The Aunt Jemima brand and logo will be retired

[Lea101]

I don’t support their virtue signalling because the brand hasn’t played off of the very old racial stereotype in a very long time, well over 60 years

I would actually assume they were virtue signalling if they were being explicitly racist like that until now, because it shows that they didn’t care until there’s a push. The fact that the brand has been mellow suggest that there wasn’t a desire to enrage the black community and this is just one of these decisions throughout history. Or uncharitably speaking, they don’t want the bad business.

I think there were some people there that were virtue signalling, obviously. If they really cared and knew about it, they would have pulled it off earlier, sure

But I think it’s possible to agree with an action despite the person’s motive. Even if they were trying to appease the crowd, a decision made can be alright.

This term has constantly been thrown around when people seem to agree with the left on something tbh. For goodness sake we all do it! We should just aim to not assume people’s acts of charity are ill intentioned, I think. Or at least avoid acting like that act of charity shouldn’t have been done in the first place?

 

[Theo520]

The decision was made by human beings. They’re either virtue signalling or they aren’t. I’m not a telepath and I don’t know what their intentions are and it’s not terribly important to me, but I do give them the benefit of the doubt because that is what charity demands from us.

Why did you ask if ‘they’ were virtue signalling, if you don’t care?

I justified my opinion by explaining how this was a bad business decision for the top segment brand with over twice the sales of their competitor. Clearly customers loved their current brand and were not offended by the strong, confident looking black woman on their label.

Your perspective of Aunt Gemima isn’t necessarily the same as a black person’s perspective. Not necessarily all black people’s perspective, but some black people’s perspective.

True, but what’s your evidence I’m wrong? Use current and recent branding, can’t go back to ads that are 100 yrs old.

People have different experiences. There is a steaming cup of tea on a table. One person thinks “hot”. Another person thinks “cup”. Another person thinks “drink”. Another person thinks “yuck”. Another person thinks “yum”. I never saw Aunt Gemima as anything other than a picture of a black woman on a bottle of syrup, but that’s only my own subjective experience. I’m not an impartial and omniscient observer of everybody and everything. I’m some guy that has been around for >1% of human history. Maybe I’m pointing this out because I’m virtue signalling. Maybe I’m trying to demonstrate a point.

Not really clear on what you are doing here, equivocating perhaps? Tell me what’s wrong with the current brand, not the sins of our forefathers.

If the company decided to change the branding on behalf of some people’s reactions, then they have the right to do this and it can be a charitable act to do so. Everybody does this everyday of their life in any polite society. They consider other people. It’s a decent thing to do.

Actually I’ve read this was driven by a single TicTok video.

I’ve never suggested they don’t have the right to change their branding, I’ve just said it’s a poor business decision and it was pointless since the recent product branding was in no way racist. Their sales will tank, if only because people grab what they recognize and trust off the shelf and won’t recognize the new products.

Mrs Butterworth will be the new #1, a white woman. How is that progress?

 

[TK421]

I’m not asking if ‘they’ are virtue signalling. Other posters brought up the accusation. I pointed out that a person can always suspect anybody of virtue signalling in almost any situation.

You don’t know for a fact if it’s a bad business decision or not. You don’t know how exactly they are going to change the brand.

Just because a company or a brand performs well doesn’t mean that everybody loves everything about it. I use Windows but there are things about Mac and Linux that I like better. People to some extent vote with their wallet but that doesn’t tell the entire picture.

The brand has a long history of a racist past. They decided to rebrand instead of endlessly updating the brand. It would have been easier to do it decades ago but I guess now is when it is happening.

 

[Nepperhan]

I guarantee sales of their replacement brand will tank. Virtue signalling is the only explanation of this irrational business decision.

Then I applaud the company’s business ethics.

What if they had been very successful in casting those little black iron jockey’s one sees on lawns. Must they continue that because it is profitable? Ethnic iconography is stereotyping of the sort this society has moved away from.

(Do you know the story behind the lawn jockeys?)

 

[jeannetherese]

Ethnic iconography is stereotyping of the sort this society has moved away from.

From Maryknoll:
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[Theo520]

Then I applaud the company’s business ethics.

Ethics were shown when they updated the brand last century.

Jemima’s brand image has been effectively the same as Mrs Butterworth for many decades.

Though I just read some people are now trying to cancel Butterworth, because they think she has been ‘passing for black’, the Rachel Dolezal of the Pancake market. Me I never noticed her race, but some people have issues with color

Shocker: DNA Test Proves Mrs. Butterworth Isn’t Black |

Lawn jockeys are historical artifacts and came in white and Asian, as well as black. The ones with black features sell for more at auctions I just read.

 

[Nepperhan]

Ethics were shown when they updated the brand last century.

I don’t think so. One cannot ignore from whence the image springs: A black mammy cooking for white folks; happy in her place. Must we continue such an image? I think not.

 

[Nepperhan]

Lawn jockeys are historical artifacts and came in white and Asian, as well as black. The ones with black features sell for more at auctions I just read.

No, there is a historical incident behind the black figure. Its about a black youth holding the horse for a white army officer. The boy froze to death.

Nevermind, though.

 

[Neithan]

I would like to take this opportunity to invite my American friends to purchase some real Maple Syrup for your pancakes/waffles/toast/ham/anything.

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[Victoria33]

From Maryknoll:

Yes, that’s beautiful. On facebook I am a member of a “St. Rita” group, when I first joined, I did not know who ran it, I just joined. It turns out that there are members from all over the world but those who run it appear to be from Africa.

Needless to say, we get all kinds of images there and the Africans seem to have no problem putting up pictures of every ethnicity of Jesus and so on.

This is just a distraction.

Even our Church has some statues that clearly can not be clearly categorized as to ethnicity. I think that was the intention of the artist.

What color are the statues? Now, who are the real racists?

 

[jeannetherese]

I started gathering different images of the Blessed Virgin many years ago. I find them incredibly beautiful and love the way they show the universality of our Church. The Church is growing in leaps and bounds in Africa and many priests from there are coming to the U.S. to help us rediscover and reclaim our faith. God is good.

 

[Victoria33]

I started gathering different images of the Blessed Virgin many years ago. I find them incredibly beautiful and love the way they show the universality of our Church. The Church is growing in leaps and bounds in Africa and many priests from there are coming to the U.S. to help us rediscover and reclaim our faith. God is good.

Yes, I grew up in a household where we had one wall with images of multiple Madonnas.

Actually, it’s sad the persecution that is occurring in Africa, I’d say principally in Nigeria.

 

[Victoria33]

I would like to take this opportunity to invite my American friends to purchase some real Maple Syrup for your pancakes/waffles/toast/ham/anything.

We do have that. It just costs quite a bit more than the average grocery store brand.

I think some brand comes out of Vermont thought to be very good. I know other such brands exist too.

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[Neithan]

Vermont is the best in the U.S. The difference is somewhat like the Bavarian purity law for beer in Europe. Canadian maple syrup is made according to the strictest standards of purity and density.

 

[TK421]

Vermont is the best in the U.S. The difference is somewhat like the Bavarian purity law for beer in Europe. Canadian maple syrup is made according to the strictest standards of purity and density.

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[JulianN]

There is zero doubt they are virtue signalling.

Aunt Jemima is by far the most popular brand of syrup & pancake mix. There is no sound business reason to kill-off the most popular segment brand in the USA, a brand they’ve been building for 130 years.

I guarantee sales of their replacement brand will tank. Virtue signalling is the only explanation of this irrational business decision.

Or actual virtue.

 

[Theo520]

No, there is a historical incident behind the black figure. Its about a black youth holding the horse for a white army officer. The boy froze to death.

There is a prior anecdote for any and every point of view.

I don’t lose sleep over lawn jockeys. People who are upset probably need therapy to resolve childhood parental issues.

 

[Buks]

Or actual virtue.

Even if one (mistakenly) assumes that changing the packaging is a result of virtue, it’s hard to imagine that virtue instantly springs forth from the same management which had severely lacked virtue, as (supposedly) evidenced by its use of the Jemima character. This would be along the lines of the conversion of Saint Paul.

 

[Theo520]

No, there is a historical incident behind the black figure. Its about a black youth holding the horse for a white army officer. The boy froze to death.

That ‘historical incident’ is one of honor and dedication, not one of racism

There is another legend about the lawn jockey that is widely distributed and that is the story of the Faithful Groomsman, Jocko Graves. The story goes that Jocko Graves was a young African American boy who served George Washington during the Revolutionary War period. Washington planned to cross the Delaware River into Trenton, New Jersey, for a surprise attack on British troops. Washington deemed the trek too dangerous for the young Jocko, so he instructed him to stay behind on the Pennsylvania side of the river. Graves was tasked to tend to the horses and keep a light lit on the bank for Washington and his men to guide them back during the night. Graves did as he was instructed but froze to death. General Washington was so moved by the dedication of the boy that he had a statue cast of Graves holding the lantern. The statue was called “The Faithful Groomsman,” and was installed at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.

 

[Rubee]

Did anyone else’s family do this? Also curious, do you say Aunt as ant or Ahhnt? We said Ahhnt until we moved back north and everyone I knew said Ant… was that southern?

In my African home country, we teach our kids to do this, as well. Nannies and friends of the parents. Even nannies/relatives of the kids’ friends will be referred to that way. However, if it has that history, it’s problematic. In any case, this company isn’t being forced. They are freely responding to “the market.” Isn’t that what most conservatives trust? Edit: I should say, most libertarians, not conservatives. I, for example, am socially conservative.