Mrs. Butterworth throughout the years

Mrs. Butterworth throughout the years

Mrs. Butterworth's is an American brand of table syrups and pancake mixes owned by Conagra Brands. The syrups come in distinctive bottles shaped as the character "Mrs. Butterworth", represented in the form of a matronly woman. The syrup was introduced in 1961. In 1999, the original glass bottles began to be replaced with plastic. In 2009, the character was given the first name "Joy" following a contest held by the company.

In 2020, following protests over systemic racism, Conagra Brands announced that it would review the shape of their bottles, as critics viewed them as an example of the "mammy" stereotype. A competing brand, Aunt Jemima, revamped its brand and advertising following the attention on negative black stereotypes. In ads, Mrs. Butterworth's voice has evoked a grandmotherly white woman, and she has been portrayed by white voice actresses. Despite this, some reports had claimed, without citing any sources, that the character was originally modeled on Butterfly McQueen, a black actress who appeared as the maid in Gone with the Wind (1939).
As of August 2023, Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup is still being sold with the familiar bottle shape, despite the “brand review” Conagra announced it would conduct back in 2020. According to Dieline, “It’s unclear if Mrs. Butterworth’s brand review is still ongoing, what conclusions Conagra reached, or what changes they intend to make.”