The Aunt Jemima brand and logo will be retired

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Pitcairn17 said:
But I saw 2 minutes ago an announcement that Eskimo Pies will be re-branded. To my knowledge that was just a word, not even a picture.
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Are you aware that ‘Eskimo’ is not a word used by the Inuit to describe themselves, just like ‘Sioux’? It means ‘meat eater’ or snowshoes. (By the way, ‘Sioux’ means ‘foreigner’. They call themselves ‘Lakota’).
 
Is there anything offencive with Aunt Jemima?
Is a charismatic woman who reminds me of my caretaker back in kindergarden, she also reminds me of a character of a famous Brazilian book series who was also very good at cooking.
 
If you’ve ever been around black people, or anyone with any linguistic knowledge, then you’d know that there are two completely different ways to use the “N” word, and the one that white racist use is not the same one that many black people use among themselves. There is a distinct difference in spelling, pronouncing, and meaning. Black people will never use the one that is pejoratively used by white racist to express their hatred. TRUTH.
 
Nepperhan said:
Yes and yes. The stereotypical “mammy”.
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So we are told. It certainly sounds like her descendants may not see it that way. “Mammy”, that’s just an interpretation, it was 130 years ago. She was named for a song by an African American. Times have changed. There is no reason to erase history.
 
Every time I saw the Aunt Jemima logo on a box of pancake mix, all I ever thought of was pancakes, nothing else.
 
The top image is from the 19th century. I’m not sure what is included in the ''rebranding" but the Aunt Jemima image has not been like this for a very long time.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I have yet to see your evidence that any significant number of blacks are offended by the image of Aunt Jemima
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Are you expecting a survey that asked black people about their opinion on Aunt Jemima? Don’t be silly. How about you back up your original statement that most people that are upset over AJ are disproportionately white people then? You could only point to protests which weren’t about the branding.

If you read the links provided, you would have seen that AJ was controversial enough for the company to change her image multiple times, thanks to NAACP, as well as many black academic who have written about it. That’s enough proof that there was enough black people who disliked the fact that Aunt Jemima originated from a racist caricature,and white people didn’t bring it up.

SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class journal research anyway, this article covers black and white attitudes about AJ.
 
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You know, it’s funny. The chief reason we “know” Aunt Jemima is racist is because certain scholars have kept the racism alive by outlining its history.

I was one of perhaps a multitude of people who found Aunt Jemima endearing and sweet, so to speak. The sculpted bottles were adorable, and animated, they were a part of my own childhood, even if we didn’t really patronize the brand much, as a family. I grew up loving Aunt Jemima, and more importantly, I grew up completely ignorant of her racist history and only knew her for what she was, a sweet motherly doting woman of color.

Racism is not a problem in my neighborhood. It is not a problem in my sphere of existence. It is only a problem with imaginary people on Twitter and in the mainstream media, people who make a living by keeping racism alive by claiming that they see it everywhere. Know what? I don’t. I look around and I see diverse people just getting by and loving one another.

And what dismays me the most is the erasure of minority stalwarts in the grocery store such as Jemima, Mia, and Ben. How will minorities now be represented on the shelves of white people like me?
 
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Anesti33 said:
You know, it’s funny. The chief reason we “know” Aunt Jemima is racist is because certain scholars have kept the racism alive by outlining its history
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That’s somewhat true. There have been people giving them the side-eye for a while but the average person isn’t going to know the history of it unless they grew up in those times, or are familiar with the mammy stereotype.

I would actually argue that that’s the problem they’re talking about, even. That there are many by products of racism around us that we have accepted as our normal, and companies who know this are still raking in money.
Anesti33 said:
Racism is not a problem in my neighborhood. It is not a problem in my sphere of existence. It is only a problem with imaginary people on Twitter and in the mainstream media, people who make a living by keeping racism alive by claiming that they see it everywhere. Know what? I don’t. I look around and I see diverse people just getting by and loving one another.
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Many people have been talking about their experiences of racism for a long time. Just because you’re unaware of it, it doesn’t mean that it’s nonexistent. Even my close friends don’t realise the racism I had experienced because it simply wasn’t in their awareness. They weren’t walking in my shoes. More and more people are accepting towards other races, so I understand why people may think racism is a non problem, but more and more people are racist.

I don’t know how old you are, but it’s obvious on social media as well. These are real people who may smile to you and me on the street, but go online or in their homes and spew out the worst things.
Anesti33 said:
How will minorities now be represented on the shelves of white people like me?
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Isnt that part of the problem? That the ‘only’ minority representations were a result of white companies using caricatures? It seems to highlight the problem even more imo
 
Also Irish as drinkers on St. Patrick’s day cards.

(Waiting for someone to come along and tell me that they are drinkers.) :roll_eyes:
 
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Sorry to do this, but that one has truth also. I am the only surviving member of my family. All siblings killed themselves with drugs, and alcohol. I had fantastic examples of what not to do. I have never even drank a beer in my life. Never tried a smoke either. (Mom was cancer, dad cancer too)
Dominus vobiscum
 
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I think that the use of the phrase “the N word” is itself ridiculous. Yes, use of the word is always wrong. But to refer to the word by that phrase is kind of ridiculous. Telling a story and saying “he called her the N word” does not, in my opinion, relay the vulgar offensiveness of the story. It sanitizes the word. It has turned into a word that should not only never be used, but never even spoken out loud.
 
I am not saying that some Irish do not drink. But to stereotype a whole group of people that way is wrong. There are also many other non-Irish families where alcoholism runs in the family because there is a genetic component. You are wise to never have begun.
 
Irishmom2 said:
I think that the use of the phrase “the N word” is itself ridiculous. Yes, use of the word is always wrong. But to refer to the word by that phrase is kind of ridiculous. Telling a story and saying “he called her the N word” does not, in my opinion, relay the vulgar offensiveness of the story. It sanitizes the word. It has turned into a word that should not only never be used, but never even spoken out loud.
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A politician got backlash for quoting text with that word. As far as I know he was making the point that it was wrong and no big deal should have been made about it, if for no other reason than it diluted his main point, which was correct, even if I disagree with some other positions of his.
 
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Not surprised that such a just move would be viewed with a fair about of debate by those unaffected by this example of institutionalized and systematic racism…I am, however surprised, there hasn’t been an outcry by some about the even generic name for this food stuff:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
That’s what I mean. It’s ridiculous. He wasn’t using the word, but it cannot be written out or said aloud, even If you are speaking on behalf of how offensive it’s use is.

Honestly, I can think of a few other words that are very offensive but one hears all the time in movies or when someone really wants to be vulgar in public. I don’t see anyone referring to them by their first letter.
 
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