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Reclaiming Uncle Ben
This is not exactly a you-got-to-be-kidding-me moment. But it certainly begs the question: why?
Uncle Ben is back. Or, um, “Chairman Ben.” Yes, Mars food corporation is resurrecting their original spokesmodel for Uncle Ben’s rice, but he’s new and improved — breaking stereotypes instead of perpetuating them.
Annalee Newitz of Wired does a great job breaking it all down, including a strangely detailed website giving us Ben’s new backstory.
Posted at 4:04 PM | Permalink | | 
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Vincent Howell, president for the food division of the Masterfoods USA unit of Mars, said . . . “What’s powerful to me is to show an African-American icon in a position of prominence and authority . . . . As an African-American, he makes me feel so proud.”
OK, Vince. I’m sure you make a lot of other African-Americans feel proud, too.
As for the “Chairman of the Board”, Masterfoods, USA (the corporate owner of the “Uncle Ben’s” trademark) is a division of Mars, Inc., the candy company. Wikipedia notes:
“Mars is still a family owned business, belonging to the Mars family. The company is famous for its secrecy. . . . In 1999, for example, the company did not acknowledge that Forrest Mars Sr. [son of the founder] had died or that he had worked for the company.”
and:
“As of 2004, Forrest Mars’s three children are ranked by Forbes list of “World’s Richest People” as #27, 28, and 29, with $10.4 billion each.
. . . The Mars family was among 18 billionaire families who successfully lobbied Congress to eliminate the estate tax. [1]. According to Public Citizen, since 1994 the families have spent approximately $500 million on lobbying efforts.”
The current Chairman of the Board of Mars, Inc., is John Franklyn Forrest, #28 on the list above, and not named “Uncle Ben”.
But the African-American community is so proud of him.
Posted by Kevin T. Keith on April 3rd, 2007 at 3:49 pm