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2020-07-21 -PC Follies

Trader Joe’s to remove ‘racist’ packaging of ethnic food

[NYPOST] Trader Joe’s plans to remove ethnic brand names from its products as a petition calling for their removal gains steam.The Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,-based grocery chain said it’s working to phase out foreign names it has attached to ethnic foods, such as "Trader José’s" for Mexican cuisine, "Trader Ming’s" for Chinese products and "Arabian Joe’s" for Middle Eastern dishes.
"Gathers steam" = 2200 signatures?
"While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect — one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day," Trader Joe’s spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel said in a statement.

Trader Joe’s revealed the plans after the launch of an online petition urging the company to ditch "racist" brand names that prop up ethnic stereotypes and treat other cultures as exotic.

The petition — which had racked up more than 2,200 signatures as of Monday morning — also raises concerns about the roots of the Trader Joe’s name itself. The brand was inspired by Disneyland’s "Jungle Trip" ride and the 1919 book "White Shadows in the South Seas," which both contain racist depictions of indigenous people, according to the petition.

Posted by Fred 2020-07-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top

#1 Woefully inadequate. Until the very idea of a trader is expunged from our society, we're just shuffling chairs on the deck of a slave ship.

Posted by Angeatle Gray2268 2020-07-21 01:37|| 2020-07-21 01:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Remove all ethnic images from all food. I want everyone to see a white guy with a pitchfork every time they eat anything. Let them know where their next meal comes from.

Posted by Cromoth Sheatch5463 2020-07-21 01:53|| 2020-07-21 01:53|| Front Page Top

#3 "Jungle Trip"?

How hard is it to check the name of a classic ride at the oldest theme park in the world? It's Jungle Cruise.

And Trader Sam is a character in the ride -- a headhunter who's running a sale -- two of his heads for one of yours. Best thing -- Disney cornered themselves by naming bars after Trader Sam; they can't remove the character without renaming the popular bars.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-07-21 08:04|| 2020-07-21 08:04|| Front Page Top

#4 And what's wrong with viewing other cultures as exotic?!

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-07-21 08:05|| 2020-07-21 08:05|| Front Page Top

#5 ^Ever heard of quotas?

Posted by g(r)omgoru PB 2020-07-21 08:29|| 2020-07-21 08:29|| Front Page Top

#6 Free publicity for low volume products.

Guess "pickled pig's feet" will never be "drunken blue shoe".

Posted by Skidmark 2020-07-21 08:55|| 2020-07-21 08:55|| Front Page Top

#7 I miss going to Trader Vic's.

Posted by M. Murcek 2020-07-21 10:47|| 2020-07-21 10:47|| Front Page Top

#8 Why doesn't Trader Joe's just name all their products, "Product X" to really confuse patrons? Of course, you are then discriminating against Product A, B, C,...and Z.

You could just have everything come in plain brown rapper. Oh, wait a minute, "plain brown rapper"could be considered racist.

Posted by JohnQC 2020-07-21 11:19|| 2020-07-21 11:19|| Front Page Top

Would this be acceptable?

Posted by gorb 2020-07-21 11:40|| 2020-07-21 11:40|| Front Page Top

#10 Ah think 'light' is now a bad adjective.

Posted by Skidmark 2020-07-21 15:37|| 2020-07-21 15:37|| Front Page Top