Australian KFC advert causes race row in US

[bradistani]

racist aussies or over-sensitive blacks?

KFC advert showing Australian cricket fan placating West Indies supporters with chicken has caused anger in America

The Australian arm of the fast-food chain KFC has been accused of racial insensitivity over a television commercial showing an outnumbered white cricket fan handing out pieces of fried chicken to appease a dancing, drumming and singing group of black West Indian supporters.

Aired as part of a series called "KFC's cricket survival guide", the 30-second clip depicts an uncomfortable looking man named Mick wearing a green and yellow Australian cricket shirt, surrounded on all sides in a cricket stand by high spirited Caribbean fans.

"Need a tip when you're stuck in an awkward situation?" Mick asks. He then passes round a bucket of KFC chicken, the drumming stops and he remarks: "Too easy."

Although intended only for an Antipodean audience, the clip has quickly found its way around the world on the internet, prompting stinging criticism in the US where fried chicken remains closely associated with age-old racist stereotypes about black people in the once segregated south.

A writer at one US newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, questioned whether the ad was a spoof, remarking: "If it is a genuine KFC advertisement, it could be seen as racially insensitive."

Another on-line commentator, Jack Shepherd of BuzzFeed, asks: "What's a white guy to do when he finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."

KFC Australia has come out fighting, saying that the commercial was a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team" that had been "misinterpreted by a segment of people in the US."

The company said: "The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC's permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism.

"We unequivocally condemn discrimination of any type and have a proud history as one of the world's leading employers for diversity."

In the Australian media, the reaction has been mixed, with some commentators accusing Americans of "insularity". Brendon O'Connor, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, told 9 Network News that the association between fried chicken and ethnic minorities was a distinctly US issue: "They have a tendency to think that their history is more important than that of other countries."

The flare-up comes three months after another racial controversy between Australia and the US in which the American singer Harry Connick Jr, appearing as a judge on an Australian television talent show, reacted strongly to a skit in which a group of singers appeared with blacked up faces to emulate the Jackson Five.

On the show, called "Hey, Hey It's Saturday", Connick gave the group zero points and demanded an apology from the broadcaster, remarking: "If they turned up looking like that in the United States, it would be like 'hey, hey, there's no more show'."

[Parker]

All I know is, the few times I have gone to the KFCs near me, white customers outnumber the black customers 10 to one. And the Latinos and the blacks are behind the counter. At one time I was thinking that I was at a fine restaurant, it was so quiet.

Has anybody notice the trend for the past few yrs of the remodeling of Mcdonald's into a intimate cafe sort of restaurant? Like you can sit down and eat your Fish Sandwich with a flower in vase in front of you.

[Captain Equipoise]

Racist?! are you f*cking JOKING.... that's beyond over-sensitive, that's just plain fuckin* dumb.

[just_a_pilgrim]

I hate that Mick bloke he's just so slick

Fuck there are like 10 other ads similar to this one. The only reason the crowd is black in that clip is because we are playing the West Indies cricket team this year! We are also playing Pakistan as well maybe they should redo the ad with a bunch of Pakies just to shut the black whingers up.


'The flare-up comes three months after another racial controversy between Australia and the US in which the American singer Harry Connick Jr, appearing as a judge on an Australian television talent show, reacted strongly to a skit in which a group of singers appeared with blacked up faces to emulate the Jackson Five.'

That's why American comedy shows are generally fucking shit and the English ones are great (Aussie ones are shit too but that's due to lack of talent). The English ones don't worry about stepping on the wrong toes because people there have a life and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

[Captain Equipoise]

People are wayyyy too fucking sensitive, I hate all this politically correct bullshit, enough already.

[dr.chimps]

Racist?! are you f*cking JOKING.... that's beyond over-sensitive, that's just plain fuckin* dumb.

Exactly. What committee okayed this commercial? body buildingpro.com?  

[benchmstr]

bench

[just_a_pilgrim]

Exactly. What committee okayed this commercial? body buildingpro.com?  

This is Australia mate, the only time i have ever seen KFC linked to black people is by Americans.

If we were going to insult Aboriginals we'd link them to Alcohol. And possibly more Alcohol.

[Mr Nobody]

[benchmstr]

This is Australia mate, the only time i have ever seen KFC linked to black people is by Americans.

If we were going to insult Aboriginals we'd link them to Alcohol. And possibly more Alcohol.

we do the same thing here...but with malt liqour...

bench

[JaggyShortBuff]

"KFC, fried chicken so good, that even your black friends will agree !!"

[Wiggs]

"KFC, fried chicken so good, that even your black friends will agree !!"

That doesn't perpetuate the stereotype...If we all like chicken it would be "KFC, fried chicken so good, that even your (insert and race other than black) friends will agree !!"

[Parker]

This is Australia mate, the only time i have ever seen KFC linked to black people is by Americans.

If we were going to insult Aboriginals we'd link them to Alcohol. And possibly more Alcohol.

Due to many Ameridian tribes lacking the enzyme to digest alcohol, alcoholism is very prevelant in Native American tribes, it's what was used against them.

[jaejonna]

they are running this one now ...due to latest events 

[bradistani]

All I know is, the few times I have gone to the KFCs near me, white customers outnumber the black customers 10 to one. And the Latinos and the blacks are behind the counter. At one time I was thinking that I was at a fine restaurant, it was so quiet.

Has anybody notice the trend for the past few yrs of the remodeling of Mcdonald's into a intimate cafe sort of restaurant? Like you can sit down and eat your Fish Sandwich with a flower in vase in front of you.

the blacks probably have more sense than to eat shitty kfc and know the best places to eat at.

i'm not sure why there's such racial stereotyping with fried chicken lol. as far as i'm concerned, fried chicken comes second in the holy trinity of food of the gods... behind pizza and just better than a cheese burger.

[JaggyShortBuff]

the blacks probably have more sense than to eat shitty kfc and know the best places to eat at.

i'm not sure why there's such racial stereotyping with fried chicken lol. as far as i'm concerned, fried chicken comes second in the holy trinity of food of the gods... behind pizza and just better than a cheese burger.

As much as I joke on here, I have never understood the connection either. I love really well made juicy fried chicken!

[tbombz]

im not sure if the australians know about the american stereotype of black people and fried chicken. if they werent aware of it thats fine, but if austrailans carry that same stereotype as well then its obviously racist.

[Captain Equipoise]

If anything it's an insult to KFC, we all know black's prefer Popeye's!
 

[Emmortal]

People are too fucking sensitive.

[nzmusclemonster]

Is it racist because he didn't offer them some watermelon

[tbombz]

Is it racist because he didn't offer them some watermelon

no thats just not polite, errybody knows you gotta have watermelon with fried chicken.

[Tre]

White Americans have been conditioned to see this type of ad as 'racially insensitive'.  Many Whites agree with the charge, while many other Whites are mad and whine about 'political correctness'. 

White Australians, however, see this type of ad as funny, and the comedy *is* aided a bit by a stereotype, but Australians are comfortable in their own skin and consider it perfectly acceptable to laugh at stereotypes like these.

[Parker]

the blacks probably have more sense than to eat shitty kfc and know the best places to eat at.

i'm not sure why there's such racial stereotyping with fried chicken lol. as far as i'm concerned, fried chicken comes second in the holy trinity of food of the gods... behind pizza and just better than a cheese burger.

After a while, all fast food tastes nasty. I remember a long time ago I used work retail, and Mcdonalds started tasting nasty to me, so I switched to the KFC Chicken Twister sandwich or their chicken tenders, after awhile those things tasted like chicken ass.

Back in the day, before the Civil Rights movement, in the South, Fried Chicken was known as N###r Chicken. Don't know why, since KFC was started and ran by a White Man from Kentucky who look like a slave owner/Klansman.

[Crossbow]

racist aussies or over-sensitive blacks?

Why should that be racist ?

1) If Australia was playing England, than they would probably show the same guy in the middle of England supporters wearing the England jersey - but as Australia is playing the West Indies, they are showing W'Indies supporters.

2) The West Indies supporters are not portrayed in a negative way.

3) KFC has a strong presence in the Caribbean, much stronger than any other fast food brand, so  claiming that KFC products are popular there is not that far fetched.

[bradistani]

After a while, all fast food tastes nasty. I remember a long time ago I used work retail, and Mcdonalds started tasting nasty to me, so I switched to the KFC Chicken Twister sandwich or their chicken tenders, after awhile those things tasted like chicken ass.

Back in the day, before the Civil Rights movement, in the South, Fried Chicken was known as N###r Chicken. Don't know why, since KFC was started and ran by a White Man from Kentucky who look like a slave owner/Klansman.

well fast food stared tasting nasty when they started trying to make that shit healthy.  healthy = tasteless

ha ha yes, the colonel does look like some old kkk twat.