They’re changing the name of Uncle Ben’s.

[mummabear1967]

www.itv.com/news/2020-09-23/uncle-bens-name-dropped-from-rice-brand-after-logo-criticised-as-racial-stereotype?fbclid=IwAR0QAktv-u9bOTaruhDqMWGIcCJjAMILzpXtmRSe_iYzQE6qKBTWinyaIK8

Why on Earth are they doing that? Have people seriously complained? I don’t know why I’m acting surprised!

This thread is good as it educates as a pp said and it is appalling something so offensive has been out so long. Makes me things what other things are similar that need changed also.

Off-topic, but I always thought that Uncle Ben was actually a bear. I think I got him mixed up with Gentle Ben.

On-topic: I think it's great. Uncle Ben is a bit Uncle Remus for me.

@keeprocking

Good for them. Yes there’s other shit going on at the moment but they can’t cure Covid, they can however address racist overtones and stereotypes that have been problematic for decades. That can only be a good thing.

Utter rubbish, this is the pathetic wokey nonsense that's made it a joke, hence allowing real problems to continue.

What do you think of Golliwogs and Robertsons jam?

@Butterer

They also get the genuine racists out in plain sight

Like a dog whistle

I won’t be buying those products anymore if they support racism

It's just a name...confused

A name that has racist undertones!

@mummabear1967

I didn’t know any of this, literally just thought it was called uncle bens with no real meaning behind it!

And yet a 5 second Google would have explained it all....but hey, why do any research when you can just froth on Mumsnet?

@UntamedWisteria
don't forget the marmalade...

@TwilightSkies

It's just a name...confused

A name that has racist undertones!

Not really undertones though. More like up and at ya.

Jesus. It's obviously racist. Like Uncle Peter, in Gone With The Wind? The nice old black slave who drove the Hamiltons around Atlanta? The descriptions of him are fucking appalling. It's not hard to do a little bit of reading.

I had no idea about the slavery use of uncle. We use aunt and uncle for really loved friends as an honour or for actual aunts and uncle.
I cant believe its lasted this long if thats the origin.

I can see why the Uncle is problematic, although I would agree it's more obvious in the US than here.

From being little, I assumed he owned paddy fields and was called Uncle because his workers liked him. (DF used to work abroad and was called Father/Papa HisName by the workforce which is probably why.) Perhaps if I were American I'd have a different "backstory" in my head.

I understand the re-branding, and think it's a good thing, but in some ways I think it would be nice to keep him as the logo. As a piece of art, it's a nice picture of somebody. I don't know how you could do it though.

@DaffodilsAndDandelions

Are they also going to change the name of aunt bessies Yorkshire puddings?

FFS. Aunt Bessie is white you buffoon. The point is about using the aunt/uncle term as a default title for a black person.

So before anyone else suggests it, no it is not racist to call your own relatives Aunt and Uncle!

FFS. The ignorance on this thread is breathtaking.

AUNT BESSIE'S IS A BRITISH BRAND THAT DOESN'T HAVE ITS ORIGINS IN SLAVERY.

Why is that so hard for posters to grasp?

And yet a 5 second Google would have explained it all....but hey, why do any research when you can just froth on Mumsnet?

Harsh, if someone is confused by something and asks and acknowledges and accepts the reasons then why is that an issue.

I just recognise the orange box, never really noticed what's on it. Have always used either patna or basmati rice and thought that Uncle Ben's was, well, crap.

It's just a name...confused that’s what racists say to justify using the n word. What is actually wrong with you?

@SummerHouse

So 'uncle' was attributed to elderly slaves as Mr was not deemed appropriate. Also Ben was in a bow tie so connotations with servitude.

If those connotations are indeed the case in the USA then I can understand why there is a need for change.

Thing is - the overwhelming majority of people in the UK wouldn't have a clue about any of that, because our culture is totally different. Here, the term 'uncle' is used as an endearment for much-loved friends as well as family, and most people who habitually wear a bow tie are generally viewed as well-off. The connotations are pretty much the opposite in fact.

Two countries divided by a common language.

Aunt Bessie and her relatives weren’t stolen from their home country and forced into dangerous labour to make money raising crops for a white person to profit off. How can people be this ignorant?

Actually, I have read Uncle Tom's Cabin, and know about the Uncle Remus stories and things so I did know about the usage.

I just never associated Uncle Ben with America and/or slavery.

And OP, please don’t have this thread removed. It’s obviously important to educate people more widely.

From a child I always associated Uncle Ben as a talented, family oriented chef with a calming voice and a warm smile.

@andpeggy1

"What about Auntie Bessie's then? Should that go too as it's a caricature of a middle aged, white British lady? And what about Colonel Sanders, Captain Birdseye, Mr Kipling, and numerous other eponymous brands."

Thing is @JaJaDingDong none of these are the depictions are racist or have links to people being kept in slavery or have been oppressed for centuries. I think you need to do some thinking and much needed reading up on what prejudice is and white privileged.

Women have been oppressed for century's. So by that logical, let's remove all logos containing women!

Stupid argument

Good grief @mummabear1967 Asking for the thread to be removed? You think people aren't allowed to debate whether this is political correctness gone mad or not - why? It's a perfectly reasonable debate. Trying to censor things is less reasonable.