Politics

Right Wing Snowflakes Are Losing Their Minds Over Coon Cheese Changing Its Name

The dairy company will change its name to something that aligns "with current attitudes and perspectives".

by Rachael Conaghan  24 July 2020

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Coon cheese is finally being changed after a long campaign by activists who don’t like looking at slurs every time they’re in the dairy aisle.

Today Coon’s owners, dairy company Saputo, announced they will retire the brand name, with the new name yet to be announced.

Saputo CEO Lino Saputo Jr confirmed the change in an email to Aboriginal activist, academic and businessman Dr Stephen Hagan, who has lobbied them to change the name for 20 years.

“One of our basic principles as an organisation is to treat people with respect and without discrimination and we will not condone behaviour that goes against this,” the company said in a statement.

“We wanted to ensure we listened to all the concerns surrounding the COON brand name, while also considering comments from consumers who cherish the brand and recognise the origin of its founder Edward William Coon, which they feel connected to.

“At this time, we are working to develop a new brand name that will honour the brand-affinity felt by our valued consumers while aligning with current attitudes and perspectives.”

While the campaign isn’t new, it recently hit the headlines after the Black Lives Matter drew attention to a number of brand names with racist overtones.

Naturally that led to people on the internet immediately having a meltdown, because apparently the thought of having to call their dairy products by something other than a racist slur is an indignity too great to bear.