The makers of Coon cheese have bowed to public pressure and finally changed the name of the longstanding brand. The 85-year-old dairy product will be known as “Cheer” cheese from July, its parent company Saputo Dairy Australia confirmed on Tuesday.
The decision to make a change was made six months ago in response to growing criticism that the name had racist connotations. It was originally named “Coon” after American cheese pioneer Edward William Coon who died in 1934.
But the word is also a racist slur against people of colour.
- The Australian, 13th Jan 2021
There is a major problem with the outcry that Coon Cheese is being rebranded because it is somehow caving in to the demands of political correct people/wokeness, or whatever it is that rightist and racist media want to rebrand people rightfully complaining about decency. That is as follows.
Edward William Coon almost probably never existed. If he almost probably never existed; then he also didn't die in 1934. Certainly I have been unable to find any obituary for Edward William Coon in any newspaper archive; which if he is as supposedly as famous as he is made out to be, then such a notice in a newspaper should exist.
I also find it very interesting that long time brand owners Kraft, never appear to mention E. W. Coon’s name for decades. Likewise, his supposedly famous ‘cooning’ process is only confined to a single patent and a single newspaper article; which is really strange.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1579196
Description
Patented Mar 30, 1926.
PROCESS FOR RIPENING CHEESE.
No Drawing.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, EDWARD WILLIAM Coon, a citizen of the United States, residing at 29 South Water St., Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Ripening Cheese, and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.
This invention relates to an improvement in a process for ripening cheese, the application being a continuation in part of the application filed September 1, 1925, Serial No. 53,949.
There is a distinct problem with the patent as filed. Specifically: I, EDWARD WILLIAM Coon, a citizen of the United States, residing at 29 South Water St., Philadelphia
Residing at 29 South Water St? Really?
It takes some ferreting aboiut to look at old maps and loo at the numbering scheme of streets but what used to be 29 South Water St., Philadelphia is now 1711 South Water St., Philadelphia. On that site is a building which is made of brick and which after emailing the Pennsylvania Land Titles Office, I am reliably informed that the building was originally built in 1920 and housed a cheese curing house.
The problem is, does someone actually reside at the factory? Granted that many businesses have registered addresses and this could very well be just sloppy bookkeeping but that warrants at least a further look.
While no announcement is made as to which of the numerous Coon plants in northern New York have been bought by the League, it is understood that the big Cape Vincent plant is not among those transferred. Mr. Coon has sent deeds of the plants to his attorneys, Cobb, Cosgrove & Kimball in Watertown. to have searches made and the transfer arranged.
- The Journal And Republican, 30th Aug 1923.
I don't know exactly how you trace the authenticity of sources from a newspaper which is 97 years old but I do know that outside of this newspaper article and that patent, it is impossible to find any contemporary sources which mention Edward William Coon. Again, if he is as supposedly as famous as he is made out to be, then there should be more than one mention in a newspaper and a patent notice.
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=YYQbAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q&f=false
Ser. No. 585,943. KRAFT FOODT COMPANY, Chicago Ill.
Filed Oct 7, 1949.
COON
Applicant claims ownership of Registration No. 87,857
FOR CHEESE
Claims use since 1910.
- pg59, Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, 5th Sep 1950
I have a problem with this. The company claims use since 1910 yet didn't file a patent until 1926? If we assume that Edward William Coon had wanted to protect his name, surely he'd have filed a name device more than 23 years earlier at this point. There's so much dissonance in the dates here that the whole thing looks dubious.
I think that the most likely story here is that Kraft Foods as a very big corporation, probably filed all of the patents and lodged newspaper articles in what is known as adverse possession of intellectual property. I think that what is going on is that Kraft is displaying their intellectual property in a manner that is capable of being seen. They have given sufficiently visible and apparent notice that whoever a rightful owner might be, can not make a claim which would dissuade a reasonable person that they don't have a legal right to it.
The most obvious answer here is that Kraft Foods did the barest amount to maintain their trademarks which they knew were racist.
I think that the most likely set of circumstances which explain this is that Kraft Foods learned about a process for making long lasting cheese, then went away and perfected it with all of the resources available to a multi-million dollar company; then registered the patent with a name that wouldn't be interrogated that closely. If anyone came after them, they could claim that this person sold them the rights to the process and donkey up the paperwork, which would add just sufficiently enough of a cloud of misdirection that nobody would challenge the patent.
My suspicion is that given that the name appears to be invented in the 1920s, that Kraft Foods wanted to have a name which they could use as a kind of dog whistle; so that they could practice racial segregation of their products.
Company founder James L. Kraft made his initial fortune by working out how pasteurise cheese so that it could be shipped long distances; which was particularly helpful when it was shipped across the Atlantic during World War One, when Kraft Foods won the contract to supply United States government cheese in tins to their armed forces. No doubt that as someone who fits into the era of Jim Crow which is the legal pretence that the races be "separate but equal", the idea that under the law non-whites were given inferior facilities and treatment would have been attractive to someone who could sell cheaper products for the use of black people; especially in times of war.
One thing that we tend to forget is that the present often mythologises the past if it suits our needs. This may have been one of those myths that was allowed to perpetuate because that way people could use the excuse of the past (which they haven't interrogated) to defend their current racism.
The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit the views; which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering. I do not believe on the balance of evidence, that the existence of Edward William Coon was a fact.
...and I also think that the Australian and the Daily Telegraph which are hiding behind that same myth is because they want to use this excuse of the past to defend their current racism.
3 comments:
I am certain that there are people offended by the name, and/or find it racist.
What annoys me more than the side of the fence someone is on over the matter and the historical evidence that exists to prove their point? It's an awful lot of energy and money expended on an issue that is barely window dressing the racism we should be worrying about solving. The horrendous disadvantage and suffering of SOME Aboriginal Australians. Like Annaliese Ugle, may her little soul rest in peace and may justice and change be brought to those who are powerless and voiceless again today, as they were yesterday and look likely to be again tomorrow while we demand answers and action in all the wrong places.
Okay, how about Constitutional Recognition in Parliament; so that first peoples get Six Senators?
That way, they can get their say on legislation which directly affects them; instead of being dictated to by a parliament which up until now has point blank refused to address the injustice of the past.
Disadvantage and suffering only changes through policy and action. Asking people to do the work themselves when we have had more than 200 years of bad policy (which has in the past included actual extermination), is cruel.
Again, a waste.
Until the disparity in literacy rates is improved, you are excluding huge numbers of the people who should be part of the process.
I've watched it in action again and again. It's depressing and demoralising, and I am happy to talk with you further on the issue, it might be easier/quicker by email or is there a trick to get notifications for this thread?
There's no one magic solution. Treaty, reconciliation, land rights.... any fundamental step is going to falter if it's rushed. I say this as someone who is watching the land handed back nearly 50 years ago (pre Mabo) being stolen (equal effort by a few greedy folks from BOTH sides...one unelected senator in particular is having no hard questions asked and has helped herself yet utters not one word of the suffering of those she is stealing from!!) and the same people who are often suggesting the movement or cause people should adopt, benefit from it alone.
It's sickening, but getting people to even discuss issues surrounding Aboriginal communities has been dumbed down to buzz words and oiling the squeaky wheels that get time on tv or spend half their day on Twitter.
There's not much point asking people to look at legislation and alter it so it benefits them if they can't read, understand or comprehend it. Getting a low skilled job is almost an overwhelming effort when you struggle to read. And the shame of it, hiding it, avoiding having to deal with paperwork unless in familiar company with help from someone lucky enough to have gotten a 'white education', it's a huge issue that will be expected to underpin all these (admittedly noble and righteous) ideals and if it is missing, the outcome of any investment will be poor at best.
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