#106: Auntie, Are You Ok?
Fun pants, racist mascots and more!
MARKETING THING:
PepsiCo announced earlier that it will be rebrand Aunt Jemima, the line of pancake mix and syrups around since 1889. In “No shit, Sherlock” news, the brand says they now “recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype.” In other news, water is wet.
After 131 Years, PepsiCo Is Dropping Aunt Jemima
While we’re getting racist mascots out of the way:
Tick, tock…(this also goes for my beloved Florida State Seminoles!)
CULTURE THING:
I have worn Zubaz pretty much the entirety of quarantine. They are the perfect inside pant. They flow really well, breathe better than most sweats, and the elastic waistband is forgiving. It is a valuable feature if you’re like me and cooks as your mode of dealing with anxiety.
They come in every possible color you can imagine and look crazy with high and low-top sneakers. They’re like $30 (same as a pair of Dickies) and can usually be had for less. As a bonus, everyone looks cooler in Zubaz.
(I’m not linking to them because they aren’t paying me to. If any of y’all know the good folks at Zubaz, you see the vision. Get at them and let them know that I need that endorsement deal, haha)
Speaking of affordable clothes, have you ever heard of the Cost-per-Wear formula? This feature from GQ has helped me shop smarter (aka stop buying dumb stuff I don’t need) and should have been something I was doing before the pandemic.
How to Calculate Cost Per Wear, the Magical Shopping Formula GQ Staffers Swear By
BLACKNESS THING:
Here are seven easy steps to support black lives, or “30 minutes to Freedom”
Carve out 30 minutes in your calendar.
Click a link and make a call or donate or sign a petition.
Repeat this action one (1) more time this week.
Share the link with your three closest friends and say, “Hey, I’m (calling/donating/signing a petition). If you’re interested, here’s the link!” If you have a group chat, drop it into your group chat!
Bookmark this link.
Repeat next week.
Do it while you online shop or while you take a shit, whatever it takes! It is truly the absolute least that you can do!
MUSIC THINGS:
My 1996 playlist is worth your time if you were alive in 1996 or were alive but were too young to remember it!
BULLETIN BOARD:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This Friday is Juneteenth! To celebrate, I’m guest-curating a special media project over at Locally Grown TV on the Plug Tunnin’ channel.
Not familiar with Locally Grown TV? Wired calls it the “PBS for the Streaming Age”. Excited for you to see what we’re working on!
Next week, I’ll be doing a newsletter swap with Dan Runcie of Trapital. That means I’ll be writing an original piece over on his newsletter and Office Hours readers will receive an original article from Dan here. If you want to see my piece next week, subscribe to Trapital.
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Office Hours is written by Ernest Wilkins. Follow me on Twitter/IG @ErnestWilkins.
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