Feed them some damn fried chicken, KFC ad slammed as racist

[Leaping Lindner]

The problem is the ad supports a stereotype that exists about black people.
If KFC didn’t know this when they released the ad they must have been extremely naive.

I would have thought this was common knowledge. But then again advertising people sometimes aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

[FlyingHigh]

I lived in the American South for about a year and the majority of people, black and white, eat great quantities of bloody fried chicken. You'd go into one of those buffet places and there'd be little square containers with vegetables and salmon and pasta and next to them would be this bathtub-sized vat of fried chicken. And why not? If someone gave me a bucket of fried chicken at the cricket, I'd shut up too. Because it takes fried chicken to make a civilised person out of me? No! Because it's yum! (and it's free!)

Does anyone recall the scene from Sweet Home Alabama, where the white Deep-South housewife offers the New York Mayor something deep-fried "straight out of the grease" when they'd only just met? Further, a lot of this movie is based on those in the Deep South country towns being backward, so what right have the Yanks to kick up?

We all know the West Indian way of the cricket crowds being more like a carnival, so perhaps there is the insinuation that cricket supporters from these countries can't sit and watch the cricket for the cricket, but have to make lots of noise, drink rum etc etc. Which I thought would have been worse, because as Australians we know the "stereotype" of their cricket crowds and are bringing that into the ad, whereas I doubt the Yanks would have a clue. But then that is drawing a long bow as every cricket country has their loud supporters and those who just like to watch the cricket, and it could be anyone at any sporting event sitting amongst the opposition supporters, which I'm sure we've all encountered (bloody Port).

Has anyone travelled extensively through the Carribean? Is fried chicken a staple on their menu? I thought they ate a lot more seafood?

[Pseudo]

ah i didnt know that stereotype (the chicken thing) existed - seriously! and I dear say neither did a lot of other people maybe I am naive but i know about it now..

I'd never heard of it either..
Sometimes I think these full time racism-spotters make things up in slow weeks.

... or when they can't find any religious-intolerance, homophobic or misogynistic undercurrents.

[Dogwatcher]

I thought they ate a lot more seafood?

You bloody racist bastid!
That's a racial stereotype.
I suppose they listen to reggae and smoke ganja while they eat it too!
Got any 100 proof rum???

[Barto]

But then again advertising people sometimes aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

I dunno sometimes, they manage to sell absolute garbage to people. It's probably the consumers who are the dumb ones.

[FlyingHigh]

I thought they ate a lot more seafood?

You bloody racist bastid!
That's a racial stereotype.
I suppose they listen to reggae and smoke ganja while they eat it too!
Got any 100 proof rum???

That is me - a coward hiding behind an alias, eh Cornsey

[smac]

just americans trying to run the world .

Maybe we should stop telling the US how they should feel?

So long as they stop watching our TV and making judgements on it then that's fine. While they continue to judge our TV by their standards, they'll cop it.

[Dogwatcher]

I thought they ate a lot more seafood?

You bloody racist bastid!
That's a racial stereotype.
I suppose they listen to reggae and smoke ganja while they eat it too!
Got any 100 proof rum???

That is me - a coward hiding behind an alias, eh Cornsey

Interesting column from him today.
Cornesy, of course, has never written a negative piece about anyone.
While I dislike Bec Wilson's columns, she at least isn't afraid to take on the big names.
Cornes' support of Hewitt, make his calls for good sportsmanship in previous columns a joke.
Anyway, that's all off topic.

By the way Cornesey, if you're reading this, I'm happy for you to know who I am

[Dutchy]

just americans trying to run the world .

Maybe we should stop telling the US how they should feel?

So long as they stop watching our TV and making judgements on it then that's fine. While they continue to judge our TV by their standards, they'll cop it.

So if they made a TV advert with our native australians we shouldnt be able to make a judgement?

[HH3]

Did anyone make a fuss about that bank ad where an aboriginal boy breaks into a building?

[spell_check]

just americans trying to run the world .

Maybe we should stop telling the US how they should feel?

So long as they stop watching our TV and making judgements on it then that's fine. While they continue to judge our TV by their standards, they'll cop it.

So if they made a TV advert with our native australians we shouldnt be able to make a judgement?

I didn't know that the Caribbean was part of the USA?

[smac]

just americans trying to run the world .

Maybe we should stop telling the US how they should feel?

So long as they stop watching our TV and making judgements on it then that's fine. While they continue to judge our TV by their standards, they'll cop it.

So if they made a TV advert with our native australians we shouldnt be able to make a judgement?

When did the West Indies become part of America?

And when did we get in a huff over an advert in America?

Dear, sensitive soul. Turn off the TV and pull the blinds, it's far less upsetting.

[Dutchy]

never said it was part of the US, but we are talking about the same race here....FWIW I never said I agreed with the what they are saying, in fact I dont agree with it at all, I think its a massive over reaction....

[Lunchcutter]

ah i didnt know that stereotype (the chicken thing) existed - seriously! and I dear say neither did a lot of other people maybe I am naive but i know about it now..

I'd never heard of it either..
Sometimes I think these full time racism-spotters make things up in slow weeks.

[therisingblues]

never said it was part of the US, but we are talking about the same race here....FWIW I never said I agreed with the what they are saying, in fact I dont agree with it at all, I think its a massive over reaction....

Come on Dutchy! You could hardly compare the Negroe race as a whole with Aboriginals in this context. Negroes are found in numbers all over the world, whereas the only place you'll find a comparable amount of Australian aborigines would be in Australia itself. If we made some cultural slip up concerning the native American Indian the majority of Australians would see the point in removing the ad from TV.
Anyway, if you don't agree with it at all, why were you alluding to their right to their "feelings" about this? Never mind that their feelings have included basically censoring our TV and roundly condemning us as racist, aside from that, I think we are within our rights to correct their misunderstanding of the advertisement.

[therisingblues]

The problem is the ad supports a stereotype that exists about black people.
If KFC didn’t know this when they released the ad they must have been extremely naive.

I would have thought this was common knowledge. But then again advertising people sometimes aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Previous to this, my only encounter with this stereo-type was on Happy Days.
Fonzie introduces Ralph, Popsie and Richie to a black friend of his. The kids are left alone together with this black friend for a few minutes, during which they make a number of cultural fauxs-pas, one of which includes talking about eating fried chicken. When the Fonz comes back and hears about this, he tells them that they aren't cool or something.
I am left scratching my head wondering why fried chicken should enjoy such a status. They made it out to be some sort of social taboo.
I concluded that fried chicken must be to black people what curry is to Indians, a meat pie is to Australians etc. Perhaps if the gang on Happy Days were introduced to an Indian they could do a little better than just talk about curry. Surely this is what the Fonz was talking about.
Or so I foolishly believed.
Now I understand better.
What I still don't understand is exactly WHY it is so wrong.
So what? They eat chicken. So do I. I love the stuff.
Usually taboo is rooted in some abusive past. I read a post by "Almanac" on this forum that you shouldn't call an African American "boy" because that was what the white slavers used to call them. This I can understand.
Perhaps some similar history is related to the fried chicken situation? I won't speculate because it would read like I am taking the piss.
Whatever the situation is. I don't believe that Australians had it in their minds that those Carribbeans were eating the chicken on the ad to enforce a stereotype.
And I think Australia has enough of its own problems without importing social sensitivities and cultural phobias from other countries. Let alone having those sensitivities and phobias forced on us by said countries.

[Jimmy]

this is all hilarious....its funny that I have not once heard anyone over here talking about it, no major news organizations were talking about it...i think the tiser quoted someone from ......the huffington post...which is a farrrrrrr-left media outlet that no one gives a shit about...massive over reaction from anyone who sees it as racist.

FFS, the windies were sponsored by KFC a few years back and they were probably playing on that...well said psyber, living here PC has gone ******* crazy!!!

[Columbo]

Interesting that there hasnt been any big deal made of the ad for the shampoo (don't remember the brand off hand) which straightens the west indian guys dreadlocks when he uses it.

[dedja]

Jeez, it wasn't as if they were singing come Mr Tallyman tally me bananas or anything.

[whufc]

Im half jamaican and in no way find this advert remotely racist