspected it might offend some people. In Peters quote to the Chicago Tribune, he says, "Just having a gun rack offends a lot of people."

Prior to the press release using the Hudson family tragedy to promote the shotgun rack, Peters was interviewed on Fox News about the product. You can view a YouTube video of that interview by clicking here. Peters purchased the patent for the product and doesn't know exactly how many units have been sold, but says the product is selling.

The commercialization of Princess Diana after her tragic death was seemingly as insensitive, but guardians of her name and likeness quickly established licensed use of products bearing her name and picture to raise money for her charities. The same commercialization protection was used by Priscilla Presley to build the Elvis Presley estate for Lisa Marie Presley. While the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund is not without criticism, fans of both Elvis Presley and Princess Diana are willing to pay for memorabilia that memorializes these larger than life icons. Proceeds from these commercial ventures appropriately benefit the family members and their charities.