A New Racist Slogan, or Not?...

Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth


Some believe the representation to be racist. Others do not. Including some African American's.


“I really haven’t heard that about (the beer),” said Anna Anderson, the manager of the Union Square location, who is African-American.

Many black customers and employees shrugged off the questionable undertones.

“It’s a beer,” said Taryn Harris, 40. “I didn’t interpret it that way. People are slaves to whatever they like. They’re a slave to their addictions, be it food or sex. That’s how I interpreted it, as an addiction, not anything else.”


What's your take?

Full text BELOW THE FOLD.

Via: Memeorandum

Comments

  1. Bavarian BLACK beer, you'll be a SLAVE to the flavor. I suppose, but it is quite a stretch. The burgeoning microbrew business is full of catchy names, which range from silly to slightly poignant, the idea being to sell beer
    that customers will remember.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had a question as to what was going on, but BB answered it.

    Yes, considering that most of the slaves in the world are in an area stretching across much of Asia, equating 'black" with "slave" is a stretch. I'm open minded, though, if someone can make a good argument the other way.

    Also, it might possibly be a little less "Stretchy" in a former Confederate, i.e. slave state. But NY doesn't count as that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Let's put it this way. Would people find it offensive if a cake-mix called Hebrew-Luscious had a slogan on its box that said "Best Treat Out of The Oven?" No one with any brains would use ovens and Jewish or Hebrew in an advertising slogan. That would be horrificly insensitive and IMO antisemitic. So why does a business think it's "catchy" to use "black" and "slave" in an advertising slogan. Slavery was no joke. So why make it one to sell beer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On further consideration of Shaw's analogy, I present

      the Kosher Pastry Oven, a very Jewish (Rabinnical supervision) bakery. I come up with nothing after exhaustive searches for objection to this name. Nothing at all.

      The analogy is further put to bed by this line from a Seattle Times article:

      "The Kosher Pastry Oven in Silver Spring, which usually makes a killing ...."

      I suppose I could ask the award-winning and accomplished reporter Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post, who wrote this article, about how many objections she got over this particular sentence. After all, given the associations Shaw mentions, this would be as insensitive as her example she came up with. But at this point, I am sure I know what the answer will be. Just like if I were to ask this bakery how many letters they get asking them to change their name.

      Shaw said: " No one with any brains would use ovens and Jewish or Hebrew in an advertising slogan", yet the Kosher Pastry Oven does (as Kosher is so closely associated with Jewish/Hebrew), and the place is actually acclaimed,with many thinking it is the best Kosher restaurant in DC.

      I accepted Shaw's analogy before, but in light of this real world example, which does what Shaw deems to be "horribly insensitive" but is embraced by the Jewish community and others, I don't agree any more that her analogy is that good at all.

      Delete
    2. Black has multiple meanings while Hebrew does not. Sometimes a cigar is a cigar, Shaw.

      Delete
    3. Will: Shaw and others would have a much better case if the brew were named "Happy Plantation" or something like that instead of Old Red Nose. But it isn't. The case is really way too weak.

      Delete
    4. And didn't Seinfeld do an entire episode on "Schindler's List"?

      Delete
  4. "equating 'black" with "slave" is a stretch"

    dmarks, I am unequivocally convinced you come from another planet.

    It's some very sordid humor to say the least.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "dmarks, I am unequivocally convinced you come from another planet"

      At least I don't repeatedly insist gun owners are under 18 years of age. And I do repeat that I do not equate black with slave. I guess from your reaction, you do.

      Delete
    2. LOL! You really should try to find yourself a less backhanded sophistry.

      There IS, of course, a terrible and tragic historical connection between "black" and "slave." People from the planet Ignorbulon probably just haven't heard of it.

      And I don't think most gun owners are "children," but just the ones who demand no responsibility or accountability for the disposition of their weapons.

      JMJ

      Delete
    3. Bigots from the planet Ignorbulon equate black with slave (despite the fact that historically, overall...and in the present. Caucasian and India/East Asian slaves have outnumbered black ones).

      Just like Ignorbulons insist that a doubled debt is an improvement, and that a much worse crackdown is a lessening in the "War on Drugs".

      As for me, I prefer to be straightforward, and try to avoid any backhandedness and sophistry.

      Delete
  5. Perhaps it was an accidental slogan. If not, it is in poor taste at best. A brewery in uptight Mormon
    Salt Lake City deliberately coined their Polygamy Porter ..Why Have Just One? ..to poke fun at
    the ubiquitous non-drinking, non-smoking LDS Church citizens. While sales skyrocketed, the staid
    Mormon Elders got their knickers in a twist. (Even tried some myself!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anyway, I think Shaw made a good enough case, without irrelevant references to plants. It'd be better of they nixed the word "slave". It doesn't even fit in with the theme or graphics. That is what I'd do if it were my brew company.

    However, it is not, so I can't make such a decision. I could boycott the product... but its not sold in my area, and there's a very slim chance I could drink it anyway. So that's it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. per BB's comment...I would cut some slack on this. Home Brewers, Craft Brewers do get very close to the edge on beer names.... some of my favorites are from He'Brew, The Chosen Beer...http://www.shmaltzbrewing.com/HEBREW/j18.html .... I guess, in this case....their are other, serious and grevious, issues to address..... like killing black kids in the street. When I do a holiday shot with my Bud, Basketball Joe, he insists that I drink White Sambuca....and he will do the black.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Personally I'm more "slave" to the hopier IPA's, although I do enjoy the maltier porters and stouts occasionally. Especially as a desert brew.

      Delete
    2. As long as you keep the sand out of it, RN.

      Delete
    3. I never keep my beer in a box dmarks.

      Delete
    4. Oh man, Sambuca. You must have a liver and a head made of steel. That stuff is a headache in a bottle!

      JMJ

      Delete
  8. IPA's are great. I enjoy a good Porter in the Winter.....Brewery just North of here makes a great stout....aged in old bourbon barrels. Alchol is about 9.5...one is usually plentry....too bad I WILL not share....http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/central-waters-brewers-reserve-bourbon-barrel-stout/34746/

    ReplyDelete
  9. For those looking to go nuts over other beer names,

    I submit to you "Black Death"

    To take the statements made in this discussion and switch them a little. "So why does a business think it's "catchy" to use "black" and "death" in an advertising slogan. Death was no joke. So why make it one to sell beer?

    Seems a little more serious than the Old Red Nose thing, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dmarks, Black Death is brewed in Iceland. Perhaps the translation from the Icelandic was
      garbled? ..although Sorte Dod seems straightforward. My guess, Black Death is slightly better than living on that frozen island? Such is that business niche, though, that I recently
      had a mug of Black Death from the tap of El Sombrero, a local Mexican place. -go figure-

      Delete
    2. BB: Insensitive, that! Considering Iceland's slave history.

      Delete
  10. There's nothing like a Menage à Trois to break up the monogamy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In cephalod terms, that would involve 24 tentacles, wouldn't it?

      Delete
    2. 25 tentacles - the backup mistresspus is a Hemingwaypus.

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Naw, not a fan of Syrah, be ir Palin or otherwise. ;-)

      Delete
  12. 8% - that's all that I care about (I'm a "slave" to octane).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "8% - that's all that I care about (I'm a "slave" to octane)."

      As long as you don't say that on Black Friday.. There'd be helltopay.

      Delete
  13. Humor is often use as an excuse for accepting racism. Funny or not, racism is still racism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It depends on how you approach it, Jerry. Mel Brooks making fun of Hitler was side-splitting while some of the other stuff, eh.

      Delete
  14. I don''t like racist, or even racial jokes one bit. Jerry. Still waiting for evidence that this is one.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am not overly appreciative of racist jokes, my self....NASCAR is not funny.....but, now Duck jokes are great.....
    A man and his pet duck walk into a bar. It's about 5pm, but they're ready for a good night of drinking.
    They start off slowly, watching TV, drinking beer, eating peanuts. As the night goes on they move to mixed drinks, and then shooters, one after the other.
    Finally, the bartender says: "Last call."
    So, the man says, "One more for me... and one more for my duck."
    The bartender sets them up and they shoot them back. Suddenly, the duck falls over dead.
    The man throws some money on the bar, puts on his coat and starts to leave.
    The bartender, yells: "Hey buddy, you can't just leave that lyin' there."
    To which the man replies: "That's not a lion, that's a duck."

    ohhohoh....Fowl.

    ReplyDelete
  16. one more....
    A man in a movie theater notices what looks like a duck sitting next to him.
    "Are you a duck?" asked the man, surprised.
    "Yes."
    "What are you doing at the movies?"
    The duck replied, "Well, I liked the book."

    ha....another one for the birds!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. If you keep this up we will have a new Duck dynasty.

    ReplyDelete

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