White Power in Turkey

White Power Toothpaste from Turkey

I buy the cheapest toothpaste that I can possibly find as a rule. I cannot help but to think that is all the same stuff, regardless of how different the boxes may seem. The bottom shelf is where I find must of the items that I buy, and the cost range of toothpaste often varies by 300 to 400% between the most expensive and least so.

A month ago I picked up some cheap toothpaste in Turkey without really looking at it. For this past month I have used it everyday without reading what was written upon the tube. Upon finishing it I went to throw it in the trash, but before I did so the following words caught my attention:

“White Power”

Yes, the phrase “White Power” was printed on my tube of toothpaste superimposed over a very white family with sparkling white teeth.

I could only imagine the riot that this toothpaste would cause if it were marketed in the USA:

“We were only talking about teeth, no seriously, white power for your teeth!”

Perhaps to save the Western world a race riot sparked from a mere tube of toothpaste, I securely tossed it away into a waste basket in Syria. Don’t worry America, there will be no Toothpaste Riots while I’m on watch.

It is funny how various English language phrases are co-opted and used in different circumstances all over the world.

White Power Toothpaste from Turkey