Will the real made-in-Brooklyns please stand up?

It can get tough out there, separating the chaff from the wheat. Or in this case, the products actually made in Brooklyn from the tchotchke just trying to cash in on our borough’s good name. People apparently love the cachet that “Made in Brooklyn” gives a product (I guess it does have better connotations than “Made in China”), and so the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce wants to make sure that no one is making money off our rising popularity unless they actually have some tie to Brooklyn.

I guess it makes sense. If you tell me that something’s made in Brooklyn, that I’m buying locally, that should be true… right? If you’re making a claim about your product, it shouldn’t be a lie, should it be? Aren’t there already laws against false advertising? I guess I’m naïve, expecting products to be advertised truthfully without the Chamber of Commerce needing to give them a bronze, silver, or gold stamp of approval, but it seems like this is a problem that shouldn’t exist.

Clearly I’m wrong, so, thanks, Chamber of Commerce, for watching out for everybody. Just don’t go overboard – those “Made in Brooklyn” onesies might need the certification, but the babies inside them don’t. If their parents say they were made in Brooklyn, we’ll believe them – no questions asked!

VIA NYPOST