Volume 33

When we hear the phrase “Corinthian leather,” most of us think of high-quality hide from some exotic place in Greece. But it’s not. Used mostly in furniture and car upholstery, it first hit the market in the 1970s when pitch man Ricardo Montalban extolled the “rich Corinthian leather” that covered the seats of Chrysler’s luxury Cordoba model.

But there’s no such thing. The car company’s ad agency invented “Corinthian leather” to add an air of refinement to the Cordoba seat covers, which were actually plain old, ordinary leather from New Jersey.

Even more brazen was the marketing ruse perpetrated by Polish immigrant Ruben Mattus when he launched his new brand of ice cream in New York City. According to the New York Times, the entrepreneur adopted what the paper called the Vichyssoise Strategy.” Vischyssoise (vishy-shwah) was an onion soup concocted at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in 1917, but it was passed off as a sophisticated French creation, which made it immensely popular among the hoity-toity.

“When Mattus created his ice cream,” the newspaper said, “he used the same tactic... He was not the first to think Americans would be willing to pay more for a better product. But he was the first to understand that they would be morelikely to do so if they thought it was foreign. So he made up a ridiculous, impossible to pronounce name [and] printed a map of Scandinavia on the carton.” His ice cream ? Haagen Dazs, which was actually made in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Ironically, the Cordoba leather and the premium ice cream were both quality products. They could’ve easily stood on their own merits, without the need for hype and hyperbole. But, as we all learn from long, hard experience, things aren’t always what they seem. That goes for people, too. In a culture that applauds appearances, it’s little wonder many feel they won’t be accepted as they are. That’s why so many pretend to be who they are not, have what they do not, and do what they can not. The fear of rejection and the craving for approval make it impossible for them to be themselves when, ironically, they actually would be accepted, even without the ruse.

Genuine Christians will inherit eternal life. But Christians who put on airs are put-on heirs. Condemning pride and pretence, the apostle Paul says we’re all in this together. “When others are happy, be happy with them. If they’ re sad, share their sorrow. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t try to act important but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!” (Romans 12:15,16)

As for those who sniff dismissively at sin and moral failure, Paul reminds us we’ve all sinned; that “all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) “If another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s troubles and problems... If you think you’re too important to help someone in need, you’re only fooling yourself. You’re really a nobody.” (Galatians 6:1-3)

By Rick Gamble. Published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of the followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications. To subscribe to this free weekly article, send a note to Rick at rgamble@bfree.on.ca