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'Cracker' Barrel - Why has no one complained?

In keeping with the current tone of being 'Politically Correct', I don't understand why Caucasians have not complained about the name of this restaurant! Surely you know that the term 'Cracker' is a derogatory term, used mostly by those of African decent, to describe members of the Caucasian race.

In the 1950's, a restaurant chain began began in S. California by 2 men, Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett, and took portions of each of their names for the restaurant - Sambo's. Capitalizing on the name, they decorated the restaurant with scenes from a book called 'Little Black Sambo'.

For those of you not old enough, 'Little Black Sambo' was a children's book about boy named Sambo that prevails over a group of hungry tigers. As the story line goes, the little boy has to give his colorful new clothes, shoes, and umbrella to four tigers so they will not eat him. The boy recovers the clothes when the jealous, conceited tigers chase each other around a tree until they are reduced to a pool of delicious melted butter.

Seems innocuous enough, but yet, controversy over the chain's name drew protests and lawsuits in communities that viewed the term Sambo as derogatory towards African-Americans, and demanded that the restaurant change their name to something less racial. It was the 'beginning of the end' for a once great restaurant.

And now, 'Cracker Barrel'.

Where are these folks that so vociferously protested against a real or imagined slam against a race when they rose up against 'Sambo's?

Where is the 'racial equality' and even application of being 'Politically Correct'?

Rise up, Whitey! Demand this restaurant change it's name so as not to offend yet another race of individuals!

(The racial implications of bars referred to as 'Honky-Tonks' will be covered in next weeks column.)

created by GraphicsGuy on Jul 16, 2008 at 06:54:49 am     Comments: 29

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Comments ... #

As far as I know, Cracker Barrel doesn't include in it's interior decor stereotypical images of white people. Sambo's did. Yeah, why do black people get all upset about a name like that?

And I took a look at the Sambo Restaurant site. Here is what it says:

From 1957 until around 1978, Sambo's was a growing part of the American landscape. For a number of reasons Sambo's began to slow down and its transition from an
innovative coffee cafe in Santa Barbara to a multi-million dollar corporation began to take its toll - In August 1981 there were 1,117 restaurants in 47 states. And some in the Northeastern part of the U.S. tried a new name -' No Place Like Sam's ' in an attempt to reverse a four-year tailspin sadly, in 1982 all but the original Sambo's in Santa Barbara closed its doors."

posted by Ace_Face on Jul 16, 2008 at 09:17:01 am     #



Seriously? This is how they decorated the place? I don't know how these two buffoons weren't stopped before they got out of the design phase. Didn't they have wifes?

posted by thetoledowire_com on Jul 16, 2008 at 09:23:28 am     #



A couple of weeks ago our business orderd take out from Taco Bell for 7 people. We took the orders immediately back because they were absolutely all incorrect. The Taco Bell employee called my employee a "cracker" to her face for complaining!

posted by holland on Jul 16, 2008 at 09:47:23 am     #



I loved Sambo's! They had great breakfasts and the service was always good at the few I went to.

As for Cracker Barrel ... let's see ... perhaps we could call it ...

The Wasp Barrel?
The "Caucasian American Barrel"?

Call it what you want - this politically correct crap has gotten out of hand. People need to get over themselves and realize we all have to live together.

posted by DoknowDocare on Jul 16, 2008 at 10:15:14 am     #



Cracker cracks me up.

posted by Ryan on Jul 16, 2008 at 10:29:16 am     #



McCracker's (Sorry)

Chinese joint: Takee Outee Miami, Florida

posted by Offshore on Jul 16, 2008 at 10:33:28 am     #



Beaners had to change it's name to Biggby's because the word "Beaner" was offensive to the Mexican American. Now I hear the FAT people are up in arms over the word BIGGBY. j/k

So I think "Cracker" Barrel needs to get in-line here.

this politically correct crap has gotten out of hand
So true!

posted by KraZyKat on Jul 16, 2008 at 11:21:17 am     #



http://www.metafilter.com/59238/Sambo-Little-Black-Sambo

posted by Darkseid on Jul 16, 2008 at 12:13:20 pm     #



The term Cracker comes from the great State of Georgia, as in "He's a real Georgia Cracker". It's a complement and used as a term of admiration. For you Northern Yankees, the men of Georgia are Crackers, the women are Peaches; She's my lovely Georgia Peach.

I read Little Black Sambo when I was a child, and I believe I still have the book around somewhere. I remember when Little Black Sambo was banned from the public library, which was a tragedy.

When my brother attended the university he chose Latin to satisfy his language requirements. One day during class the professor taught the names of various colors; the Latin word for black is niger. Upon hearing this a young person of color angrily denounced the professor as a racist and left class. A complaint was filed, but as far as I know that was the end of it.

I notice that when books are banned or ridiculous complaints like the one I mentioned are brought, the commercial media is strangely silent.

posted by madjack on Jul 16, 2008 at 12:59:16 pm     #



From ToledoWire: Didn't they have wifes?

It's likely they had wives. It's also likely they knew the difference.

posted by madjack on Jul 16, 2008 at 01:00:59 pm     #



Cracker is a word that I can use to call my other white friends, but it should only be referred to by non-whites and media as the "c" word.

I'm just kidding. I just wanted my own "white" word that could only be referred to by the first letter.

posted by hockeyfan on Jul 16, 2008 at 01:13:15 pm     #



The perjorative meaning of 'cracker' is not a compliment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(pejorative)

posted by holland on Jul 16, 2008 at 02:02:44 pm     #



Ace, you're comment "Cracker Barrel doesn't include in it's interior decor stereotypical images of white people. Sambo's did." is wrong. Sambo's decor was right out of the book - a book written by a Scots woman residing in India, and about India.

The 'cartoon' posted is NOT out of Sambo's Restaurant nor from the book. I have no idea where you got it, but to infer that picture was part of the decor is incorrect.

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 16, 2008 at 04:13:18 pm     #



Ace...I have no idea where you got it

He got it here.

http://www.borev.net/2007/11/hugo_chavez_hot_for_a_negro.html

It's an article about Hugo Chavez being a sexy man. Ace, really!

posted by KraZyKat on Jul 16, 2008 at 06:13:10 pm     #



From Holland: The perjorative [SIC] meaning of 'cracker' is not a compliment:

Right you are, Holland! Neither is the pejorative use of the word youngster.

posted by madjack on Jul 16, 2008 at 06:48:28 pm     #



KraZyKat: Thanks. I was wondering where that cartoon came from as well.

posted by madjack on Jul 16, 2008 at 06:53:11 pm     #



My intent wasn't to say that said image was part of the decor, it was only to illustrate why calling your place "Sambo's" might not have been such a good idea. As the image illustrates, "Sambo" was a generic racist slur against blacks way before the 1950s, when the restaurant opened. Here's some backup:

posted by Ace_Face on Jul 16, 2008 at 09:34:11 pm     #



I think it's a funny word. Cracker. Good stuff. Then again, my race of people weren't be called this while being enslaved.

posted by pink_slip on Jul 16, 2008 at 10:04:33 pm     #




Helping make the world a better place

posted by KraZyKat on Jul 16, 2008 at 10:18:26 pm     #



You can blame the Sun (embodied by Jesus) and evolution (embodied by God) for the development of alleged racial differences.

But we're really all one race, the remastered race.

posted by charlatan on Jul 17, 2008 at 04:56:00 am     #



The niggardly responses in this thread should compel the site administrator to whitewash every chink until it's spic and span.

posted by GuestZero on Jul 18, 2008 at 03:45:33 am     #



graphicsguy is correct - Little Black Sambo was originally about a little boy in India. The 1920's - 1950's produced many dispicable products that collectors now pay often, very high prices for. "Sambo" was a tobacco brand, and was used for many products & companies - which resulted in many products & ads that featured the exagerated black face images. It's hard for us to imagine that this was nothing unusual in those days - exagerated Native American Indian images were also used to profit from. Florida souvenier shops sold a large selection of these items - fishing tackle, ashtrays, etc. that sell for quite a bit of money now to collectors. Before anybody gets their knickers in a twist about the 'creeps' who'd collect these items - many are bought by African-Americans, to preserve history, and to have examples to show their grandchildren. (I've sold many of these items to African-Americans who've told me this is why they buy them.) What I find repulsive, are those who have mass produced reproductions, just to make a fast buck. Collectors can usually tell (it's often hard to do) what is genuine & what is a reproduction. But there are some who decorate their kitchens, etc. with the lower priced repros - which is horrible, I think. The genuine articles are pieces of history - like it or not, good or bad, and should be preserved.

The "Sambos" restaurant just kind of cashed in by using the images of Little Black Sambo (black version). But we have to remember (like it or not), Al Jolson made Black-face famous, and unless you were black, few people found the images 'negative', as much as they were 'comical', like an ethnic joke - that 'everybody with a sense of humor' - "got". As for outrage over the use of "cracker" in "Cracker Barrel" restaurants - I always assumed it got it's name from the old, country store cracker barrel - the big, old wooden barrels that held pickles, crackers, & other bulk items for sale. I think it's silly to get upset over the use of "cracker" as meaning something negative about white people - especially when the blacks had to tolerate far worse for decades.

posted by starling02 on Jul 19, 2008 at 02:32:33 pm     #



Being Native American, 'we' were and are also 'stereotyped' and one of the worst of those was the 'cigar store Indian' - of which I have 2 statues of!

And, in case not all have caught on, my 'diatribe' about changing Cracker Barrel's name was my idea of humor and a 'dig' that, as Carol said "this politically correct crap has gotten out of hand. People need to get over themselves and realize we all have to live together."

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 19, 2008 at 02:48:35 pm     #



graphicsguy, I agree with you about how crazy PC this world has become. I hope this doesn't offend you, but I didn't know you were Native American - and from the time I played with Barbie dolls, I always kind of 'lusted' about Indian men - blame it on the movies I guess. I caught a bit of an old Western on tv the other night thought it was comical how they'd try to make white men look like Indians - this movie, they did it well, very hunky he was indeed. But I imagine Native Americans took offense to tv & movie casting back then - didn't think about it when I was a kid, but now I can see why they'd be offended.

posted by starling02 on Jul 19, 2008 at 04:12:54 pm     #



Starling (and that's sounds Native!), to look at me - except for the cheekbones, one wouldn't guess that I was 1/4 Cherokee (Ani-Kituhwagi). It's the Irish/Scotish from my father's side that is on the outside, (I guess that'll count me out of some of your 'Indian fantasies'!) but Native in the heart. Even my entire abode is themed 'Native American' - right down to the paint on the walls!

I think that the idea of whites playing a Native roll when there are so many Natives is unacceptable, but then there was a time when whites put on makeup and played black people. Why? Who knows.

You didn't think about it when you were a kid because kids are innocent and don't think about those kinds of things until they're taught to think like that! Too bad we all can't think like kids again!

And no, I'm not offended.

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 19, 2008 at 07:31:31 pm     #



BTW: There have been times I wished I had more of the 'Indian' look than the Irish, but I thank the Great Spirit for putting it in my heart and spirit instead of in the appearance.

I'd rather 'be' Native than just 'look' Native.

Do Hi Yi
(Peace)

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 19, 2008 at 07:37:16 pm     #



(And not to offend you, but I've always lusted over women!)

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 19, 2008 at 10:21:50 pm     #



graphics - are you saying that you do not have long black braids & very brown skin & gorgeous rippling muscles under your loin cloth?????? (be still my heart if you do.........)

posted by starling02 on Jul 20, 2008 at 02:23:41 pm     #



No black braids, no brown skin, and no comment on what's under my loincloth.

posted by GraphicsGuy on Jul 20, 2008 at 06:47:08 pm     #