Leading up to the 4th of July, Jack Daniel’s started highlighting Nearis Green, one of Jack Daniel’s slaves who actually taught the famous distiller the proper way to make whiskey. Apparently the company never publicly embraced the story until recently because, according to them, it will help sales because millennials “dig social justice issues.†To make sense of all this, during last night’s Nightly Show Larry Wilmore welcomed Grace Parra to break down the glitz and glamor of the company’s “slavery chic†approach to marketing to its youngest customers.
“2016’s hottest trend is acknowledging the contributions of those enslaved during America’s darkest epic: Slavery!†Parra says. “Look Larry, we’re all slaves for slaves right now. You may be upset that this is a marketing tool, but America gets to learn about some of its finest forgotten figures in history. And if you get the truth out there, who cares if people are getting that sweet Jack buzz while it’s going?â€