In todays society there are few people who tolerate racism, so when it’s seen on popular brands and found in the media it becomes a big deal. Aunt Jemima is a famous pancake brand that can very easily be considered racist. The company was originally called “Self Rising Pancake Flour” but was renamed to Aunt Jemima based from a popular song played by white people in blackface. In the song the character aunt jemima was portrayed as a slave mammy on a plantation. Today Aunt Jemima is portrayed as a mammy stereotype on pancake boxes and more.
Aunt Jemima today has encountered a few subtle changes in her appearance, she has lost her red headband and her cheeks have slimmed however many still view the depiction of her as racist. Advertisements like these still air on television everyday and new ones arise. Today there are new Popeyes commercials that have taken the mammy stereotype and modernised it depicting a black women with an apron on cooking fried chicken to a slightly racist slave melody. Racist images like these are not uncommon and have existed in the world of advertising for more than a decade now
There are a lot of racist commercials and they are often humorous. I don't know why some commercials still air on television.
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