Image via Complex Original
Lead
Oh, America the beautiful, your past can be so ugly. Take a look at advertisements from past centuries and you'll find a culture mired in explicit sexism and racism. To be frank, shit is bugged the fuck out. For many years, there was no better baromoter of the Nation's tolerance level than the advertisements for food. How are things for black Americans? Check your box of pancake flour; they aren't good.
Over the years, the imagery has become (for the most part) less obvious, but there are still some shocking ads out there. Take a look at this gallery of 25 racist food advertisements.
Aunt Jemima 1
Aunt Jemima (I)
Product: Pancake Flour
Circa: 1890s
The face of America's favorite breakfast mix was a riff on the Mammy archetype. It took Aunt Jemima many years to shake this ugly stereotype. Here's one of the earliest incarnations.
Spanish Cookies
Unknown Spanish-Language Cookie Advertisement
Product: Cookies
Circa: Early 20th Century
This tin advertisement for an unknown cookie company offers a look at a number of different stereotypes. Equal opportunity for hate.
Oysters
Niggerhead Oysters
Product: Oysters
Circa: Early 20th Century
One of the most explicit examples we've ever laid eyes on.
Peaches
Redskin Peaches
Product: Fruit
Circa: Early 20th Century
This is one of those epithets our culture can't seem to shake. Fortunately, though, you can't waltz into the grocery store and pick up a crate of this produce any more.
Cream of Wheat (I)
Cream of Wheat (I)
Product: Cereal
Circa: 1910s
Rastus, the unfortunately named face of Cream of Wheat, demonstrates his poor English in this early ad. He still appears on iconography associated with the brand, meaning our head shaking continues indefinitely.
Korn Kinks
Korn Kinks
Product: Cereal
Circa: 1910s
The ad for this Corn Flakes-type breakfast dish originally appeared on postcards.
Cream of Wheat (1916)
Cream of Wheat (II)
Product: Cereal
Circa: 1910s
The second, and final, appearance of Rastus in this gallery. The image of the dog is surprisingly violent.
Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus Syrup
Product: Syrup
Circa: 1920s
You'll notice that Uncle Remus is holding a box of his own syrup. Staring at this ad is like disappearing into a hall of mirrors. We're paraphrasing Sally Draper's Land O'Lakes spiel, by the way.
Freeze
Picaninny Freeze
Product: Frozen Dessert
Circa: 1920s
Spike Lee borrowed the imagery from this ad for the poster of his film Bamboozled. If you haven't seen it, go do so now.
Borden's
Borden's Evaporated Milk
Product: Evaporated Milk
Circa: 1930s
So many of these ads derive their racism from painfully recreating the speech of popular caricatures. This is no different.
Aunt Jemima 2
Aunt Jemima (II)
Product: Pancake Flour
Circa: 1940s
The second incarnation of Aunt Jemima is slightly less cartoonish than the first, but only slightly.
Don't Cry
Don't Cry Sweet Potaotes
Product: Produce
Circa: 1940s
From the dice to the strange brand name, this ad is a head-scratching clusterfuck of awfulnesss.
Wheaties
Wheaties
Product: Ceareal
Circa: 1940s
Just one example of war-time ads that mercilessly took racist shots at whoever America was at war with at the time.
Grapefruit WWII
Canned Florida Grapefruit Juice
Product: Juice
Circa: 1940s
More fun from WWII.
Chun King Chinese
Chun King Chow Mein
Product: Canned Chinese Food
Circa: 1950s
Note the little Asian caricature near the ad's bottom.
Aunt Jemima 3
Aunt Jemima (III)
Product: Pancake Flour
Circa: 1950s
Again, far less cartoonish than the earlier incarnations, but still afloat in obvious racism.
Corn Flakes
Corn Flakes
Product: Cereal
Circa: 1960s
This passed for humor at the time.
Rice Council
The Rice Council of America
Product: Rice
Circa: 1970s
Really? Someone from the Rice Council of America thought this was a fine idea?
Kia Ora
Kia-Ora (UK)
Product: Fruit Drink
Circa: 1980s
Click here to watch the entire batshit commercial for a British orange drink. It's a nightmare.
Swedish Cat Food
Whiskas (Sweden)
Product: Cat Food
Circa: 2008
Racism knows no borders. Welcome to Sweden, where a cat food commercial (click here to watch) was quickly pulled for stereotyping Asians as stupid.
Obama Waffles
Obama Waffles
Product: Cereal
Circa: 2008
This product was created by some GOPers. We hate them.
Watermelon Soda
Watermelon Soda
Product: Soda
Circa: 2009
This soda was discovered at Targets here in New York. Does this mean that Targets have en masse traveled back in time to the Antebellum?
Russian Ice Cream
Duet Ice Cream Bars (Russia)
Product: Ice Cream
Circa: 2009
This ad ran shortly after the election of President Obama. It didn't run long.
Eska Water
Eska Water (Canada)
Product: Bottled Water
Circa: 2011
Was this Canadian company thinking when they greenlighted an ad campaign that dressed up doughy white guys like Native Americans? No. Probably they weren't.
OFC
Obama Fried Chicken (Beijing, China)
Product: Fried Chicken
Circa: 2011
Ripped from the headlines, this is one flagrant example of racism masquearding as political commentary. See also the appearance of Common at the White House.