Close-up of Aunt Jemima brand buttermilk pancake mix in kitchen setting, San Ramon, California, November 20, 2020. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Actor Ben Stein became a topic of discussion after a video showed him expressing how much he misses the old Aunt Jemima syrup bottle design. As previously reported, back in 2021 the name and design was changed due to racial stereotypes…
The 78-year-old cursed out woke corporate culture for swapping out “a large African American woman chef” as the brand’s mascot, drawing the attention of social media in the process.
“About to do something which I sometimes do,” he says in the video, which looks like it was shot in his kitchen, “which is to make breakfast for dinner. Aunt Jemima* yummy pancake syrup. This used to show a large African American woman chef, but because of the inherent racism of America’s corporate culture, they decided to make it a white person or maybe no person at all. But I preferred it when it was a black person showing their incredible skill at making pancakes. So God bless you all have a good evening.”
Ben appears to be unaware that the syrup is now called Pearl Milling Company pancake syrup after the Aunt Jemima brand was retired in 2021.
Some expressed anger due to the fact that “decision to remove (her) hame hurt a black family” in terms of royalties collected on Jemima’s name and likeness.
“Y’all don’t realize how that decision to remove that name hurt a black family. Aunt Jemimas family no longer receives royalties cuz of all this fake outrage… y’all ain’t even give a damn for real 😑”
But strangely enough, Stein’s comments were met with far more support from the Black community than contempt.
“It’s a reach….he didn’t say much of anything out the way. He was very clear on what he said about the label. IMO nothing he said she have anyone up in arms,” one commenter tweeted.
Another offered “I didn’t know where this was going, but ultimately, he didn’t say anything wrong,”
“Y’all need to stop for real, he didn’t say anything wrong” a commenter wrote. “He said it dont hit the same without that black magic 😂🔥”
Other took more issue of the syrup’s name change than anything else.
“We all miss her. The new name is more offensive than aunt Jemima. Pearl milling company sounds like some shyt of Django 😂” one person noted. “I kinda miss the original too and it don’t taste the same lol.”
One commenter took the time to break the situation down and said proceeds from Aunt Jemima’s merchandise never went to her family.
“The complete dissociation from what the Aunt Jemima was a happy cooking negro slave. She was for years painted in mammy imagery any they softened her look up in the 80s. So most only see the new version and think it was sleep.”
They went on write that “they sold Aunt Jemima mammy dolls & her family never got paid of the likeness of this woman. Aunt Jemima wasn’t just on the bottle she was a cooking slave first. So no black woman don’t want her on the bottle even if they watered down the image.”
What do you think, Roomies? Do you have a problem with Ben Stein’s position on Aunt Jemima bottles? Or is this whole thing being entirely overblown?
