Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I Can’t Place the Name but the Blackface is Familiar….

In my craven effort to revive my moribund posting practices, here’s a bit of trivia you may find amusing, or depressing, or amupressing perhaps is the word I wish existed to describe how you may feel about this:

DARKIE!  For years, merely a crude racial epithet - but it’s also a delicious and nutritious asian toothpaste!  but you didn’t need to go to the mysterious orient to get it - it was being sold here on the very streets of this our America, where I’ve seen it several times at the big asian markets in my ‘hood.  It was offensive and demeaning, but also sort of pathetic.  “Darkie” toothpaste?  Really?  You think that’s gonna get me to use your prophalyxis cream?  I think not.*

Well now it seems a New World Order has stepped in.  The brand was bought by Palmolive or somebody and, despite deep penetration into the asian milieu (sounds hottter than it is), they changed the name.  In english, anyway.  Now it’s Darlie!  and the black dude on the label - he’s ambigufied!  No problems here, officer!

However, it seems the original art still lives - in Japan - with an even more offensive name!  I can’t even begin to describe what “mouth jazz” evokes for me.  This is a family blog.  I’m just saying - I’m sticking with Crest.  I don’t know why that’s a good name for toothpaste but at least I don’t want to slap the tube every time I see it.  And for a tubeslapper like me, that’s saying something. 

(* and disappeared.  the punchline to an existential joke about - whom?)