Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
RIP Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben
It is with great sadness that we come together today to mourn the deaths of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben. Born in 1889, Aunt Jemima spent her life providing delicious breakfasts for everyone she came into contact with. Since his birth in the late 1940s, Uncle Ben did the same for lunch and dinner. Sadly, their lives have come to end this year in an effort to make amends for their racist pasts. Meals will never be the same.
In related news, Mrs. Butterworth is reported to be on life support. Only 59 years old, she may not be long for this world either. (Old commercials available for viewing under the “About Us” tab at the first link.)
On a more serious note, how in the world is removing well-known African American icons/logos from the public sphere supposed to make anything more equal for the African-American community? Doesn’t removing them just make the field that more unbalanced for them? It’s like the looting and rioting that’s been taking place recently. Things aren’t fair for African Americans! What can we do about it? Destroy the communities in which many of them live and do business! Yeah!
Published in General
Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben and Cream o Wheat are racist because they have black people on the label.
Rice crispies are racist because there are no black people on the label.
Sure, changing the labels will make everything all right.
With an article straight out of Uncle Remus to be an example. Ok, I can see that from the 20’s – a hundred years ago.
One has to be especially woke to dredge it up today.
Speaking of Mr. Wheat, he’s apparently on life support too. Sigh.
Time travel? You know how to time travel and haven’t that information with the rest of us? That’s rather selfish of you. ;)
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist)
I guess I never noticed Mrs. Butterworth’s race. I was too busy pouring half the bottle on my plate.
What’s offensive about the Cream of Wheat guy? Is there some bizarre origin story? He just looks like a kindly chef to me, ready to serve that bowl of Cream of Wheat to me….if only I could find an Indian maid with butter to spare.
According to this article:
There is also a discussion about the logo’s origins in this essay, under the “Commercial Toms” section.
I wonder how many people did that research, rather than just taking the character at face value. I think the White Left™️ has too much time on its hands.
I wonder if palefaces like me should call for the removal of Homer Simpson, David Brent, the cast of Seinfeld, every dad in a tv commercial ical et al, for perpetuating white stereotypes.
I want the two of you to wander into a Chicago bar, the Kerryman, say, or Declan’s Irish Pub, and announce that Notre Dame should give up using that logo because it defames the Irish.
Do it on March 17th for maximum effect.
Eric D. July has announced that this is the death blow to racism.
White people are proud of their racial stereotypes! I’m not being sarcastic.
Rats. I always liked to think of them as a married couple, and that they were my Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima.
No. You’ve been boycotting them for years but just didn’t know it. Same for me.
Awesome! So no need to cancel anything else.
But the company logo and name will surely change too, right?
If you are reading a newspaper from 1920, perhaps you should speak with your paperboy/papergirl/paperperson/paperindividual? He/she/xe seems to be late with his/her/xer route.
Good pick by James this time. 18 likes already in this thread, in just a few hours. Not 4 or 5 like Gary gets, even after SEVEN MONTHS.
Relabel them as Aunt Karen and Uncle Chad.
Did you mean Chaz?
I just don’t understand it. Both symbols represent – at least for me – represent excellence and achievement. What am I missing?
Obviously you’re still asleep, and need to Woke up.
The World is upside-down.
We won’t have defeated anti-black racism until there are no more corporate branded products that feature blacks.
Or something…
I don’t get it either. I know Aunt Jemima started out dressed as a stereotypical mammy like the character in Gone with the Wind, but she hasn’t looked like that in years. To me, both she and Uncle Ben and the logo I’ll call Chef Wheat (from Cream of Wheat) all look like modern-day, successful African Americans – people to be proud of. Given that most people probably aren’t even aware of the logos’ pasts (I know I wasn’t with Uncle Ben and Chef Wheat), it would make more sense to me for those who are aware of the logos’ pasts to look at them and be proud of “how far they’ve come” (especially Aunt Jemima) rather than looking at them and seeing only the past and demanding they be removed from the public arena. But that’s not what’s happening; and where we once had three positive African American representations in the public sphere, we now have none. How is that progress?
And that’s exactly where we seem to be headed. Maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t imagine either of the brands coming back with an African American as part of their logo. It’ll be interesting to see what they decide to do.
One delightful exception: the new Gerber baby is so adorable she’s almost hard to look at.
Love it! What a sweetie! But don’t count on the cancel mob not coming for her. After all, her family is white, so she may not be “black enough”. (Yes, yes — I’m feeling very cynical these days. Sorry.)
Oh, I get it. When I saw that she was adopted into a white family, my first thought was that that was probably some kind of hate crime.
It was considered such during the 90’s.
Yes, I remember reading about lawsuits in those situations.
Aunt Jemima is going to have to change their name, also. The name itself brings up more condemnation than does the picture. When they get rid of the name, will sales plummet?