When discussing the twentieth century, we often compare and contrast life from the year 1900 to the year 2000. We all realize that in the year 1900, people didn't have cars, couldn't fly in airplanes, and didn't have microwaves. Yet, there is another item that those in the year 1900 did not have and those in the year 2000 took for granted - Oreo cookies. Most of us have grown up with Oreo cookies. There are photos of us with chocolaty remnants smeared across our faces. They've caused great disputes as to the best way to eat them - dunking them in milk or twisting off one side and eating the middle first. Besides eating them plain, there are recipes galore on how to use Oreos in cakes, milkshakes, and additional desserts. Oreos had become part of twentieth century culture. Though most of us have spent a lifetime cherishing Oreo cookies, did you know that since their introduction in 1912, the Oreo cookie has become the best selling cookie in the U.S.?
Oreos Are Introduced
In 1898, several baking companies merged to form the National Biscuit Company (NaBisCo), the maker of Oreo cookies. By 1902, Nabisco created Barnum's Animal cookies and made them famous by selling them in a little box designed like a cage with a string attached (to hang on Christmas trees). In 1912, Nabisco had a new idea for a cookie - two chocolate disks with a creme filling in between. The first Oreo cookie looked very similar to the Oreo cookie of today, with only a slight difference in the design on the chocolate disks. The shape and design of the Oreo cookie didn't change much until Nabisco began selling various versions of the cookie.
In 1975, Nabisco released their DOUBLE STUF Oreos. Nabisco continued to create variations: 1987-Fudge covered Oreos introduced 1991-Halloween Oreos introduced 1995-Christmas Oreos introduced Now, how does all that relate to me? It relates to me in that I have been referred to as an Oreo cookie for the vast majority of my childhood.
As a woman of color I look back on that with disgust. Really. Many of the neighborhood kids called me that just because I had better diction than they did. I guess I spoke like a "white person" but I was black---hence the oreo cookie comparison. Black on the outside and white on the inside. Could I help in that I took my education seriously and so did all in my family? Both my parents went to college and degrees and master degrees. I guess the neighborhood we lived in was not affluent so not everyone took advantage of an education. Fine. That is your choice to be a drop out or a crack head but making gun of others trying to get ahead? That is just like our people. Some of our people. We just cannot stand to see some of us get ahead.
Crab Antics
That is what a lot of black people practice. Crab antics. We are just like a barrel of crabs. All thrown in together, scrabbling to get ahead and if one does, all the others grab the crab at the top and pull him back down. You watch a barrel of crabs. You will see. Don't hate me just because I have good diction. Open a book. Study. Read. You too can be articulate.