Aunt Jemima and soon Uncle Ben's

[TychoMonolyth]

I don't know about this. Maybe there's a backstory about Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's rice that I don't know about. I've always enjoyed having Aunt Jemima watch me enjoy her syrup on my pancakes, and Uncle Ben's rice has always been on point. Will they change them for Aunt Ruth and Uncle Frank's? Just doesn't seem right.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/business/aunt-jemima-logo-change/index.html

I only see Black folk representing good food. Please, someone unpack this for me.

 

[bigtacofarmer]

In high school we made lots of mrs Butterworth bongs.

 

[flylowgethigh]

I thought you were talking about the new design $20 bill oboma came up with, and the $100 bill. It has already been re-designed.

I will refuse jemimahs, so I have stocked up on Jacksons.

 

[TakenByTheSky]

I just read aunt Jemima is being retired. They have to do it quick before the rioters burn down the factory

 

[Switcher56]

I don't know about this. Maybe there's a backstory about Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's rice that I don't know about. I've always enjoyed having Aunt Jemima watch me enjoy her syrup on my pancakes, and Uncle Ben's rice has always been on point. Will they change them for Aunt Ruth and Uncle Frank's? Just doesn't seem right.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/business/aunt-jemima-logo-change/index.html

I only see Black folk representing good food. Please, someone unpack this for me.

Correction my good sir. The blacks were always synonymous with "soul food"/"comfort food". I have had other pancake mixes over the years and, I'm sorry they simply do not compare to Aunt Jemima!

I sure hope this doesn't go the way of "coke" in the 80s. Where they changed the formula and brought back "coke classic" to assuage the masses only to fail. That is when I went to Pepsi and never returned. That was 35 years ago

I support the fight against systemic racism, but aren't we going a little overboard? I hold both as a term of endearment. Please educate me!

 

[AgentPothead]

I'm just gonna leave this over here since so many white folks don't seem to understand the imagery of the Mammy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammy_archetype_in_the_United_States

 

[DrLongbottom]

Correction my good sir. The blacks were always synonymous with "soul food"/"comfort food". I have had other pancake mixes over the years and, I'm sorry they simply do not compare to Aunt Jemima!

I sure hope this doesn't go the way of "coke" in the 80s. Where they changed the formula and brought back "coke classic" to assuage the masses only to fail. That is when I went to Pepsi and never returned. That was 35 years ago

I support the fight against systemic racism, but aren't we going a little overboard? I hold both as a term of endearment. Please educate me!

the products will still be offered for sale, possibly with the same names but no mascot but that is likely doubtful. They will just rebadge anything now deemed questionable or that is outright offensive to some.

 

[flylowgethigh]

If the stuff is corn syrup instead of Maple syrup, fergit it.

There was a restraunt chain back in the day, not so long ago, called "Sambos"... that had menues with the story of where their pancakes and syrup came from. Little Sambo and the tiger... here is an article:

https://www.kcet.org/food-living/the-troubling-history-of-sambos-pancake-house

I think I ate lunch at the last Sambos in Santa Barbara with my Mother, but didn't connect at the time the history.

 

[OldSidwasright]

If it's offensive to black people, then it's offensive...because black people...are people.

White people like myself need to comprehend that what we think about the way black people are portrayed doesn't matter; it's what black people think about the way that black people are portrayed that matters.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

They dropped mammie long ago.

So is it being dumped because of past racist logos?

This is important to me because while I'm "white folk" with blackfoot heritage and god knows what else, I have 4 mixed race grand kids and 2 black sons in law (one's a fucking deadbeat douche bag). Should I stop buying watermelons? Because my grand kids love it.

If it's offensive to someone just doesn't cut it. Because everything will be offensive to someone.

 

[Cvh]

I'm missing something I think.
Maybe it's because I'm not from the USA that I fail to see the issue.

Is the problem that there are black persons portrayed on the bottle/boxes?

 

[TychoMonolyth]

I'm missing something I think.
Maybe it's because I'm not from the USA that I fail to see the issue.

Is the problem that there are black persons portrayed on the bottle/boxes?

I'm in the same boat as you. I grew up a multicultural melting pot and while racism exists(ed), it was no where near as what we see in the states.

Maybe the USA needs a Charter of Rights and Freedoms like we have here. But US companies can still fire you if you're gay, so maybe they have a long way to go before real rights are legislated.

 

[flylowgethigh]

They dropped mammie long ago.
View Image

So is it being dumped because of past racist logos?

This is important to me because while I'm "white folk" with blackfoot heritage and god knows what else, I have 4 mixed race grand kids and 2 black sons in law (one's a fucking deadbeat douche bag). Should I stop buying watermelons? Because my grand kids love it.

If it's offensive to someone just doesn't cut it. Because everything will be offensive to someone.

LOL, I had a big watermelon crop one year and I carried a bunch in the back of my PU to the local dragstrip one afternoon.
The blacks love to go there and gamble in the stands on the races. Reefer wafts in the air, and the cops don't care in this illegal state. Watermelons didn't last long at all, cause I was giving them away. There is never any racial BS there, people just having a good time.

People are better off not eating that GMO corn syrup crap anyways. When it is called "breakfast syrup" (McDonalds), it is corn. What makes things even funnier, is the damn GMO corn syrup should be the real controversy. From the yahoo article where I stole the pic: "today the brand is just described by the company as standing for "warmth, nourishment and trust — qualities you'll find in loving moms from diverse backgrounds who want the very best for their families.""

Rayciss??? How about deadly and one reason why the health care costs in America are so high.

 

[Mr. J]

It's racist. Only white people should be portrayed on things. Only when all people of color have been removed from everything will racism finally be conquered.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

People are better off not eating that GMO corn syrup crap anyways. When it is called "breakfast syrup" (McDonalds), it is corn.

Rayciss???

View Image

I have a Maple Bush and made a gallon of syrup this year. I live in maple syrup country so that's what we use.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

It's racist. Only white people should be portrayed on things. Only when all black people have been removed from everything will racism finally be conquered.

Ah, but then you're white washing society.

That in itself is a huge problem in India (Advertising and Bollywood) and in Asia women are getting eye surgery to look less Asian, more Manga and white.

In Ecuador, if my son's skin is lighter that your son's, my son is better. Again, on TV and just about everything else is "white washed". I don't know about other South American countries.

 

[Cvh]

^With the current weather here in my country I'm doing my best to get my tan on...

 

[Gry]

GMO corn syrup is garbage no matter how it is dressed.
The story of Sambo's in the link was neat as could be.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Ah... I see the kink.

This is from 2007!
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/...tml?ex=1176782400&en=fac51117ccc2daa5&ei=5070

"the imagery evokes a servant and uses a title that reflects how white Southerners "once used 'uncle' and 'aunt' as honorifics for older blacks because they refused to say 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.,'""

In addition to Uncle Ben, there was Aunt Jemima, who sold pancake mix in ads that sometimes had her exclaiming, “Tempt yo’ appetite;” a grinning black chef named Rastus, who represented Cream of Wheat hot cereal; the Gold Dust Twins, a pair of black urchins who peddled a soap powder for Lever Brothers; the Frito Bandito, who spoke in an exaggerated Mexican accent; and characters selling powdered drink mixes for Pillsbury under names like Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry — the latter baring buck teeth.
“The only time blacks were put into ads was when they were athletic, subservient or entertainers,” said Marilyn Kern Foxworth, the author of “Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and Rastus: Blacks in Advertising Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

 

[Guest]

I am highly offended by the quaker oats guy. Lets go burn something down and then have oatmeal.