![]() Today, o’ readers of CCB, we’re going to have a history and geography lesson all rolled into one. And, we get to take on one of my favorite targets of the past…Sonic Drive-in. But, this time it’s corporate Sonic. Ready? Here we go. So, first of all Sonic Corporate is headquartered in Oklahoma City. The very first Sonic Drive-in was in Oklahoma. In fact, depending on who you talk to, the very first Sonic Drive-in…technically…was here in Woodward. Yes, I can defend that statement, but won’t waste the brain cells to do it today. In fact, there are 247 Sonic Drive-in locations here in Oklahoma, out of 3,557 restaurants in 45 states. They’re big, no doubt about it. Now, here’s another fun fact for you. There are 38 Native American tribes located here in the great state of Oklahoma. The vast number of those tribes were forced here back in the day, literally uprooted from their homelands and marched here. So, it’s a bit astounding to find that Oklahoma-based Sonic Corporation would create a commercial featuring a character that I believe the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribe finds particularly despicable and murderous. Okay, if you’ve not seen it. Here is the link to the commercial, just in case Sonic Corp. has already pulled the thing from the air. Sonic is trying to sell some custard treat and I guess they couldn’t resist the pun of featuring General George A. Custard as the spokesman, played by one of the two idiots they use in their commercials. The actor of course is dressed as George A. Custer. When I was a kid, our Oklahoma History class taught us about the “Battle” of the Washita River (here in Oklahoma). It wasn’t until later that I realized that it wasn’t so much a battle as it was a massacre. Custer and the 7th Cav. rode into Black Kettle’s camp at dawn and indiscriminately killed old people, children, women…anyone who happened to be there, including Black Kettle. He was the Cheyenne leader who had made a name for himself as a peacemaker and truly wanted his people to live in peace with the whites. Now, you can say that I’m being overly sensitive about this. You may also point out that Custer got his at Little Bighorn. Honestly, Custer really pisses me off. He had an ego the size of the Great Plains and viewed himself as invincible. That’s an easy explanation for why he rode the 7th straight into an ambush at Little Bighorn. He chose to ignore the pleas of his scouts who were quick to point out that the U.S. Seventh Cavalry was outnumbered and outgunned. So, is it my place to question the wisdom of Sonic Corp pushing these ads out that feature a lunatic from the past seemingly bent on genocide? Probably not. After all this is just a stupid blog. But, on the other hand, it just doesn’t seem wise of a longstanding Oklahoma corporation to promote product with the walking and talking (or in this case custard lapping) image of a murderous Army officer 149 years after the fact. The thing is, Sonic, people have not forgotten. If you’re interested in reading more about the determined U.S. policy to eradicate the aboriginal populations, I can recommend a couple of books – “Son of the Morning Star: Custer and the Little Bighorn” by Evan Connell and, “Eyewitness to the Indian Wars, 1865-1890: Volume III Conquering the Southern Plains” by Peter Cozzens. That is all!
Stephen Lee
4/26/2017 11:21:14 am
Well said. Comments are closed.
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