Judge Dismisses $10M Lawsuit Over ‘Boneless Wings’ Label
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The judge got it right dismissing this frivolous lawsuit. Boneless wings can absolutely be called wings because the term refers to the cooking style and sauce, not the body part — just like buffalo wings aren't made from buffalo. Reasonable consumers understand what boneless wings are, evidenced by their lower price point and decades of widespread availability since 2003.
Establishment-critical narrative
Reality has lost in court. Boneless wings are nothing more than chicken nuggets or breast meat tenders, and calling them wings deliberately misleads consumers about what they're actually buying. The judge even admitted in the ruling that these products are "essentially chicken nuggets," yet still allowed this deceptive labeling to continue.
Cynical narrative
This case never belonged in federal court to begin with. Americans shouldn’t need judges to settle menu common sense, and treating this like a $10 million grievance is the peak of lawsuit culture. When courts are asked to referee obvious consumer expectations, it shows how reflexively we outsource basic judgment instead of using it.