Cracker Barrel loses almost $100 million.

Tuur said:

As I said in another post, I grew up knowing people who resembled Aunt Jemma, people who meant a lot to me. And today we're told an image of people who looked like them should never have been put on a package. It's like their memory is being snuffed out. This, I suppose, is what's called progress.

FWIW, my wife has American Indian ancestry and she considered removing the Indian maiden from Land O' Lake butter ridiculous twaddle.

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For you, it reminds you of nice people. Thats great. Others are reminded of how it came out of a really racist stereotype, which they tried to adjust in increments over time to something palatable. But who wants to be reminded of all that from a lousy breakfast item? And what company wants their product saddled with all that freight? Leave it and move on. There's plenty of ways beyond breakfast syrup for us to be reminded of the memory of actual people.

I would agree with you that these nice people you grew up with should not be denied representation in the culture. But is a syrup logo the media that does them justice as real people?

durangodawood said:

For you, it reminds you of nice people. Thats great. Others are reminded of how it came out of a really racist stereotype, which they tried to adjust in increments over time to something palatable. But who wants to be reminded of all that from a lousy breakfast item? And what company wants their product saddled with all that freight? Leave it and move on. There's plenty of ways beyond breakfast syrup for us to be reminded of the memory of actual people.

I would agree with you that these nice people you grew up with should not be denied representation in the culture. But is a syrup logo the media that does them justice as real people?

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This reminds me of the history of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Written in 1937 by Zora Hurston, who was black, it was initially panned in the black community because they felt it wasn't the image they wanted to project. The novel remained obscure until the 1960s, when it was picked up and promoted as a feminist work. Today it's sometimes required reading in High School lit classes. In all that time, the novel wasn't what changed.

So, to be all so understanding, we can't mention some people who were dear to me as they don't have quite the "proper" image, even though the work they did helped give their children a better life and opportunities than they had.

Note: They were dear to me, and kind, yet one got angry and threw battery acid on her husband. Locally, that wasn't considered much of a negative thing. Whether that's "nice" or not is left up to you.

Tuur said:

This reminds me of the history of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Written in 1937 by Zora Hurston, who was black, it was initially panned in the black community because they felt it wasn't the image they wanted to project. The novel remained obscure until the 1960s, when it was picked up and promoted as a feminist work. Today it's sometimes required reading in High School lit classes. In all that time, the novel wasn't what changed.

So, to be all so understanding, we can't mention some people who were dear to me as they don't have quite the "proper" image, even though the work they did helped give their children a better life and opportunities than they had.

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Its almost like you didnt read my post at all. I have no problem at all mentioning these people. Even having whole works of literature and film and art with these people at the center. I said that. "....should not be denied representation in the culture."