Meanwhile, Quaker Oats said it is getting rid of its Aunt Jemima brand because the character was "based on a racial stereotype." While Aunt Jemima's image on packages was changed in recent years to make her look like a modern housewife, she was for most of her existence a stout, kerchief-wearing figure who evoked the plantation-era "Mammy" stereotype.I tend to make consumer purchasing decisions based on price and product quality. That said, after it dawned on me, some years ago, what an offensive brand Aunt Jemima's is, I haven't spent a cent on it. As for Uncle Ben, he hasn't really pinged on my shopper radar, but sending him to the branding graveyard sounds like the right decision.
The owner of the Uncle Ben's brand of rice likewise said it will "evolve" in response to concerns about racial stereotyping.
There are little nuggets of info which, when I share them with my children, they can scarcely believe that the world used to be like that - like the ubiquity of the "n-word" when I was a child. Let's hope that Aunt Jemima falls into that can't-believe-people-ever-bought-that category eftsoons.
I don't suppose I really thought much about the possible origins of the "Aunt Jemima" trademark. It's not a brand I buy.
ReplyDeleteBut I do buy Aunt Vi's frozen noodles, Sun Maid raisins, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, Mrs. Smith's pie crust. What do all these things have in common? A brand icon with a white person's face.
I did read also that Land O' Lakes was getting rid of the image of the young Native American woman that used to be pictured on their products. I suppose if that's offensive the right thing to do is lose it. But kind of ironic that the brand name logos are now all going to be depictions of white people.
Oh, I just checked my box of Cream of Wheat in the cupboard. The Black man with the chef's hat is still on it. I suppose he's next.
That Indian maiden on Land O'Lakes products is beauty idealized, hardly insulting, istm. It is astonishing that Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben lasted this long. They are caricatures supposed to represent good things -- warmth in Jemima's case and old wisdom inn Uncle Ben's. But the drawings definitely are caricatures. The world will get along very well without them.
DeleteThat said, some very good black actors were able to make a living out of playing the caricatures. The first people of color to make the stage before integrated audiences were in the black minstrel companies (billing themselves as "the authentic delineators"). One of the most memorable experiences I had in the theater audience was Ethyl Waters' performance in The Member of the Wedding. She was playing a three dimensional version of the caricature, but that's what she had to deal with.
I was struck by this paragraph in a WaPo article by a woman whose grandmother had done demos for Aunt Jemima products back in the 50s;
Delete"Most of us have someone in our family with fleshy arms and a loving smile who serves up cherished advice along with delicious food. They are our aunts and mothers and grandmothers."
"You tried to make us ashamed of what Aunt Jemima stood for. But we have always known that the real women the silent spokeswoman was supposed to represent deserved crowns on their heads instead of a do-rag."
The article said that the women who did the product demos had to play the "mammy" part, fake dialect and costume. That legacy is the offensive part. Too bad food channels weren't a thing back then, they could have used an African American version of Rachael Ray or Paula Deen.
There is a brand of tortillas called "Mama Rosita's". The reason why that isn't offensive, but Aunt Jemima is, I suppose is the association with slavery and Jim Crow.
Katherine, that is an interesting take by that author. I wonder if that point of view will have any impact? It seems the Zeitgeist is to topple statues, not have civil dialogue.
DeleteHere is the link to the WaPo article.
DeleteTo be clear, the author definitely was in favor of dropping the "Aunt Jemima" brand name.
Aunt Jemima Syrup does not have any maple syrup in it. It is almost all corn syrup with preservatives. I'm not sure if the brand weren't dying anyway. I saw some white guy video bemoaning this move by Quaker. Yes, it's the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteKaro maple syrup is better. I'm a syrup lowbrow. It has no maple syrup either. Pretty much pure corn syrup. But if you're going to indulge in pancakes, might as well emjoy it.
DeleteI'm a syrup lowbrow, too. I usually buy the store brand of "maple syrup". When I can't bring myself to sink that low, I buy Log Cabin, because Aunt Jemima clearly is problematic, and I've never been sure about Mrs. Butterworth - is she supposed to be black or white? There is a school of thought in our household that she is supposed to be a white servant, sort of like Hazel from that old television show, or Alice on the Brady Bunch. But on the off-chance that she also is black (an Aunt Jemima product clone? -- brand marketers don't always get an A for originality) I've also avoiding that over the years.
DeleteOn occasion my wife will spring for a bottle of the real maple syrup. But at nine bucks for 12 oz or whatever the price is, I'm ok with store brand colored corn syrup.
Yeah, but if you kids generously leave a stash of real maple syrup behind when they go home after the Christmas break, you too can be a syrup snob. And it feels/tastes good.
DeleteI think Mrs. Butterworth was supposed to be white. The original amber glass bottles that were shaped like a person are a collector's item now. I think they went to a plastic bottle some time ago.
DeleteWhen I made excursions to Quebec City, I'd always load up on maple syrup. I buy Vermont product at the store. It's expensive but I don't eat pancakes often and I want the real thing when I do.
DeleteWe used Mrs. Butterworths when we had weekly pancakes for three starving sons who were all athletes (the runt ended up at 6', played soccer, the 6'6" son played basketball (surprise, surprise) and the 6'4" son played basketball and rowed). After they were gone, we started with the real thing - Vermont 100% Maple Syrup. We only have breakfasts that require syrup about 8 -10 times/year, so we indulge. It is definitely worth the extra $ these days!
ReplyDeleteThis came across my FB feed: I researched it, and it neglected the full story. Nancy Green's descendants filed a lawsuit in 2014 after they discovered that she was never paid the promised royalties for her recipes and for the use of her image. Since she died in 1923, the judge dismissed the case die to the time elapsed. But this story does not mention that fact - it claims she was a millionaire.
ReplyDeleteThe world knew her as "Aunt Jemima," but her given name was Nancy Green and she was a true American success story. She was born a slave in 1834 Montgomery County, KY... and became a wealthy superstar in the advertising world, as its first living trademark.
Green was 56-yrs old when she was selected as spokesperson for a new ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour and made her debut in 1893 at a fair and exposition in Chicago. She demonstrated the pancake mix and served thousands of pancakes... and became an immediate star. She was a good storyteller, her personality was warm and appealing, and her showmanship was exceptional. Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special security personnel were assigned to keep the crowds moving.
Nancy Green was signed to a lifetime contract, traveled on promotional tours all over the country, and was extremely well paid. Her financial freedom and stature as a national spokesperson enabled her to become a leading advocate against poverty and in favor of equal rights for folks in Chicago.
She maintained her job until her death in 1923, at age 89.
Nancy Green was a remarkable woman... and has just been ERASED by politically correct bed-wetters.
I added the info on the timeline of my friend who had shared the story. She is my "BFF" from 7th grade. Sadly, she and her husband are Trump people. But when I added the info about the lawsuit from the Chicago Tribune, she responded with a sad face emoji. I wasn't sure how she would react - unfriend me? Happy that she didn't.
Emojis can be a little ambiguous sometimes ... maybe your friend is expressing her disappointment that Green's descendants didn't receive the royalties.
DeleteJim, that is how I interpreted the emoji - sad for the woman who was exploited and cheated of what had been promised to her.
DeleteMark Shea had a good piece today on the subject of insensitive branding. Addresses the question of why some people "...insist on wearing the shoe they insist doesn't fit them."
ReplyDeleteIf disposing of a racial logo or moniker makes the people it portrays happier, then it's fine with me. End of story. It means not only that their lives matter but also their feelings and opinions.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with statues. Images of dead people aren't people, living people don't have to protect them.
DeleteThere's going to be long, hot summer of racially insensitive words, images, gestures.
ReplyDeleteSen. Dick Durbin committed one by urging that police reform legislation involve more than “a token, half-hearted approach.”
Sounds good. Except Senator Tim Scott took it for a slur on his police reform bill, the one he is asking his fellow Republicans to support.
Sen. Scott has had it with tokenism, or maybe being accused of being a token in the Republican party.
Durbin did not let the Token hang out there, and is said to have apologized immediately to Scott. The token will probably turn up in a Trump ad charging Dems with being false friends of African-Americans and token reformers.
Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly.