Have you heard the news?
Just ahead of its 100th anniversary, Land O’Lakes has retired Mia, the indigenous woman who once featured prominently in its iconic logo, from all packaging.
Mia. Who knew she had a name?
In place of Mia, the Land O’Lakes products will now display a serene portrait of a tree-fringed lake under the Land O’Lakes name, adorned with the phrase “farmer-owned.”
I had a few thoughts on this development:
This officially brings an end to the sophomoric joke that my step-father taught me at a far-too-young age in which you can fold a box of Land O’ Lakes butter so that Mia’s knees are positioned at her chest, making them look like breasts.
So bringing an end to that bit of stupidity is good.
Here’s something perhaps not quite so positive:
It would appear that Land O’ Lakes is simply repeating history in removing an indigenous person from her land but keeping the land for themselves.
Mia is gone, but the tree-fringed lake and land will remain.
Seems wrong. Doesn’t it?
On a less-than-surprising note, the change in packaging was greeted by some as a travesty of political correctness and angry declarations that Land O’ Lakes – a once beloved staple in their home- was now dead to them.
I can only assume that the same people who support the use of Native Americans as product mascots also spend a lot of time watching Fox News and seeking ways to be offended.
Damn snowflakes.
Dan Crenshaw, the Republican Congressman and former Navy Seal who was targeted in a skit by Pete Davidson on Saturday Night Live for his eye patch (having lost his eye in service to this country) said it best:
I try hard not to offend; I try harder not to be offended.
Crenshaw quickly accepted Davidson’s apology, appeared in a subsequent skit on SNL alongside Davidson, and moved on. I don’t agree with Crenshaw on many things, but I agree with him when it comes to being offended.
If you find the removal of a Native American mascot from a box of butter offensive, you really are a loser.
