Demand – Arbitrary Racism

Don't Guess - Demand

With some racist ads of the era, you can at least see the connection to the racism. I may despise everything about the imagery and symbolism, but at least Aunt Jemima was a cook. Cooks make pancakes. It conforms to the internal (albeit racist) logic. But Golden Wedding just dumps a pile of racist dialogue and caricature for absolutely no reason having anything to do with the content of the “cartoon” into this idiotic ad.

The whole thing smacks of committee think (albeit a racist committee): first, no Redcap would yell out the age of Rye for no apparent reason – so the entire premise of the gag is a stretch, at best. Then to the already uproarious humor of the punchline (“everybody knows that!” My sides, they are splitting!), we add a hilariously racist stereotype for, well,  no apparent reason. My only glimmer of optimism in this whole abysmal enterprise is the thought of how terrible the lives of all involved in this ad must’ve been if this is the kind of shit they thought was funny.

By the way, it’s still available if you want to get your Rye on. Beware: it’s the same company that makes Chi-Chi’s Mexican Mudslide.