Current Events > Eskimo Pies to drop 'derogatory' name over racial insensitivity

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://nypost.com/2020/06/19/eskimo-pies-to-drop-derogatory-name-over-racial-insensitivity/

The maker of Eskimo Pies will change the 99-year-old brand name of the ice cream treat, the company said Friday becoming the latest organization to overhaul the marketing of a product with a racially tinged moniker in recent weeks.

The owner of the Eskimo Pie, Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, said in a statement they had been considering renaming the chocolate-covered ice cream bar and popsicle for some time.

We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is derogatory, the companys head of marketing said in a statement.

This move is part of a larger review to ensure our company and brands reflect our people values, the company added.

Along with the name change, the company will alter the treats marketing scheme, which traditionally featured a young boy dressed as an Eskimo in a snowy environment.

The move comes after brands such as Aunt Jemimas syrup and Uncle Bens rice have said they will would overhaul their controversial imaging amid online criticism.

Cream of Wheat, which features a black chef as their mascot, said Thursday they would review their marketing strategy.

We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, said B&G Foods in a emailed statement, adding that they are initiating an immediate review of the cereal brands packaging.

The shift in advertising comes amid widespread protests in America over police brutality and systemic racism in the United States.
---

Meh!

Okay I guess!

---

Inuit Pies also sounds pretty delicious imo

---

So Inuit Pies then?

---

The term Eskimo is actually very offensive towards the indigenous people in far north Canada.

This is fair.

---

Is it really?

Serious question, I have never hear a word about this before.

---

Alteres posted...

Is it really?

Serious question, I have never hear a word about this before.

Do you live in Northern Canada? If not, you probably have no reason to have heard of it before.

The indigenous people up there have a fairly small population anyways.

---

Alteres posted...

Is it really?

Serious question, I have never hear a word about this before.

I dont know about very offensive but yeah its not something they like to be called and is actually a name given to them by settlers.

---

MFBKBass5 posted...

Do you live in Northern Canada? If not, you probably have no reason to have heard of it before.

The indigenous people up there have a fairly small population anyways.

I feel like its something most canadians are aware of.

---

As long as the product is still the same, the name shouldn't matter.

---

CanuckCowboy posted...

I feel like its something most canadians are aware of.

For sure.

---

Huh no, I'm American.

The word gets used in media quite a bit and I never had any idea about this stuff.

---

Scorsese2002 posted...

Cream of Wheat, which features a black chef as their mascot, said Thursday they would review their marketing strategy.

We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, said B&G Foods in a emailed statement, adding that they are initiating an immediate review of the cereal brands packaging.

The Cream of Wheat chef? The fuck?? They're just taking down every mascot and brand icon who just happens to be black? God, "woke" people are so fucking racist.

The just call the Ice Creampies.

---

Will all the food renaming finally cause the Washington Redskins to change their name?

---

Genuinely laughing at the cream of wheat thing hahaha

aren't these the same as moonpies?

---

Police brutality - I sleep

The mascot for No-Knock-Warrant-O's (with dead dog shaped marshmallow pieces!) being rebranded - real shit

---

IShall_Run_Amok posted...

Police brutality - I sleep

The mascot for No-Knock-Warrant-O's (with dead dog shaped marshmallow pieces!) being rebranded - real shit

CE

---

@EdmontonEskimos

---

Sunburst posted...

Will all the food renaming finally cause the Washington Redskins to change their name?

Trumpians



---

I think it should be Generals or Senators like the baseball team. Oh and I don't care about the pies. They should change the name.

---

PrettyBoyFloyd posted...

Trumpians

Be more accurate if he had a pacifier in his mouth.

---

When did Eskimo become offensive? Just looking up the etymology of the word, it is from the Inuit language, and has no derogatory meaning.

---

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

When did Eskimo become offensive? Just looking up the etymology of the word, it is from the Inuit language, and has no derogatory meaning.

I had to look it up to and apparently Canada has been just calling any people Inuit even if they aren't?

So it's like.....fixing racism with more racism?

Either way, using the name of a marginalized group of people to sell snacks is weird in an of itself.

---

Kastrada posted...

using the name of a marginalized group of people to sell snacks is weird in an of itself.

...it's ice cream. This was named waaaaay before this racist stuff started to hit

---

This is a victory for native people. The Inuit and other Northern tribes have been exploited for ages and "Eskimo" is a derogatory for them.

---

Call them creampies

---

Wow now Green Lantern will be even more dated.

gnomefromnome posted...

...it's ice cream. This was named waaaaay before this racist stuff started to hit

Think about that statement for a second.

gnomefromnome posted...

...it's ice cream. This was named waaaaay before this racist stuff started to hit

I have no idea what you are responding to in my post.

I said using the name of a group of marginalized people to sell food is weird.

You respond with the fact that this predates the racism somehow?

I'm honestly not sure what you are getting at?

---

---

Obstacle2 posted...

Call them creampies

Offensive to porn stars somehow
---

It's great, but it also feels like they're trying to appease and pacify the anger of the marginalized after benefiting off of them for so many decades. It's not enough to just change your brand names. They're afraid and they're hoping this is enough.

CommonStar posted...

It's great, but it also feels like they're trying to appease and pacify the anger of the marginalized after benefiting off of them for so many decades.

It's simpler than that.
The brands have been fully aware of how, uh, "problematic" the brand names are, for decades now, but inertia and brand loyalty have prevented rebranding - up until this nigh uprising created an opportunity.

"Yeah, we suck and our branding is awful. We're gonna fix that now" hasn't been a viable marketing campaign until just now.

When I drop something derogatory I sometimes call it an Eskimo Pie

If you know what I mean

---

Oh no! Now they wont taste the same! Muh childhood!!

---

Which will change first, the Washington Redskins of the NFL or the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL?

Also, friendly reminder for other widely used terms that are actually offensive... "gypsy" is a derogatory term for the Roma. And saying someone gyped you likewise offensive.

---

K181 posted...

Which will change first, the Washington Redskins of the NFL or the Edmonton Eskimoes of the CFL.

Every call to rename the Redskins just makes Dan Snyder more stubborn about it.

AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

When did Eskimo become offensive? Just looking up the etymology of the word, it is from the Inuit language, and has no derogatory meaning.

Its not though. It derived from a french word esquimaux which means to net snow shoes or a person who nets snow shoes.

Its not their name for themselves and its not like every single inuit / northern indigenous person makes snow shoes.

Its the same thing an indian vs native kinda. One is incorrect and not indicative of the people hisory.

---

CanuckCowboy posted...

Its not though. It derived from a french word esquimaux which means to net snow shoes or a person who nets snow shoes.

Its not their name for themselves and its not like every single inuit / northern indigenous person makes snow shoes.

Its the same thing an indian vs native kinda. One is incorrect and not indicative of the people hisory.

As best as I know, it's akin to calling all East Asians "Chinamen." Not only are not all East Asians from China, but even the ones from China have different preferred nomenclature.

---

Yea, Eskimo isn't an official designation and its just kind of become the "normal" over time because people were too lazy to learn an actual term for them. Its not like this is being treated as a big deal or anything. Its just this company saying "hey you know what...I think its time". Nothing for anyone to get so worked up over.

---

This is fair. Especially if they were thinking of rebranding anyways.

---

CanuckCowboy posted...

I dont know about very offensive but yeah its not something they like to be called and is actually a name given to them by settlers.

This is a problem with a lot of indigenous peoples tbh,

it's a fairly widespread problem, but this is a step in the right direction at least.

Proto_Spark posted...

This is a problem with a lot of indigenous peoples tbh,

it's a fairly widespread problem, but this is a step in the right direction at least.

True.

---

I thought they were replaced with Klondike Bars a long time ago and people just called them Eskimo pies out of habit.

Progress either way.

---