Have I Murdered Hufu?
Two weeks ago I linked to the website of a company with plans to sell human-flavored tofu. I thought it was kind of funny at the time, but after posting the link I didn't think much about it until a few days ago when I received an email from Mark Nuckols, CEO of HUFU (the human tofu company). Mark requested that I remove the post about Hufu from my site, because by mentioning his product on the Museum of Hoaxes, he was concerned that people might think that Hufu wasn't real, or that it was some kind of hoax. Specifically he wrote that, "having it even come up on "museum of hoaxes" implies something not true, and as a debunker of hoaxes I am sure you don't wish to inadvertently or carelessly libel people trying to undertake the difficult enough task of starting a business."
I told Mark that I thought his product was funny and I definitely supported it, but that I wasn't about to remove the post from my site. I have a real problem about removing things from my site unless they're shown to be false.
My response didn't satisfy Mark, who is now up to his third email to me. He seems like a nice guy, and I'm not certain that he isn't pulling my leg about this whole thing (although his emails sound very serious). But he really wants the post about his company removed. In fact, he's making me feel very guilty. In his last email he said that "being on your website is going to kill this undertaking in its crib... I am sure putting our business in jeopardy is not your intent." Ouch. But I'm not ready to accept that kind of blame. Sure, my site is called the Museum of Hoaxes, but that doesn't mean that everything on it is a hoax. Plus, the question I raised is a valid one: how would any customers know if this stuff really does taste like human flesh?
Anyway, my purpose in posting about this is so that if people google 'hufu' and find my site, they'll also see this post where I'm going to state that I don't want to be responsible for the death of Hufu. I genuinely think it's a funny marketing concept, and Mark Nuckols insists that it's real. However, I still don't understand how he can know that it really tastes like human flesh.
I told Mark that I thought his product was funny and I definitely supported it, but that I wasn't about to remove the post from my site. I have a real problem about removing things from my site unless they're shown to be false.
My response didn't satisfy Mark, who is now up to his third email to me. He seems like a nice guy, and I'm not certain that he isn't pulling my leg about this whole thing (although his emails sound very serious). But he really wants the post about his company removed. In fact, he's making me feel very guilty. In his last email he said that "being on your website is going to kill this undertaking in its crib... I am sure putting our business in jeopardy is not your intent." Ouch. But I'm not ready to accept that kind of blame. Sure, my site is called the Museum of Hoaxes, but that doesn't mean that everything on it is a hoax. Plus, the question I raised is a valid one: how would any customers know if this stuff really does taste like human flesh?
Anyway, my purpose in posting about this is so that if people google 'hufu' and find my site, they'll also see this post where I'm going to state that I don't want to be responsible for the death of Hufu. I genuinely think it's a funny marketing concept, and Mark Nuckols insists that it's real. However, I still don't understand how he can know that it really tastes like human flesh.
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Categories: Food Posted by Alex on Wed Jun 01, 2005 |
Comments (79) |
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To quote one of my heros, "I love the french, they taste just like chicken."
Posted by Dracul on Tue Jan 17, 2006 at 02:07 PM
I actually ordered some. Did any of you?
I never got a confirmation or any info from them, and after several unanswered emails, I had to request a PayPal refund. They never responded to PayPal either, so I got my money back. Lots of people seem to have an opinion on it, but has anyone actually ordered & received HuFu? Almost a year and no happy customers; doesn't sound like a legitimate business to me...
Posted by And0 on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 07:32 PM
I never got a confirmation or any info from them, and after several unanswered emails, I had to request a PayPal refund. They never responded to PayPal either, so I got my money back. Lots of people seem to have an opinion on it, but has anyone actually ordered & received HuFu? Almost a year and no happy customers; doesn't sound like a legitimate business to me...
I order a t-shirt from Hufu in July of last year, paying by credit card. After waiting four weeks, I began asking about my shipment. Over the next eight weeks I was promised over and over via email that my shirt was about to be shipped, would be shipped next week, or that my order had been misplaced and would be shipped right away.
The shirt was never shipped.
I began asking for my money back. None of THESE requests even got a response. It's not Hufu that's the hoah; it's Mark Nuckols: he is defrauding buyers, stealing their money, and laughing at them behind their backs for assuming he has any kind of normal business ethics.
Anyone reading this who would like documentation, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject line HUFU and I will provide you with time-stamped copies of the entire correspondence.
Mark Nuckols is a fraud who should be in jail.
--rick
Posted by rick on Sat Apr 22, 2006 at 09:35 PM
The shirt was never shipped.
I began asking for my money back. None of THESE requests even got a response. It's not Hufu that's the hoah; it's Mark Nuckols: he is defrauding buyers, stealing their money, and laughing at them behind their backs for assuming he has any kind of normal business ethics.
Anyone reading this who would like documentation, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject line HUFU and I will provide you with time-stamped copies of the entire correspondence.
Mark Nuckols is a fraud who should be in jail.
--rick
i also had a bad experience with Mark Nuckols. i ordered Hufu and my credit card was billed, but months went by with no hufu. after repeated unanswered emails to the email address on the hufu website, i wrote a letter to the New Hampshire Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau (http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/wcl.html), documenting all of my attempts at communication with Mark Nuckols. i got very satisfying results: a detective from the Hanover police department paid a visit to Mr. Nuckols and forwarded me a money order that Mr. Nuckols obtained in the company of the detective. i highly recommend this approach for anyone who's been defrauded by Mr. Nuckols.
Posted by Ben on Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 12:34 PM
I have had a similar situation with Hufu that many of you have expressed. I was amusd by the idea and ordered a t-shirt in August of 2005, but never recieved it. After several emails demanding a shirt or a refund, I got no response I decided the $25 was not worth my time any longer and just accepted that I had been ripped off. I guess I should have thougt to check what others were saying before ordering from them. I now only order from individuals that use a reputable online marketplace like amazon or cafepress to sell their wares; those that I have had good experiences with in the past.
Posted by Brett on Thu Oct 12, 2006 at 12:53 PM
It's funny, because he could have made potentially a lot of money by even selling t-shirts from some place like CafePress. Because then at least actual shirts would have been shipped out, and I'm sure a lot of people would have bought them!
Posted by Eleni on Wed Oct 18, 2006 at 11:49 AM
Hufu is real. It does taste like human flesh. How do I know? I use to be a cannibal, but I turned to hufu because I wasn't comfortable eating people anymore. This site did ruin his business. Hufu is no longer sold and it's all your fault. The site has been deleted. Now what am I suppose to eat? I guess I'll just have to eat you.
Posted by Billy D on Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 11:20 AM
:D Hello everyone I am frequently frowned upon for the killing and decvouring of my children,cats, friends and lovers and also stray dogs. I have been a cannbial for 15 years and have been trying to find a way to get around my habits. I'm so excited that I found Hufu, I can't wait to bite my teeth into a nice slice of Hufu, and not have to deal with the guilt and also the police. That is all I have to say , thank you!
Posted by Calico35 on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 02:05 PM
I LOVE HUFU~ THANK YOU HUFU! ILL EAT YOU ALL! NOW WHO WANTS A COOKIE?
Posted by HESUS/ DIEABLEO on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 02:07 PM
Once I'd seen the Daily Show interview with Mark Nuckols, I went to the Hufu website. I saw that they sold shirts and I wanted one, but the link to the merchandise didn't work for me. I tried again once in a while ever since, but today, I went to try again to find out that the website is closed, and it was a fake product all along.
Posted by Nick on Sat Nov 18, 2006 at 06:27 PM
I ordered a shirt and i got it, and was planning on ordering hufu this week. now i wont know. thanks for ruining a website.
Posted by Steve on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 02:50 PM
I've tried hufu and I don't think it's as salty as human flesh. But, it just might not be prepared right. You have to make sure to trap in the juices.
Posted by Maribel Chase on Thu Feb 15, 2007 at 09:00 AM
I belive you did kill it. The site no longer exists. Sucks seeing as I was going to buy a package of said product.
Posted by Chrys on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 02:05 PM
Actually, according to the assorted cannibals who were ever interviewed on the subject, human flesh tastes most like pork than any other animal. In fact the word / phrase that the cannibals of New Guinea use to refer to any person not of their own tribe translates literally into "long pig." As opposed to the standard "short pig" porcine variety.
Posted by Patty on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 04:53 PM
I have just heard of Hufu and then came across your link in google... i beg to differ. A place called Museum of hoaxes sets up an expectation... that all the things in it are hoaxes unless stated otherwise. It also legitimises the claim as Museum connotes history science and the preservation of facts, research etc. That said... i would expect that the things in your website have been proven hoaxes... not things that have not been disproved as hoaxes (thats just a cop out lazy defense) So if he sues you... dont quibble.
As for the idea of Human Flesh I think it is way ahead of its time. And that the marketing people ripped him off... I mean who really markets with the truth... he should find the hidden persuader!! make it a hush hush elite product. and price it out of reach of the general public. Plus any euphoric qualities would be a bonus!
Posted by toni on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 07:39 AM
As for the idea of Human Flesh I think it is way ahead of its time. And that the marketing people ripped him off... I mean who really markets with the truth... he should find the hidden persuader!! make it a hush hush elite product. and price it out of reach of the general public. Plus any euphoric qualities would be a bonus!
Dose anyone know where to buy HuFu? I have looked ALL over the internet and can not find 1 website that sells the stuff. Can anyone help me out on this one?
Posted by Chris on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 04:39 PM
Actually scientists have found out the taste of real human, so yes, they know.
Posted by Meg on Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Wow. You stood tall with your skepticism and prevailed! Hufu was determined to be a fun college experiment by the founder and CEO of the joke website meant to cause a stir and controversy. That is quite an accomplishment Alex.
Posted by Yongyoon Kim on Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 02:06 AM
First post! Drat. A few years late. :(
Posted by Chase on Sun Sep 12, 2010 at 05:17 PM
{stupid336x280}
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