Social media users on Facebook and Twitter accused an Iowa-based 1990s themed breakfast restaurant of appropriating black and Asian culture last week.
Restauranteurs Sarah Cattoor and Ryan Greening's Me So Hungry restaurant is set to open in August but there is already a negative buzz around it. The couple, who are white, wanted to open a breakfast spot serving up chicken and waffles along with other southern-inspired dishes.
Facebook users pointed out that the name was reminiscent of a line from a Vietnamese sex worker in the 1987 Stanley Kubrick film, Full Metal Jacket. The Iowa Informer also reported that the name is a homage to Too Large Crew parodying 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny.”
“It’s going to be a really fun place and all the [1990s] music will be family friendly,” Cattoor told the Des Moines Register on Wednesday, July 12.
“THERE ARE SO MANY LEVELS OF RACISM HERE!!!” another commenter wrote. “The monopoly on hip hop by white folks, the pidgin English name, and just anti-blackness in general?!?!!??!!” Someone else wrote, “[Let me know] if you don’t recognize the problem.”
Their comments implied that the owners were co-opting black culture for financial gain. However, supporters stated that the owners could do what they pleased and that they were respectful admiring rap from the 1990s era. Other extreme supporters accuse the commentators of being "snowflakes."
On Twitter, one critic asked the owners if they would reconsider and change the name.
I asked Cattoor directly to rethink the name and theme, and I explained it was shockingly tone deaf.
— Seeta (@seetalms) July 15, 2017
@seetalms Thank you for your message. It is not our intention. We will review our options. Thank you.
— MeSoHungryWDM (@MeSoHungryWDM) July 13, 2017
Me So Hungry denies allegations of cultural appropriation in a statement provided to Blavity.
Me So Hungry is a breakfast café with a 90’s hip-hop music theme. We serve a variety of breakfast foods and specialties of our own signature spin, similar to those of which you’ll find on other menus at other restaurants in the Des Moines metro.
We have been fans of hip hop music along with other genres for all of our lives and look forward to opening Me So Hungry in mid-August. We welcome all varying views, and in fact, you will likely find our views run very counter to many of the views we are being claimed to have. We encourage people to join us for breakfast and open up a productive dialogue about any issue.
If you're in Iowa and want to stop by, check out their menu here.
