Looks like the AriZona beverage maker has decided to ditch the label on their Southern Style Sweet Tea after an e-mail chain letter interpreted the packaging as "racist."Now, the New York-based soft drink maker plans to roll out a new label, seen on the right.
Issuing this statement on their Web site, AriZona Beverage Co. said, "The
dialogue helped us to understand the problem and move forward to correct it."
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There has been a series of chain letter e-mails going around (my in-box included) asking to boycott the AriZona soft drink maker because someone interpreted the picture on the can of its 'Southern Style Sweet Tea' as a symbol of slavery.
Here's the best version of the letter I could find ...
"Read this as a Proud Black person and forward this to every Black Person you know! ... When did Slavery become marketable? I'm calling for a nation-wide boycott on a drink company named "Arizona" ... 'Arizona' has a flavor known as "Southern Style Sweet Tea," but if you look closely on the front of the can, there is a picture of a Plantation! Yes ,I said a Plantation, with a white couple on the porch and a black woman dressed like Aunt Jemima walking away from the house.
So, is this what Bill O'Reilly was talking about last year with his "MF'n Ice Tea" remark?
This reminds me of the Snapple controversy a few years back, where people said that there were slave ships on the bottles and the company was being run by the KKK. Or what about the rumors that Coors, KFC, Tropical Fantasy, Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew all put chemicals in their products to make black men sterile.
See a common thread? Part of me understands how this idea got started. Naturally, African Americans are apprehensive whenever they come across big white houses reminiscent of a plantation. Second, we've had to put up with this kind of crap before, with Black people being poorly portrayed on products, such as Uncle Ben's Rice, Aunt Jemima, and that Cream of Wheat dude.
But, the big question is whether or not the woman on the can is of African descent. It's really hard to tell at first and AriZona says no way.
The drink maker claims "The art does not translate the same due to limits in printing technology and the limit on the number of colors our can supplier can work with at the same time."
AriZona also attached a larger version of the picture, seen above, which does look different, but corresponds with their statement.
Just to make sure they really get on top of the rumors, they added this little nugget for good measure:
Racism in any form is a blight on mankind that must be opposed whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Because good people of all backgrounds rightfully reject this dreadful practice and shun those who spread messages of intolerance, we must first be sure that the label fits before we accuse. ...
I see a white woman on the can in the red dress which kind of kills the whole conspiracy for me.
There's nothing wrong with addressing racism in any form and lord knows it's still very prevalent, but at the same time, people shouldn't jump to boycott something as ambiguous as the alleged color of a woman on a can at least without digging deeper.
Now, if there was only an e-mail chain letter that could so effectively mobilize our people when it really mattered.
Comments: (64)
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By: jamess on 2/26/2008 12:49PM
Interesting!!!But what's the matter?
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By: What the hell on 2/26/2008 3:40PM
Those riverboats have slaves on them! I'm going to boycott!! LOL
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By: Warren W Wagner on 2/26/2008 9:06PM
Those who try to devide will be left behind.
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By: Susan on 2/27/2008 2:56AM
All members at ## PozGroup.com ###, which has become the #1 dating&support community serving herpes, hpv, hiv or other STD people in the world, agree that those who try to devide will be left behind.
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By: russ on 2/27/2008 8:41AM
(Those riverboats has slaves on them) THATS FUNNY!!! GOOD ONE.LOL
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By: Monica King on 2/27/2008 9:28AM
I actually never saw the problem with the original pic on the can. If you look closely, the man in the back on the porch looks to be of color, and the woman in the red dress, could be a child. I think we see what we want to see. And I think instead of looking for racism let's move forward to correct the obvious. And hat's off to Arizona Company for caring enough to change the image, whether the claims are justified or not.
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By: Sharon Scott on 2/27/2008 9:34AM
Hello All... Im a black woman living here in Virginia and I buy that flavor of Ice Tee all the time.. I love Arizona. And let me tell you I analyze things alot and not once did I ever think that the ARIZONA Label was racist. But I guess the masses of people who hated the cover out weighed my vote.. I guess the Genocide in Africa and the countless deaths of troops in Iraq werent important enough to quench the mental thirst of the Racist white Arizona Can.............. Come on....
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By: Belinda L on 2/27/2008 9:49AM
The whole thing was trivial.
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By: Jacinda on 3/08/2008 4:17PM
The slaves on the riverboat comment had me crying!! I never even paid attention to the picture on the can, I was too busy guzzling the sweet tea! The color on the can is crappy at best but there is nothing overtly racist about the picture. Now if there was a picture of someone with the can in one hand and whip in the other then maybe I'd start making some calls.
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By: april on 2/27/2008 10:12AM
Ok, now this was a fast acting solution for the Arizona Tea Company. Now, I love the Sweet Tea and never noticed what others had with regard to the label. But I thought that I would comment on the new label. Nice design and artsmanship. But I personally feel that the same hot-headed people that started the with the original design being racist would have much to say about this new design. Boats...ok steam boats...on a body of water...in the south...thiniking back to the initial complaints...plantations...slaves...etc....I truly wonder what people are going to say now about the boats...in the south...
You all have a blessed day...full of love and not hate...God says..Love your enemy, and you will be blessed...
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