Remembering Sambo's and the customers who made sure they went out of business

[greensinestro]

Sambo's was a wonderful restaurant to eat at. I have fond memories of eating there, usually on a trip to Disney World. I was probably about eight or nine years old when the franchise finally folded after more than twenty years in business, and I remember the reasons. Folks out there to this day said that Black Sambo was a racial depiction, and the Tiger Butter added to it. It didn't matter that this book was written back in 1898, or the fact that the name came from the founders, with no harm intended. Because of what Sambo looked like (skin color), his name alone was racist.

My question is this: Why was the chain able to survive from 1957 all the way to 1981 before this became a problem? Nobody thought the wiser in 1957, or 1967, so why around 1979?

In 1998, the grandson of one of the founders tried to revive the chain, but still there was opposition to it because of the name. Yet, the one restaurant in Santa Barbara still exists. When are the opposers going to bring that one down? Or can they?

It's kind of like "The Dukes Of Hazzard". The TV show ran from 1979 to 1985 without incident. Then, twelve years later, they had a TV reunion show, and many minorities protested the show because the General Lee, the same car that was on the show, has a Confederate flag. Hey, the TV show had the same car with the same design, yet it wasn't a problem then. Why now?

If you don't like what's depicted in a restaurant, go eat somewhere else. If you don't like what they show on TV, find a book to read, or change the channel. Stop ruining it for everyone else.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My guess would be that so many people are offended by so many things that they are running out of things to be offended about.

[dragonflygrrl]

I remember the story of Black Sambo. My grandpa read it to me. He's a smart kid that outsmarts a bunch of tigers. He has nice clothes and parents that love him, and at the end they all sit around a table and eat pancakes together. The rest of us should be so lucky to be stereotyped as nice smart kids with stable affluent families.

Of course, maybe I'm missing something. Gods know that happens, and what offends one person may not bother another. Still, at first guess it sounds silly to put a restaurant out of business for this.

[powerboy]

Most people will complain, just to complain. It is a sad world, when they do something like that.

[Crosshair]

This is probably why, "Extremist are in charge of our government, because moderates have sh*t to do."- John Stewart. It is probably people who have nothing better to do than be angry and offended at someone or something.

Example: I always used to use the term "Afro Engineering". To me, it always meant doing stuff by the seat of your pants with what was available. I still use it now and again and sometimes I get somebody who is whiter than I will ever be (I'm not white, I'm Norwegan. ) accusing me of being racist. Same thing when I call my car a "Ghettomobile", even though it IS a Ghettomobile.

[Gawdzillers]

I remember a line from Fahrenheit 451, where Captain Beatty says:
"Colored people don't like 'Little Black Sambo', and white people don't like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'."

It would be hilarious if someone opened a restaurant called Uncle Tom's Cabin.

[wagegoth]

Same thing when I call my car a "Ghettomobile", even though it IS a Ghettomobile.

It's not a Ghettomobile, it's a hoopty.

[ShockQueen]

I remember a Sambo's restaurant up here in Montana, but it closed down and was torn down in the late 70's (or early 80's - memory is kinda fuzzy), but had thought about going there many times.

Guess that won't happen now unless I go to the one in CA.

Was it any good?

[Gurndigarn]

I remember a line from Fahrenheit 451, where Captain Beatty says:
"Colored people don't like 'Little Black Sambo', and white people don't like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'."

It would be hilarious if someone opened a restaurant called Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Uncle Tom's Cabin has moved to the no-no list, according to many black activists.

[Rahmota]

*blink* *blink* Eh? Uncle Tom's Cabin the book that basically started the civil war and helped bring the evils of slavery (but apparently not wage slavery) to light is now a no-no? When and why did this happen? I hate it that people are not able to step back and go that was another time period where people thought differently and this is now. Except that would require thought in and of itself.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Interesting story here (well, at least I think so.)

My favorite musical is Big River. It's a musical based on Huckleberry Finn, which many of you know was heavy social commentary with copious use of the Enn Word. Huck's angst at helping his buddy Jim escape slavery, plus said use of Enn Word, put a darkly comic spin on the absurdity and evil of slavery.

It's a AWESOME play, and I never fail to see it when it is running in one of our many wonderful local theaters.

One day, I was working the counter at Kinkos, and the beautiful young black woman who played the young slave girl who sang at her master's funeral walked in and came to my counter. This girl could belt, let me tell you, and her song, a soaring negro spiritual, is one of my favorites in the show. I couldn't wait to tell her how awesome I thought she was, and we starting chatting. I was shocked when she told me with great disappointment that he show had gotten lousy reviews in our rag of local newspaper (that would be The State. ) and other publications.

I was flabbergasted. Turns out, the WHITE reviewers were so put out by the fact that The Enn Word got used that they just couldn't bring themselves to comment on much of anything else. They were supposedly shocked that the main character might worry that he was a bad person for stealing a slave.

In other words, they JUST DIDN'T GET IT.

Not only that, but they were just so terrified someone might think they were racist, they trashed the show. Just so, you know, there would be no mistaking just how forward thinking they were.

The black actress, the actor that played Jim, and the other black woman that played this lady's mother were fine with it. They got it. They were proud to be in the show. However, the idiot white reviewers had to be Officially Offended.

I guess these idiots thought the black cast members were there because their masters made them do it?

Sheer idiocy.

[ArenaBoy]

The sad thing is, many people get offended over the slightest things no matter what the content is, Borat for example is been cause of controversey for offending the Jewish when some VERY Jewish families I know were actually cracking up after they saw the movie. The ironic thing is, Sacha Baron Cohen who plays Borat is Jewish himself.

[nick1091]

Sorry that my first post here (I was a member at one of the old boards some time ago) will put me in the minority, but I can certainly understand why people would be offended and not want to patronize an establishment with that name.

While dragonflygrrl has pretty much summed up the originating story to a tee, the story has been stained with the artwork in the original US versions which portrayed Sambo in the minstrel "blackface" coloring, and also the use of a character named Sambo in Rudyrad Kipling's story on How the Leopard got his Spots (I won't quote word for word, but suffice to say the infamous "N-word" was used.)

The fact of the matter is that the English language (like most languages, I'd reckon) does not stand still. Unfortunately, it matters little what the original meaning or story behind a name is, it's the evolution of usage that is of import. That's why you'll never see a bundle of sticks or metal referred to as what's now a slur for homosexuals. That's why people don't use the word gay synonomously with happy or joyous. Over time, different words develop different meanings.

Just my two cents.

[Seanette]

I remember a line from Fahrenheit 451, where Captain Beatty says:
"Colored people don't like 'Little Black Sambo', and white people don't like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'."

It would be hilarious if someone opened a restaurant called Uncle Tom's Cabin.

There is a "soul food" place in Sacramento called "The Plantation". I am NOT kidding.

Please feel free to correct any ignorance or misinformation I have on the subject, but "soul food" is traditionally associated with black people, right? If so, why would calling such a restaurant something so strongly associated with slavery NOT bother the target customer base?

[kurisu7885]

The sad thing is, many people get offended over the slightest things no matter what the content is, Borat for example is been cause of controversey for offending the Jewish when some VERY Jewish families I know were actually cracking up after they saw the movie. The ironic thing is, Sacha Baron Cohen who plays Borat is Jewish himself.

And odds are peopel thin khe isn;t and is anti semitic[sp?] and that fact will be lost i nthe media circus.