Times, they are a’changin’. Or at least breakfast is. In case you slept in this morning, the internet worked itself into a tizzy. Over syrup. OK, not just over syrup. The tizzy was about racist brand names and images used to sell products. We saw a similar outcry last month when Land O’ Lakes removed the Native American butter maiden from its packaging.
The latest canceled lady that white Americans feel a creepy affinity for? Aunt Jemima. Yes, Quaker Oats has announced that “Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype” and that the company will remove her likeness and brand name from the (totally unhealthy and unnatural) syrup “to make progress toward racial equality.”
Unsurprisingly, Twitter users lost their shit – and in the process, made us laugh. These are the funniest tweets about Aunt Jemima’s retirement.
Cover Photo: Justin Sullivan / Staff (Getty Images)
Study up: The Mandatory White Guy’s Guide to Being a Supportive Ally to the Black Community
A lotta people are upset about the removal of Aunt Jemima, probably because it’s the only black person they know.
— mark normand (@marknorm) June 17, 2020
People are up in arms claiming they didn’t know that Aunt Jemima was based on a racist stereotype and that pretty much sums up America’s race problem in a nutshell.
— Justina Ireland (@justinaireland) June 17, 2020
Kudos to Quaker Oats on such a clear Aunt Jemima decision. Under the circumstances, I would have expected them to… waffle.
— Robert A George (@RobGeorge) June 17, 2020
The only thing offensive about Aunt Jemima is that so many people still buy that nasty ass corn syrup garbage instead of actual maple syrup.
Don’t @ me.
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) June 17, 2020
MORNING REPORT:
1. A cop had to wait a little while for her egg mcmuffin and went full karen2. Aunt Jemima syrup brand to change name, remove racial stereotype image
All in all, a big day for breakfast so far.
— God (@thegoodgodabove) June 17, 2020
Now that Aunt Jemima is off of syrup bottles, systemic racism is over, right?
Or does that not happen until we rebrand Uncle Ben?
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 17, 2020
FINALLY Aunt Jemima can go by her real name, Aunt Shlomit Rosenstein https://t.co/vjnOu8clwj
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) June 17, 2020
I see people on Facebook showing more outrage that they are changing the racist Aunt Jemima packaging than they ever have over an innocent Black person being killed by police. Sounds about White.
— Michelle Guido (@heyyguido) June 17, 2020
“… so I’m like ‘Aunt Jemima in my jimmy dean’s sausages? No way that’s basically supporting slavery’ anyway, I’m Kyle, what’s up?” pic.twitter.com/y89QJIdrNB
— Jason (@jawesomeberg) June 17, 2020
white people are gonna spend the next week having a meltdown about the aunt jemima brand getting changed because they’re so brainpoisoned by racism and capitalism they don’t know how to navigate the world without cultivated consumer identity.
— local riot dog (@HYENABLOOD) June 17, 2020
Three weeks ago they were in hysterics over Land o Lakes butter, now Aunt Jemima. Our plan to slowly take away their breakfast is working. Next we replace Jimmy Dean with a pansexual being of pure awareness.
Cap’n Crunch can stay though
— Mass for Shut-ins (is a podcast) (@edburmila) June 17, 2020
I for one think Aunt Jemima should’ve been changed long ago; imo they were slow as molasses on this.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) June 17, 2020
If you’ve “had enough” and getting rid of Aunt Jemima is your “last straw” then what was your first straw?
Emancipation?
— “Zack” Hunt (@ZaackHunt) June 17, 2020
Mrs Butterworth seeing Aunt Jemima got cancelled. pic.twitter.com/cIWwCThDKB
— Phillip Henry (@MajorPhilebrity) June 17, 2020
Me eating my waffles dry since I gotta boycott Aunt Jemima pic.twitter.com/jdR8KYNSx0
— Anthony Moore (@AllThatandMoore) June 17, 2020
With Aunt Jemima trending, it’s time for a PSA:
This shit isn’t maple syrup. Do not touch pic.twitter.com/oWzHyc8PbB
— Alex Feinberg (Sustain Gluttony) (@sustaingluttony) June 17, 2020
Meanwhile on Facebook, Fox News supporters are outraged over Aunt Jemima being removed. pic.twitter.com/XDDLFrif8M
— George Truly (@just_d0ug) June 17, 2020
The Onion tweeted this article at least eight hours ahead of the Aunt Jemima announcement https://t.co/1ptNHjh4aR
— Dave Jorgenson (@davejorgenson) June 17, 2020
As part of the rebranding of Aunt Jemima to Aunt Karen, they’re also changing the formula from sweet to bitter and salty.
— Cornelius Rockefeller (@fartbagels) June 17, 2020
To anyone melting down over changing the brand name from “Aunt Jemima”
It’s fucking syrup, you’ll survive.
— Jeff Waldorf (@jeffspolitics) June 17, 2020
