Saturday, July 21, 2007

Fat Buddha is not an option says council


A Buddhist businessman who wants to call his Chinese restaurant Fat Buddha has angered council chiefs - who claim the name will upset Buddhists.

Eddie Fung's £1.3million restaurant will open in Durham next month, creating 60 jobs.

But the restaurateur was astonished when Tracey Ingle, the city council's head of cultural services, demanded he change the name because it was 'provocative'.

Mr Fung, you can’t go around calling Buddha fat. You might offend Buddhists you don’t know and then they might not want to come to Durham anymore which would be tragic. Why don’t you call your restaurant Big Boned Buddha. It would be acceptable and it wouldn’t imply that he is slightly on the obese side. Just a suggestion.

Is it just me or have councils started getting a bit more idiotic than usual?

4 comments:

Stan said...

Buddha with a gland disorder?

Differently Sized Buddha?

What would they make of Fats Domino, Fat Larry's Band or the Fat Boys?

maybe if these councils spent more time and money on flood defences, clearing the streets of litter and graffitti and the things we expect them to then they wouldn;t have time and money to waste on over officious idiots like this.

"Who can seriously doubt that the power which a millionaire has over me is very much less than that which the smallest bureaucrat possesses on whose discretion it depends how I am allowed to live and work?”

F.A. Hayek

Unknown said...

You just made me laugh out loud! So funny!

Ruthie said...

"Big Boned Buddha" would upset people for entirely different reasons.

At least, it would in the U.S.

Crushed said...

If you order a Buddha statue from most art shops, they ask you if you want him fat or not.

It's like asking if you weant a cross with christ on or not.
I think Fat is Theravada, less fat, Mahayana, but it could be the other way round.