Racist KFC advert!!! [Archive]

Eki

6th January 2010, 12:11

This brought to you by Ekipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_chicken

Since the Civil War, traditional slave foods like fried chicken, watermelon, and chitterlings, have suffered a strong association with African American stereotypes and blackface minstrelsy. This was commercialized for the first half of the 20th century by restaurants like Sambo's and Coon Chicken Inn, which selected exaggerated blacks as mascots, implying quality by their association with the stereotype. While acknowledged positively as soul food in the modern age by many, the affinity that African American culture has for fried chicken has been considered a delicate, often pejorative issue; While still present, this perception has been fading for several decades with the ubiquitous nature of fried chicken dishes in the US and a gradual ageing and dull acceptation of this stereotype.[5][6][7][8]

Considering that, I can understand why someone might see a white guy feeding black people with fried chicken as racist.

Daniel

6th January 2010, 12:14

This brought to you by Ekipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_chicken

Considering that, I can understand why someone might see a white guy feeding black people with fried chicken as racist.
I'm well aware of that Eki but that's an American stereotype, not an Australian one.

Even if it is a stereotype it's not being presented in a negative way. I don't mind if Australians are stereotyped as being a little simple and liking fosters for an advert even if it's not true.

YO787lfe28M

Daniel

6th January 2010, 12:18

This brought to you by Ekipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_chicken

Considering that, I can understand why someone might see a white guy feeding black people with fried chicken as racist.
Question for you Eki,

Do you find this insulting? Well other than the fact that the guy seems to be Swedish or Norwegian and not actually Finnish :mark:

-SeHUD6SRvk

Eki

6th January 2010, 12:20

Question for you Eki,

Do you find this insulting? Well other than the fact that the guy seems to be Swedish or Norwegian and not actually Finnish :mark:

-SeHUD6SRvk

A white square? Are you suggesting that there's always snow in Finland? How dare you!?

Edit: Oh, it's not white anymore. OK.

Daniel

6th January 2010, 12:22

A white square? Are you suggesting that there's always snow in Finland? How dare you!?

Edit: Oh, it's not white anymore. OK.

Sorry sorry! Put your knife away!

Eki

6th January 2010, 12:31

Question for you Eki,

Do you find this insulting? Well other than the fact that the guy seems to be Swedish or Norwegian and not actually Finnish :mark:

Not me personally, but some Finns still seem to be bitter about Finland being under Swedish rule for 600 years, and could be insulted by the fact that someone is so ignorant that tries to pass a Swedish stereotype as a Finnish stereotype. In Finland, the traditional stereotype of the Swedish men is that they are prancing sissies.

Hondo

6th January 2010, 12:35

Daniel

6th January 2010, 12:37

Not me personally, but some Finns still seem to be bitter about Finland being under Swedish rule for 600 years, and could be insulted by the fact that someone is so ignorant that tries to pass a Swedish stereotype as a Finnish stereotype. In Finland, the traditional stereotype of the Swedish men is that they are prancing sissies.
Yes it does display a huge amount of ignorance. People in Australia just don't know much about Finland to be honest.

I actually feel that this is more insulting than the KFC ad for the reasons you've mentioned.

Drew

6th January 2010, 13:59

Oh jesus, it's the young turks, there's your reason.

Hondo

6th January 2010, 18:15

As I indicated elsewhere, you end up in a huge goop of inactivity because doing anything is going to offend somebody. Ridiculous. Quite frankly, the commentator's obvious lack of caring about his appearance and his bearing leads me to dismiss him as anything that needs to be taken seriously immediately anyway.

Mark in Oshawa

6th January 2010, 18:40

Camelopard

6th January 2010, 22:24

Racist? No, good advertising? Well its probably getting a whole lot more exposure outside of it's intended maket than the advertising company had hoped for.

Will it mean afro americans (or anyone else for that matter) boycotting kfc in the US (or anywhere else), probably not.

I must admit some of the comments on the utube page make for interesting reading.

I really hope this one was in jest or is just another case of stereotyping?

"if it wasn't for the USA all you ungrateful austrians would be speaking german right now"

Brown, Jon Brow

6th January 2010, 22:26

The advert wasn't playing on the stereotype that black people in the Southern states eat fried chicken.

Being an Aussie sat in the West Indies supporters at a Cricket game would be an awkward situation. So he used a tasty food that everyone likes to win them over. They could have used an Aussie sat in the English supporters but the culture between Australia and England is so similar it wouldn't have had the same effect.

Daniel

6th January 2010, 22:28

Did I find it racist? hell no....It isn't racist to poke fun at stereotypes. It would be however a really good idea to have a point, and not be insulting. If I was black, I would find it insulting. THAT tho isn't racist by itself. AS for the two overtly politcally correct idgits at the desk, they must hurt themselves just getting up in the morning.

Call the commercial stupid...and move on. Aussies are usually pretty demeaning historically towards the aborginies, but that is changing. This ad just is a stunt to get the PC crowd up in arms and talking about KFC. Subliminal viral advertising works....and you guys fell for it...
The thing is Mark, this is not even poking fun at stereotypes. In Australia we don't really have the whole black people, fried chicken and watermelon thing.

The fact that the people are black is irrelevant really, imagine two big NHL teams and the supporter of 1 being surrounded by supporters of the other team and you get the drift.

BeansBeansBeans

6th January 2010, 22:52

It just seems like a misunderstanding to me. It may have unintended racist connotations in the USA, but as KFC point out, it isn't intended for that market, nor is it licenced to be shown there.

Daniel

6th January 2010, 23:05

It just seems like a misunderstanding to me. It may have unintended racist connotations in the USA, but as KFC point out, it isn't intended for that market, nor is it licenced to be shown there.
I don't think it's even that. They've gone out of their way to manufacture this.

Different connotations for different countries

I somehow suspect you won't see Coon on sale in the USA anytime soon :D
cU_hGSUs-DU
4oYQoN8dwyw

But then again there are some things that mean the same thing the world over :p

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/?d=main&p=matches

Mark in Oshawa

7th January 2010, 05:08

The thing is Mark, this is not even poking fun at stereotypes. In Australia we don't really have the whole black people, fried chicken and watermelon thing.

The fact that the people are black is irrelevant really, imagine two big NHL teams and the supporter of 1 being surrounded by supporters of the other team and you get the drift.

I don't get why they went the direction they did Daniel, but I wont call the racist. Racism is when people are not able to get jobs because of their religion or the colour of their skin. Racism is putting people in camps. This? Just stupid marketing that makes no sense. Insulting....not racism.

As for the hockey analogy, some of the best instant "friends" I have met have been at hockey games cheering for the other team. This commercial makes the white guy look just as retarded as we think he is. If anything, the fans around him come off looking like a more appealing bunch.....again..there is NO racism here, just a bad marketing campaign that missed its target, except it has a lot of dopey people talking about it...

Langdale Forest

7th January 2010, 06:46

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaIhf41ctkM

WTF? Where do these idiots get the idea that this is racist?

That is not racist at all.

BeansBeansBeans

7th January 2010, 09:21

I don't get why they went the direction they did Daniel, but I wont call the racist. Racism is when people are not able to get jobs because of their religion or the colour of their skin. Racism is putting people in camps. This? Just stupid marketing that makes no sense. Insulting....not racism.

As for the hockey analogy, some of the best instant "friends" I have met have been at hockey games cheering for the other team. This commercial makes the white guy look just as retarded as we think he is. If anything, the fans around him come off looking like a more appealing bunch.....again..there is NO racism here, just a bad marketing campaign that missed its target, except it has a lot of dopey people talking about it...

It's only insulting if you misinterpret it. North Americans seem to be taking it as a jibe against the West Indies fans in the clip, but it isn't.

Garry Walker

7th January 2010, 09:23

Anything that involves black people and doesnt praise them to worldend is racist for some people.

BeansBeansBeans

7th January 2010, 09:26

Anything that involves black people and doesnt praise them to worldend is racist for some people.

The thing is, it doesn't matter that they're black. They could've been 'pommies' and the joke would still work. It's a crap advert but there's nothing even remotely insulting about it, unless you misinterpret it, as lots of Americans seem to be doing.

Mark

7th January 2010, 09:44

As for the hockey analogy, some of the best instant "friends" I have met have been at hockey games cheering for the other team.

Do fans intermix there? In English football games fans for each team are kept seperate. Usually with two lines of police officers with a gap inbetween big enough to make it difficult to throw things.

Daniel

7th January 2010, 12:45

Anything that involves black people and doesnt praise them to worldend is racist for some people.
You said the B word!!! RACIST!!!!!!

ShiftingGears

7th January 2010, 13:10

I laughed at and pitied the people who thought that ad was racist.

Mark

7th January 2010, 13:33

If any advert or indeed TV programme has black people in it, then it is racist. However if they don't have any black people in it, it is also racist. Simples.

Brown, Jon Brow

7th January 2010, 13:35

So that's why adverts should have Meerkats in them instead?

Mark

7th January 2010, 13:42

No! That would be racist!
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100007443/meerkats-with-eastern-european-accents-%E2%80%93-racist/

Brown, Jon Brow

7th January 2010, 13:44

I work with a Polish girl and she loves the Meerkats. And we love her impressions of them. :)

Daniel

7th January 2010, 13:46

I work with a Polish girl and she loves the Meerkats. And we love her impressions of them. :)
People need to realise that stereotypes are only bad if you're actually trying to say something negative about the race or country or whatever.

IMHO this is racist.
v439zTOJVho

But the meerkats advert although annoying IMHO is not racist at all.

Mark

7th January 2010, 13:48

I wonder if 'Allo 'Allo would be allowed it was made today? If you didn't take it in the spirit it was intended you could find it deeply offensive!

veeten

7th January 2010, 13:50

The thing is, it doesn't matter that they're black. They could've been 'pommies' and the joke would still work. It's a crap advert but there's nothing even remotely insulting about it, unless you misinterpret it, as lots of Americans seem to be doing.

Not all of us, Beans, just the usual noisy few that are moreso in love with both the camera and the rich, melodic sounds of their own voice. The ad in question had nothing to do with Americans of African descent, but some will choose to inject themselves, and their ideology, into the conversation, with absolutely no knowledge of the content whatsoever, just as the Youtube clip shows. :dozey:

I, often, have the ability to tune out such nonsense, and have constant contact with folks living here from the West Indies, Africa, and the Carribbean, and a lot of them are just as astonished by the touchy, thin-skinned, and whiney attitude that we (Black Americans) seem to portray, irrespective of the subject in question. :o

Oh, btw, I am an African-American, if that means anything to you. :)

Azumanga Davo

7th January 2010, 14:50

Are South Africans a race now? How odd...

anthonyvop

7th January 2010, 19:16

Political Correctness wins......we all lose.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/01/07/us-political-correctness-gets-australian-kfc-ad-pulled-racism

Eki

7th January 2010, 19:26

Austrian stereotype:

3eFYpU9YRFM

Drew

7th January 2010, 20:22

No! That would be racist!
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100007443/meerkats-with-eastern-european-accents-%E2%80%93-racist/

I don't understand how some poeple can get offended by it. To me, it just means they are either ashamed to be from their country or they have no sense of humour. I have to say, most of the time it's the latter :\

Langdale Forest

7th January 2010, 20:24

lol

Langdale Forest

7th January 2010, 20:28

So that's why adverts should have Meerkats in them instead?

2hfOt1qoALo

Mark in Oshawa

7th January 2010, 22:34

Do fans intermix there? In English football games fans for each team are kept seperate. Usually with two lines of police officers with a gap inbetween big enough to make it difficult to throw things.

See, with Football in your country, the tame behaviour is on the field. Here...we stay civilized in the stands, and leave the violence on the field. The nastiest sports city in the USA isPhiladelphia and they will Not physically attack fans from the other team there unless they are trying to provoke the home fans. I know a guy who went to an Eagles/Jets NFL game with a Jet's jersey on, and he took some verbal abuse, but you give it back with a smile and you end up having a good friendly rivalry.

GridGirl

7th January 2010, 22:50

Ironically at the cricket me and a friend were in the opposite situation. We were at Edgbaston to watch England and India in a one day international around 10 years or so ago. We didn't know all the Indian fans would turn up with lots of good and tastey Indian food that smelt amazing. We were gutted untill we befriended a few families and they gave us some food. It sure beat the burger van. :D

Daniel

7th January 2010, 22:51

Daniel

7th January 2010, 22:53

See, with Football in your country, the tame behaviour is on the field. Here...we stay civilized in the stands, and leave the violence on the field. The nastiest sports city in the USA isPhiladelphia and they will Not physically attack fans from the other team there unless they are trying to provoke the home fans. I know a guy who went to an Eagles/Jets NFL game with a Jet's jersey on, and he took some verbal abuse, but you give it back with a smile and you end up having a good friendly rivalry.
I think the more violent the game the more tame the spectators.

Football is the ponciest game ever and the fans can sometimes be violent and rude.

Rugby is a pretty violent game and I've NEVER EVER had any issues whatsoever.

Drew

7th January 2010, 22:56

I think the more violent the game the more tame the spectators.

Football is the ponciest game ever and the fans can sometimes be violent and rude.

Rugby is a pretty violent game and I've NEVER EVER had any issues whatsoever.

Football is a gentleman's game played by beasts, rugby is a beast's game played by gentlemen and american football is a beast's game played by beasts :p :

Daniel

7th January 2010, 22:58

Football is a gentleman's game played by beasts, rugby is a beast's game played by gentlemen and american football is a beast's game played by beasts :p :
So this guy is a beast?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_30PRmkOl4ro/SnGIiE8-utI/AAAAAAAAUSU/ygVZVeY8hiI/s400/cristiano-ronaldo3.jpg

And this guy is a gentleman?
http://blogdorugby.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/rugby-proctologia.jpg

Oh and yes he IS doing what you think he is.

IMHO Cricket is the only gentlemans game played by gentlemen.

GridGirl

7th January 2010, 22:59

Daniel is right about rugby fans. At rugby league matches the fans behind each try line swap sides at half time.

Although I did once get verbally abused by loads of rugby fans at Headingley once when I dropped 4 pints infront of everyone. The boos and shouts of sacrilege was extremely embarassing.

Ranger

7th January 2010, 23:22

And this guy is a gentleman?
http://blogdorugby.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/rugby-proctologia.jpg

Oh and yes he IS doing what you think he is.

Technicality - That was in a rugby league game, not rugby... completely different crowd.

Daniel

7th January 2010, 23:27

Technicality - That was in a rugby league game, not rugby... completely different crowd.
Shhhh! I was trying to make a point :p

IMHO League is a game for bogans and no more shall be said on the issue.

Mark in Oshawa

8th January 2010, 01:08

Football is a gentleman's game played by beasts, rugby is a beast's game played by gentlemen and american football is a beast's game played by beasts :p :

I agree with all but the last. Anyone who ever met Roger Staubach or Joe Montana would just call them classy gentlemen. Anyone who ever met some of the stars of Canadian Football would likely be impressed.

OH ya...and Hockey is a game played by frost bitten Canadian boys...and some of their friends from the colder climes of Europe, and by any account they are gentlemen off the ice, and many sports reporters claim they are the most humble athletes to deal with from a media perspective. You have to be humble to play a game with razor sharp skates, hard sticks and people skating 30mph with a puck doing 100mph....

Eki

8th January 2010, 06:16

Oh, btw, I am an African-American, if that means anything to you. :)
No, except it is nice to know more about people on these forums.

veeten

8th January 2010, 13:29

Shhhh! I was trying to make a point :p

so was the guy in the picture... ;) :p

Daniel

8th January 2010, 13:30

so was the guy in the picture... ;) :p
:rotflmao:

Drew

8th January 2010, 22:36

It's just a generalisation danny boy :p :

Captain VXR

10th January 2010, 14:39

IMHO this is racist.
IMHO this is racist.
v439zTOJVho

I disagree with your point, Never Met a Nice Seth African is hilarious and is just poking fun

Daniel

10th January 2010, 14:58

Yes but it does it in a darn nasty way. There's a line and that song just crapped all over it and slept with its wife

markabilly

10th January 2010, 16:20

Actually, fried foods were common amongst all southern people not just blacks. Breading a food in flour or cornmeal made it more filling and you could feed more with less. In addition, you could reuse the same frying grease or lard many times over because bringing it back up to cooking temperature killed off the bacteria.

Amen, Fried chicken and watermelon are finger licking good together and race got nothing to do with it.....as to chitlins, haggis and other intestional food
well......

As to stereotypes, as to what slaves were fed, it varied from being well fed to starvation type diets---fried chicken was generally not fed to slaves as it was considered too expensive and time consuming, but it was popular among white sharecroppers as well as white middle to the very upper crust of southern society before the civil war.......and later among freed slaves, it became popular.

cattle used as food just was not done often,esp in the south during these times and generally too expensive for all but the very rich (that changed post civil war when trains were used to ship cattle in from the west plains were they were plentiful--for example, cattle and steaks were relatively cheap in the plains and places like Texas---indeed, new york feed lots that used cattle driven to Kansas and railroaded to New York, became a staple of the New York diet)

Most slaves lived off table scraps from white families when they were lucky (and things such as pig feets, necks and such, including parts of chicken.... almost always cooked as a broth or soup to make it go further)

They got far worse when they were not lucky

I'm
I don't mind if Australians are stereotyped as being a little simple and liking fosters for an advert even if it's not true.

not a true stereotype as everybody knows that all Australians do not like Fosters beer....... :D

UltimateDanGTR

10th January 2010, 21:59

It really wasnt that bad IMO, It could be alot worse. what intrigued me most was a link to a video on the right hand side with the title 'beautifulpeople.com ban fat people (fatties)' beautiful fatists!

Rollo

10th January 2010, 23:35

It's probably for the best then that KFC dropped their sponsorship of the West Indies domestic one-day cricket competition. Until 2008 it was called the KFC Cup.
http://caribbeancricket.com/news/xxxx/xx/xx/2290

http://images.theage.com.au/2010/01/02/1009143/wbCRICbravo-200x0.jpg
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/brilliant-bravo-helps-victoria-run-down-nsw-20100102-lmmh.html
It's probably also racist that Dwayne Bravo has been playing for Victoria in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash as well.

Actually, come to think of it, isn't KFC an American corporation? Why does Australia cop flak because an American corporation hired an American advertising agency to make the advert?
Do the people in the video commentary even so much point the finger at KFC? Not a bar of it. According to them this is "Australia's" fault.

The thing is Mark, this is not even poking fun at stereotypes.

Well, kind of... it's playing with the whole notion of the West Indies image of "calypso cricket", fueled by rum, runs and reggae.

Mark in Oshawa

10th January 2010, 23:50

It's probably for the best then that KFC dropped their sponsorship of the West Indies domestic one-day cricket competition. Until 2008 it was called the KFC Cup.
http://caribbeancricket.com/news/xxxx/xx/xx/2290

http://images.theage.com.au/2010/01/02/1009143/wbCRICbravo-200x0.jpg
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/brilliant-bravo-helps-victoria-run-down-nsw-20100102-lmmh.html
It's probably also racist that Dwayne Bravo has been playing for Victoria in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash as well.

Actually, come to think of it, isn't KFC an American corporation? Why does Australia cop flak because an American corporation hired an American advertising agency to make the advert?
Do the people in the video commentary even so much point the finger at KFC? Not a bar of it. According to them this is "Australia's" fault.

Well, kind of... it's playing with the whole notion of the West Indies image of "calypso cricket", fueled by rum, runs and reggae.

KFC, a "Yum" company brand from Louisville Kentucky. Of course, head office likely had no say in the lame ad but hey, it is viral adverstising. We have all seen it and had those initials KFC put in our cerebellums......