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Debate Sparks On Whether To Rename Australian Cheese Brand Coon

Debate Sparks On Whether To Rename Australian Cheese Brand Coon

Some are in favour of changing the name and others think it's a stretch.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Conversations are being had all around the world about whether to rename, delete or pull down things in our society that could have controversial themes to them.

Whether that's a statue of a slave trader, four Chris Lilley comedy shows or the Redskins NFL team, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement across the globe has reignited the debate about our past and our future.

One of those conversations has centred on the Australian cheese brand Coon.

Coon Cheese

The brand is named after American creator Edward William Coon, who patented a method for the fast maturation of cheese through high temperature and humidity, which has subsequently been dubbed Cooning.

However in this current era, some people have highlighted that the brand name is also a highly offensive slur for a dark-skinned person of African, Australian Aboriginal, or Pacific island heritage.

Australian actor Josh Thomas sparked a debate on social media about whether the brand should change its name.

"Hey Australia - are we still chill with this?" he wrote on Twitter.


The question has sparked hundreds of replies, with some people supporting the idea of a name change and others hitting back at the suggestion.

One person replied with: "Why do people even care that it was some random cheese guy's name, doesn't the fact that it's insulting as hell to a large group of people override some long dead guy?!"

A second wrote: "There were a couple guys in my high school who used it extensively on the basis of 'it's not racist it's just the name of a cheese lolololol'. I don't think there should be a boycott or legal imposition on the makers to change it but I think they should voluntarily rebrand."

A different user quipped back, saying: "I feel like you're just stirring the pot now. It was named after the guy who made it. Taking the cheese off the shelf won't stop the racist attitudes that people in this country have. It also won't take back any of the racial history here either. So many other things to change."

Another added: "It's a family name. Implying that it is anything else is as offensive as the tone you placed on this by bringing it up. Maybe if us white people started understanding history instead of trying to erase it in some misguided attempt at placating black people things would change."

There's no word on whether the company will change the name in light of the protests happening around the world.

Featured Image Credit: Woolworths

Topics: News, Australia