The Aunt Jemima brand and logo will be retired

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I’ve been buying Uncle Ben’s rice since forever. If they change the name, I hope they make it clear what it is changed to, or I’m not going to know what to buy.
 
Nepperhan said:
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vsedriver:
how is this a racial stereotype?
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Are you at all familiar with the practice of addressing black people as “Aunt” or “Uncle”? It is a half step up fro “boy”. (Just take my word for this.)

"Blacks were expected to refer to white males in positions of authority as “Boss” or “Cap’n”–a title of respect that replaced "Master"or “Marster” used in slave times… All black men, on the other hand, were called by their first names or were referred to as “Boy,” “Uncle,” and “Old Man”–regardless of their age. "
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Very true. Even though the imagery of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, as they exist today, are of attractive, dignified African Americans, the offense given is more associated with “aunt” and “uncle” being used in lieu of Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms. As far as Mrs Butterworth’s is concerned, her race is not obvious, though some could make the case of using a dark amber bottle making her de facto black. I always just assumed Mrs Butterworth was white.

Incidentally, Jemima is a Biblical name and is not extremely uncommon in Britain among white women.

“Aunt” and “Uncle” are not unknown in advertising where white people are depicted:

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Get their blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. Pure ambrosia. 🥞 🥓 :coffee:
 
Pitcairn17 said:
You might want to check out what’s happening to the Beatles’ “Penny Lane” in Liverpool.
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Nothing will happen, Bold Street might get renamed and theres one or two others that might. Penny Lane will be left as is, it’s just Brown Envelope Joe mouthing off to get his name in the local rag. Besides at this point no one is quite sure if it is named after James Penny or not.
 
In a similar vein, I wouldn’t invest in the Dixie Cup company just now. Just read about the “Dixie Chicks” singing group being pressured to change their name. I can’t recall any kind of political cleansing quite like this.
 
Perhaps they could rename the syrup “Auntie Pha” for maximum wokeness?
 
Pitcairn17 said:
In a similar vein, I wouldn’t invest in the Dixie Cup company just now. Just read about the “Dixie Chicks” singing group being pressured to change their name. I can’t recall any kind of political cleansing quite like this.
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Oh, this is very common in recent world history. Just study the history of Russia and China in the 20th century.

And it cuts both ways. When Communism fell in Poland, everything that was reminiscent of socialism and the USSR was gone — poof!, just like that. And the eagle got his crown back. It all happened pretty fast. Been there, seen that, before and after.
 
MikeInVA said:
Sorry but I don’t see the need to make syrup political, and these days any real person on the label will be politically charged.
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Not necessarily. Think cereal boxes featuring Olympic Athletes or Historical Trivia. It would be like a syrup version of that. Inventors might be a nice category.
 
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MikeInVA said:
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Pattylt:
Master and Slave drives
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The terms master and slave apply to slavery, not to race.
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So, when you hear the terms, what first pops into your mind. Its not like racism didn’t include slavery. Like I said, it’s trivial but an example of a simple change to not offend. And many blacks in tech noticed the term… and didn’t like it. It’s a simple fix and yet, can be a meaningful one.
 
0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
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vsedriver:
how is this a racial stereotype
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Because in slavery days “Aunt” and “Uncle” were the honorifics used for black persons and not “Mrs” and “Mr”
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I don’t question that this is true, however… in my culture, any friends of my parents were addressed as Aunt and Uncle. It was improper to call adults by their first names but calling them Mr. and Mrs. X was seen as kind of silly due to familiarity.

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?
 
How far back are people comfortable going with the Aunt Jemima character? Is this one acceptable to folks here?

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Hot Tamales, the candy, those little red things, changed their packaging years ago. If something is ethnically offensive, change it.

It’s just that the latest Aunt Jemima, I don’t know if it was that offensive and that has been around for some time.
 
DisorientingSneeze said:
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MikeInVA:
Sorry but I don’t see the need to make syrup political, and these days any real person on the label will be politically charged.
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Not necessarily. Think cereal boxes featuring Olympic Athletes or Historical Trivia. It would be like a syrup version of that. Inventors might be a nice category.
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Actually, since you mentioned cereal, I just read that Rice Krispies are now a target: seems that Snap, Krackle and Pop have been criticized as “Three White Boys.” That’ll surely change.
 
I remember buying the last cases of Hungarian Essencia with the red star emblem on the bottles, that you could find anywhere. I don’t think you can buy them still. After communism fell, it was replaced by the Crown of St. Stephen. Before communism it was the Crown of St. STephen. When the first vintage of post-communist Royal Tokaji Essencia came out, I bought a case of that in order to have some with the red star and some with the crown.

People caught on pretty quickly after that. It was moderately expensive in the first producing year after communism, but I would would NEVER even think about buying a case of it now. Not even one bottle. The communist year was ridiculously cheap because the communists sold everything they could, but I don’t even think you can find it now. I think it’s all in the hands of collectors.\

Maybe my grandchildren will drink it some day. Maybe I’ll drink some before I die, but it seems so wasteful.
 
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