Laura Scudders’ “Wampum” corn chips with the “Injun” on the bag (~1960’s).
Lays’ “The Frito Bandito”, did that one have a short life or what (~1970’s)?
(Little Black) Sambo’s Restaurants, were they ever popular in the south?
Let’s see how many other defunct (or extant) un-PC brand names that we can come up with.
As an aside, has anyone noticed that in Europe the depiction of ethnic stereotypes is more common and not universally lambasted? The really odd racial characterizations of xenophobic Japanese products are another matter though. Feel free to mention them as well.
Though Ayds was around before AIDS. I remember the commercials! (Does that make me old?)
On-topic:
My dad collects old paper advertising, so I’ve seen a lot of late 19th and early 20th century brand names that just are no more, like Ni**er-head Tobacco. And the advertising in general was easily racist, even against other white ethnicities. The Irish and Italians were an easy target at the time, as well as Asians and Native Americans.
Don’t know about a Mississippi gas station called Mammy’s, but just south of Natchez on Rt. 61 there stands to this day a restaurant plus gift shop, called Mammy’s. It is quite a sight. There is a statue of a black mammy about fifty feet tall, with a silly grin on her face and holding out a tray towards an invisible Massa across the road. The statue is wearing a hoop skirt, inside which is the restaurant itself (ponder that symbolism for a little while)…and then it extends back behind her.
I’m a Northern boy and I found I simply could not go into the place…I did duck my head in for an instant, saw a bunch of all white people sitting and evidently enjoying their meals, but it felt like looking into a dirty bookstore or something, so that was as far as I could go. Did snap a picture, and picked up a postcard or two, though.
Darkie Toothpaste was sold in Hong Kong and Taiwan at least until the late 80s. They’ve since changed the English name on the label to “Darlie”, but the Chinese brand still translates as “Black Man Toothpaste”.
On “Ken Burns’ Jazz”, there was a 30’s photo of a sign advertising “N… Chicken” on some roadside. How f*&^& quaint.
Still in existence in many Florida communities is the ‘Crisp Coon Funeral Parlour’ chain. I made my hostess drive back past that one for the obligatory photo.
Whoa! I’ve been through a lot of Florida and missed this one. Where abouts?
I remember reading an article on Japanese product names, including “Pickaninny Toothpaste” (logo was a wide-eyed, black-faced, white-lipped smiling child, hair in braids & bows).