# No more Aunt Jemima **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850 "2020-06-17T14:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/61 "2020-06-18T01:36:59Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Who are the non-problematic racially diverse corporate mascots? For a serious answer, [Juan Valdez.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Valdez) [Geisha Brand](http://www.geishabrand.com/), which is probably OK since it was founded by Japanese brothers. [Eskimo Pie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Pie), although maybe it will need to re-branded as Inuit Pie. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/62 "2020-06-18T01:47:30Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > “Uncle” was the term that white people used to refer to older black male slaves who worked in the house and not in the fields. Thank you. Not something I ever heard personally, but I get it now. BTW, apropos of nothing, as a girl / teen, I was nicknamed [Tropicana Girl](https://www.google.com/search?q=tropicana+girl+logo&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&sxsrf=ALeKk01UnhS_SuFnaKA-Fd_MrCKBASeuNA:1592444693214&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=ME3UQ1k29RlJIM%253A%252CQ6sdKBZ2aJEhZM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTg0FyF_BJl-4oZdlsZsYTLyFCvbA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8p43inorqAhUQVN8KHUFlCv0Q9QEwAnoECAoQIA&biw=1242&bih=569#imgrc=ME3UQ1k29RlJIM:). It was kind of offensive because, let’s face, she’s no looker. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/63 "2020-06-18T01:52:21Z")
Anyone remember this TV ad: . G B Aunt Jemima pancakes without her syrup A7 D7 Is like the spring without the fall C D7 G E7 There’s only one thing worse, in this universe A7 D7 G That’s no Aunt Jemima at all Followed by a group of hearty, friendly farm people saying. “Not in Iowa!” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/64 "2020-06-18T01:56:40Z")
Uncle Ben never really bothered me, because he was portrayed as a chef — a managerial position in a restaurant kitchen context. But if he goes, it’s no skin off my ass (could go to flavor a pot of red beans and rice, anyway). Incidentally, converted rice often gets a bad rap, because it’s processed. But what happens is that they zap the nutrients from the brown husk into the center of the grain before polishing it, so it’s really white rice with the goodness of brown rice. And Paul Prudhomme and most other Creole/Cajun cooks specify converted rice for their recipes. I keep Uncle Ben’s in my pantry, and use it nearly as often as regular long-grain or basmati. If they change it to Chauncey V. Rittenhouse’s Converted Rice I’ll still buy the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/65 "2020-06-18T02:01:57Z")
So, who’s up for a plate of red beans and rice, simmered to a turn with My Ass? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/66 "2020-06-18T02:10:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The mascots based on real individuals are probably OK, regardless of race. Off the top of my head, [Famous Amos](https://www.google.com/search?q=famous+amos+cookies&sxsrf=ALeKk00hVyORdHxwhOGHSZUOTuPXxEhE3w:1592417372752&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi21Nj-uInqAhWmRDABHRBXC20Q_AUoAXoECBcQAw&biw=1053&bih=657)? Wally “Famous” Amos is [a real person who actually dresses like that](https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wallyamospicture.jpg), so I don’t see that going anywhere any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/67 "2020-06-18T02:14:32Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Thank you. Not something I ever heard personally, but I get it now. > > BTW, apropos of nothing, as a girl / teen, I was nicknamed [Tropicana Girl](https://www.google.com/search?q=tropicana+girl+logo&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS821US821&sxsrf=ALeKk01UnhS_SuFnaKA-Fd_MrCKBASeuNA:1592444693214&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=ME3UQ1k29RlJIM%253A%252CQ6sdKBZ2aJEhZM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTg0FyF_BJl-4oZdlsZsYTLyFCvbA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8p43inorqAhUQVN8KHUFlCv0Q9QEwAnoECAoQIA&biw=1242&bih=569#imgrc=ME3UQ1k29RlJIM:). It was kind of offensive because, let’s face, she’s no looker. That Tropicana Girl is too young to be a judged a looker! :eek: According to the Winkelried site, youve grown up to prove the haters wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/68 "2020-06-18T05:26:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Eskimo Pie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Pie), although maybe it will need to re-branded as Inuit Pie. Not so fast! I saw [this](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/theres-no-graceful-way-to-update-a-controversial-mascot/) article earlier. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/69 "2020-06-18T08:00:46Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > … I think that there was too much belief in the brand’s (Aunt Jemima’s) equity among consumers, and not nearly enough consideration of the role that the brand played in perpetuating the stereotypes. … Not surprising. Business interest almost always wins out over public interest. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/70 "2020-06-18T09:43:05Z")
I’m gonna miss you Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima, we had some good times didn’t we? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/71 "2020-06-18T12:07:09Z")
> [@pool](#): > > I’m gonna miss you Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima, we had some good times didn’t we? Converted rice with syrup was one of my favorites! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/72 "2020-06-18T12:23:18Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > That Tropicana Girl is too young to be a judged a looker! :eek: According to the Winkelried site, youve grown up to prove the haters wrong. 🙂 Aw, shucks; thanks :o ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/73 "2020-06-18T12:31:03Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Not the Pillsbury Doughboy. He’s as white bread as they come. White [del]Pow-[/del]Flour! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/74 "2020-06-18T12:46:27Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Uncle Ben never really bothered me, because he was portrayed as a chef — a managerial position in a restaurant kitchen context. But if he goes, it’s no skin off my ass (could go to flavor a pot of red beans and rice, anyway). The psychology and politics of racism is a twisted thing. My understanding is that they used the addresses “Uncle” and “Aunt” of black house servants because you didn’t want to use the forms of address “Mr.” or “Mrs.” on black folk. So black house servants became “aunt” and "uncle’, even though that implies actual relationship. (According to James Loewen, another acceptable form of address was “Professor,” which seems absurd in speaking about someone the speaker considers an inferior). But I don’t think that “Uncle” or “Aunt” were used for people outside the home. I read somewhere about a white Southern woman who wouldn’t patronize a black butcher, because she didn’t want a black person handling the meat she was going t eat. even though her domestic staff, who cooked and served the food, was black. There’s no logical or rational sense to this. It’s some sort of gut prejudice. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/75 "2020-06-18T12:48:10Z")
I fully understand that the origin of AJ and UB are racist, although I’m not sure how much of it still exists when people see them and use them today. I can also see how the imagery can be not quite suitable any more. This will make companies want to be unnecessarily careful when using non-white characters. Someone mentioned Juan Valdez, the generic Colombian coffee farmer. It gets a pass because it’s foreign, but if it was an American brand of (insert item ususally planted by hispanics in the US) it will be called racist. Definitely, take racist images away, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/76 "2020-06-18T13:09:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > For a serious answer, [Juan Valdez.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Valdez) > > [Geisha Brand](http://www.geishabrand.com/), which is probably OK since it was founded by Japanese brothers. > > [Eskimo Pie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Pie), although maybe it will need to re-branded as Inuit Pie. One of my acquaintances on Facebook has been getting faux-offended by Chef Boyardee, saying stuff like “As an Italian-American, I demand the removal of this offensive stereotyped character. Haven’t we Italians suffered from discrimination and hatred? Don’t we deserve to have a bunch of SJWs offended on our behalf as well?” I’ve been trying to decide whether it’s worth it to tell him that [Ettore Boiardi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettore_Boiardi) was a real person, who founded that company, and whose actual (and not at all stereotyped) picture appears on the labels, or if it would just be a waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/77 "2020-06-18T13:23:00Z")
For another example of how convoluted terms of address towards black people could be, Mark Twain writes in _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ that, while a dog could be given a first and last name like “Jim Smith”, a slave never would be, but would instead be referred to as “The Smiths’ Jim”. In other words, dogs could be considered part of the family, but the fact that a slave was property had to be emphasized. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/78 "2020-06-18T13:30:56Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I understand that the 7-up commercials in question are not comparable to the Aunt Jemima branding, most especially in historical context. > > What I’m more wondering is whether or not Holder IS playing a stereotype or a caricature, after all, even if not one ingrained in America’s sociocultural history. I’m Trinidadian. He’s leaning into caricature _very slightly_ with a slightly exaggerated Caribbean Man accent. Trinidadians don’t roll their R’s like that. But he’s being like 94% natural/6% Happy Islander stereotype. IMO, generally inoffensive. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/79 "2020-06-18T14:18:37Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Eskimo Pie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Pie), although maybe it will need to re-branded as Inuit Pie. There are Eskimos who are not Inuits. Equating the two is like saying “European” in insulting and “German” is more correct. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850/80 "2020-06-18T14:33:32Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > There are Eskimos who are not Inuits. Equating the two is like saying “European” in insulting and “German” is more correct. I’m aware of that. It was a joke. There is really no simple generic term to refer to the native Arctic peoples of North America/Greenland other than “Eskimo.” Those in the western part of the North American Arctic are not Inuit and don’t want to be referred to as such. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-aunt-jemima/855850.md?page=5)