It was hard for me to put this into words. It's hard to explain. If you are an OKnLA reader, you read my last post and you know that I'm exhausted. I'm so tired of trying to tell people who just don't seem to (want to) get it that it's not OK what's happening.
You know what I do like? Pudding, specifically the chocolate variety. So I put this thing together in an effort to describe how it feels to hear "White Privilege," how it feels to see Kylie Jenner darken her skin and plump her features, how it feels to hear Iggy Azalea on the radio, how it feels to learn that Mylie Cyrus invented twerking ...
Maybe it will make sense to you. Maybe it won't. But it's something I had to do. So here it is.
you are a chef.
you love to make things. it's your outlet. it's how you express yourself.
one day, you concoct an amazing recipe for chocolate pudding. it's so good. so very good.
the kids, they love it!
then, health nuts and parents say your pudding is no good for the kids.
they try to keep it away from them.
they tell them it's trash, it's dirty, it's evil.
but the kids know what they like. and they keep buying it anyway.
the pudding is an underground star, picked up from city markets and shared all over the suburbs.
it becomes the new big thing.
the health nuts, parents, etc. just can't keep it away.
sales are up and things are good!
the next thing you know, there's a new pudding product on the market.
that's fine, you assumed there would be some competition soon.
It's called 'chocolatey pudding' and it appears to be your recipe. with a new name.
you grab some, just to check it out.
oh no. oh, that's not right at all.
it's not as good as your pudding.
everyone knows it's not as good as your pudding.
your chocolate pudding is the REALDEAL.
none of this chocolateY bullshit.
but the chocolatey brand is everywhere.
they're using your colors,
they're using your font.
they're using your marketing ideas. and,
somehow,
they're getting better distribution.
they're even serving that shit in schools because they are the "cool, inclusive" pudding.
what is happening?
in the beginning, your pudding was just a good outlet for you.
you made it for your closest friends and family because they understood.
but it was so good and so great that you felt the need to share it with the world.
and you did.
and still you put your heart and soul into it.
people felt that. people liked it, and that made you feel great.
but then people condemned your pudding and said it was evil.
next, they made it a commodity.
that wasn't the best but at least you were still making money from something you created.
and people were enjoying it. it was a win-win!
but now someone has stolen your recipe entirely,
and even though it's a poor excuse for what you produce
now THEY are profiting off of everything you built.
it hurts.
your sales are down.
you don't know why.
then, chocolatey pudding releases a special product.
Chocolatey Privilege Pudding
they tag you in their Instagram post about the launch.
on the label, they lay out the whole story of where they got the idea for their brand.
they are paying homage to your pudding!
everyone thinks it's fantastic.
except that you're not seeing any money from the sales of the special edition Chocolatey pudding.
You're not winning any of the pudding awards.
Top stores are still skeptical about putting you on their shelves.
But Chocolatey? it's everywhere.
It's the "cool, inclusive" pudding.
they haven't donated any pudding to your hometown, like you have.
they haven't used their profits to give back to your community, like you do.
they are just selling pudding.
and it's not even good.
It goes like this.
They see you.
They want what you have.
They tell you and the world that what you have is ugly.
It's trash.
It's wrong.
It's evil.
Then they take it.
They fetishize it.
They profit from it.
They make it their own.
They ruin it.
They never thank you for it.
They forget it was ever yours in the first place.
They forget you.
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