Land O'Lakes Removing Native American Woman From Packaging After 92 Years
Land O’Lakes is removing the Native American woman who has appeared on its containers of butter and margarine since 1928. Instead, future packages will showcase photos of real Land O’Lakes farmers and co-op members, along with the phrase “Proud to be Farmer-Owned,” according to a company release.
The Grand Forks Tribune noted that many Native people, including North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D), have called the woman’s image racist. Buffalo told the paper the image goes “hand-in-hand with human and sex trafficking of our women and girls.… by depicting Native women as sex objects.”
Land O’Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford did not cite cultural sensitivity as the reason for the change.
“As Land O’Lakes looks toward our 100th anniversary (in 2021), we’ve recognized we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture — and nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land O’Lakes’ dairy products,” Ford said in a release.
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5e978a28c5b6a92100e1a900
= new reply since forum marked as read
Mine looks like this ... okay? That's why I asked.
Nevertheless, even in the pic you showed, it's most certainly not this:
"She is holding up butter, smiling up at what appears to be an observer looking down at her, she is apparently offering up her butter to them."
Look I get the objections on various other ground like cultural appropriation, and a woman on her knees (any sort of woman) isn't too cool, but ... sex-trafficking accusations are a bit over the top, given the image.
MHO, ymmv.
Link to tweet
Not only was the packaging creepy as is, but as your post indicates, adolescent boys were giddily making her "show her boobs."
Way to honor Native Americans and women!
Let's just agree to disagree
When I think of 'sexual' ads, they look something like this ... you know, the sort that are on every other page of magazines that are bought almost exclusively by females.
I think you have to have a dirty mind to think the Land O' Lakes lady (not a girl, really) is a 'sexual ad'.
So, we're not going to agree on this point you're trying to make, so let's just leave it, kay?
was 'Hey, I bet we can sell more butter if there's a picture of a chick that dude's wanna f*** on the label'.
Especially since the % of butter purchased by men in stores in 1928 was maybe 20% at most (my guess).
OTOH, there's 2 solid, reasonable arguments against this label:
1) Images like these should only be used by Native-owned companies at their own discretion. For others to do so is unfair cultural appropriation, and/or
2) Images of women (of any sort) on their knees offering up foodstuffs is a negative stereotype of women, implying they are subservient, belong in the kitchen, etc.
Making additional claims that the label 'goes hand in hand with sex trafficking' is over the top, and undermines your valid arguments by making you sound extreme. You just give people a reason to disregard what you said before, that made perfect sense, and was rhetorically sustainable.
In MY opinion.
Like I said, agree to disagree
I can understand why you think Rep. Buffalo's opinion is a bit over the top, but I can also understand where she's coming from and she makes a valid point. I totally get that she may sound "extreme" to folks who don't share her cultural experiences. She lives in a community where sex-trafficking is a pervasive problem, so her perspective differs from yours, obviously.
You of course have a right to your opinion.
Regardless, how does a young woman invoke no additives? Is it because she's supposed to be a virgin and pure?
