Current Events > Uncle Ben's Changing Name To Ben's Original After Criticism Of Racial Stereotypi

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https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/23/916012582/ uncle-bens-changing-name-to-ben-s-original-after-criticism-of-racial-stereotypin

Uncle Ben's will now be known as Ben's Original.

Food giant Mars, Incorporated said Wednesday that it is changing the rice brand's name, which has faced criticism for racial stereotyping. It said the change signals "the brand's ambition to create a more inclusive future while maintaining its commitment to producing the world's best rice."

Mars also said it will remove the image of the elderly Black man in a bow tie from its packaging.

"We understand the inequities that were associated with the name and face of the Uncle Ben's brand," the company said in a statement. "We have committed to change."

The company is making good on a promise it made in June, when it and other major brands such as Aunt Jemima acknowledged their use of racial stereotypes and committed to making changes.

That promise came amid a wave of reactions from businesses and corporations following nationwide protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in May.

"We've listened. We've learned. We're changing," Mars said.

"While implementing an evolution on this scale will be a complex process that will take considerable time, there is no better time than right now," the statement continued. "We will begin production of our new brand identity immediately and Ben's Original will begin reaching store shelves early next year."

Mars also said its is committing to helping culinary entrepreneurs of all races obtain educational opportunities. It said it will partner with the National Urban League to help aspiring Black chefs receive scholarships.

Uncle Ben's dates back to the 1940s. The name Uncle Ben was borrowed from a well-known Texas rice farmer of the same name, according to an archived web page about the rice brand's origins.

The man who posed for image that has appeared on the packaging for decades was Frank Brown, the head waiter of an exclusive Chicago restaurant, the archive web page stated.

Quaker Foods and PepsiCo are expected to remove the image of Aunt Jemima from its packaging later this year.
"We recognize Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype," Kristin Kroepfl, chief marketing officer at Quaker Foods North America, said in a statement. "While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough."

The company that makes Cream of Wheat, which features the image of a smiling Black man in chefs attire, also announced this summer that it was "initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging."

"We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism," B&G Foods said in statement.

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Seems reasonable and something no one could possibly get mad about

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Did a lot of people actually whine about the original name? Enough for them to rebrand? Aren't there bigger problems in the world?

i would never, ever have discovered this if you didnt post this thread

Check out the cream of wheat box. I wonder if they are going to change it also.

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Uncle Ben's sucks.
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MACisBack posted...

Check out the cream of wheat box. I wonder if they are going to change it also.

I like Cream of Wheat a lot but

The character of Rastus had once been depicted as a cook who was barely literate and did not know about vitamins. Rastus is also a derogatory term traditionally associated with African Americans in the United States.[11] For these reasons, B&G Foods had been under public pressure for years to make changes
yikes

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TheGoldenEel posted...

Seems reasonable and something no one could possibly get mad about

Joe numbers has already said he would boycott them now. He also got butthurt about Land O Lake changing their mascot.

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Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

Slayerblade11 posted...

Did a lot of people actually whine about the original name? Enough for them to rebrand? Aren't there bigger problems in the world?

it's not whining if it's a legitimate problematic concern kid. what is with some of these posters smh

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ill miss the Spider-Man memes, but the rebranded name actually sounds decent lol

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Are they going to re-release the Spider-Man movies with the rename or just add a disclaimer at the beginning?

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GodIsImaginary posted...

Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

Probably because people want change, and while politicians/corporations know this, they don't actually care, so these gestures are an easy way for them to feign compassion and empathy.

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Slayerblade11 posted...

Did a lot of people actually whine about the original name? Enough for them to rebrand? Aren't there bigger problems in the world?

Complaints about Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima have been around for years. A lot of people didn't think about it much until social media became as big as it is, but even Jemima had an image change a few decades ago because the mammy imagery was obvious.

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Good. I'll make sure to buy more of it now

Or not idk

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I only cook jasmine rice at home in a rice cooker

But uncle bens broccoli and cheese is delicious, if its called bens originals and they dont have to murder him, its a good compromise
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GodIsImaginary posted...

Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

Why not both?

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GodIsImaginary posted...

Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

It distracts us from the majors corps pulling the strings

Blame the working class, divide and conquer
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GodIsImaginary posted...

Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

Why are you letting it distract you?

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Regardless of what the name is, it's still rice for lazy people.

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GoodOlJr posted...

I only cook jasmine rice at home in a rice cooker

But uncle bens broccoli and cheese is delicious, if its called bens originals and they dont have to murder him, its a good compromise

How does jasmine rice taste?

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We did it, boys. We solved racism.

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Donald Trump on the passing of Uncle Ben & Aunt Jemima

https://youtu.be/OFDSF5ycyIk

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GodIsImaginary posted...

Why is there so much emphasis on changing symbols and superficial language instead of solving real problems?

Makes zoomers think theyve actually accomplished something.

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TheGoldenEel posted...

Seems reasonable and something no one could possibly get mad about

Keeping the font and color the same makes the change essentially invisible, until you suddenly realize it.

Mistere Man posted...

How does jasmine rice taste?

I might be making it sound like something fancy

Just plain white rice, like the chinese kind

Its just a staple, can go with any meal o any night
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GoodOlJr posted...

I might be making it sound like something fancy

Just plain white rice, like the chinese kind

Its just a staple, can go with any meal o any night

Thank you I have one other question.

Does it taste ok with gravy's or would that ruin it?

Usually with plain rice I make gravy.

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Mistere Man posted...

Thank you I have one other question.

Does it taste ok with gravy's or would that ruin it?

Usually with plain rice I make gravy.

Ive done rice with gravy/western meals when im too lazy to make potatoes, but I dont love it

Like any kind of white rice is going to be pretty plain

What youre making almost sounds like congee
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GoodOlJr posted...

Ive done rice with gravy/western meals when im too lazy to make potatoes, but I dont love it

Like any kind of white rice is going to be pretty plain

What youre making almost sounds like congee

I am not making anything I was just curious how jasmine rice tastes with standard rice gravy.

Such as brown gravy, white gravy, sour cream gravy, mushroom gravy, etc.

I will just have to buy some and experiment with it a bit.

Thank you again.

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No just making a comparison to congee man, not trying to direct your toughts or anything.

What rice are you usually?
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Jemima's Original, when?

Mistere Man posted...

Such as brown gravy, white gravy, sour cream gravy, mushroom gravy, etc.

it might work. it's sticky rice (used for curry).
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Mistere Man posted...

Such as brown gravy, white gravy, sour cream gravy, mushroom gravy, etc.

Just dump a can of cream of mushroom soup into the rice.

GoodOlJr posted...

No just making a comparison to congee man, not trying to direct your toughts or anything.

What rice are you usually?

Medium grain rice is what I normally use. The gravy is usually for something else like pork chops, pot roast, country fried steak, etc, but it goes well on the rice.

I have also found beef stroganoff to be very good on rice.

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Slayerblade11 posted...

Did a lot of people actually whine about the original name? Enough for them to rebrand? Aren't there bigger problems in the world?

Why do you think this took so much time and effort that the bigger problems are being ignored?

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Questionmarktarius posted...

Just dump a can of cream of mushroom soup into the rice.

I use that (and onions) in several recipes like a quick pot roast, and a chicken and rice. It usually makes a great gravy imo.

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OG Ben's

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kingdrake2 posted...

it might work. it's sticky rice (used for curry).

Sorry I missed your post.

So it is more for curry interesting. I had always heard it was very popular and I wasnt sure if it was just for taste or not. Curry being as popular as it is would explain some things.

I like to look for ways to improve recipes so I figured I would ask as I have never tried it before.

I will still give it a try, and see how it tastes.

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What made it racis?

FantasticAssGas posted...

What made it racis?

Apparently the name I thought it was the guy on the front

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If I cook rice, its with a rice cooker and rice from an Asian market. So okay, I guess?
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FantasticAssGas posted...

What made it racis?

Back in the days, white Southern States people didnt want to call African Americans for Mr and Mrs, so they called them Uncle and Aunt instead.
Thereby it is racism to call an African American for uncle or aunt today.

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