Supposedly Racist KFC Ads

[Ikki]

I didn't know where to start this thread, but thought I'd do it here. There are allegations that KFC has made racist ads in Australia stereotyping blacks as unruly being pacified by chicken. These cricket ads were being played in the recent West Indies series versus Australia. TYT (Youtube channel/partners) have commented on them and you can see below:

YouTube - Racist KFC Ad in Australia
YouTube - Australia Comes After TYT On Racist KFC Ad

I've already responded there several times trying to give the Americans some context but it seems like they just don't get how it is simply not racist to us nor that it was not meant to be racist. It's an aussie fan in a rival fan's section and is nervous because of it. He gives chicken to save himself from any supposed wrath and they become friends.

I thought I'd ask people here who not only follow cricket but are from different countries to give their two cents. Do TYT have a case, or are they just oblivious and without the facts?

 

[Jayzamann]

I don't like making it apparent that I watch the 7pm Project, but they made some good points last night.

Sure, it wasn't racist at all in context, for the Australian market it was made for, but KFC is an international brand, and sells chicken in places where such an ad is considered racist. Negative PR, gone viral the way it has now, is much more detrimental without pulling the ad.

 

[Ikki]

Even though KFC is an international brand, it would be fair to assume that their Australian ads - ads that target Australians - are made by Australians. They aren't making ads that Americans may be sensitive to. They are making ads to sell fried chicken to Australians. That's where I think the above critique is just unreasonable.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Harbhajan - Symonds principle to apply here.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's only really "racist" if one immediately thinks of black people eating nothing but fried chicken bollocks pieces.

If there is such an association in Australia (or the UK) it'd only be second-hand from American tv.

 

[Fusion]

This commercial will obviously be considered racist in the US. I understand the point that it was made for an Australian audience, by a presumably Australian ad company. However, in this global economy (even the company in question here is American), I can’t fathom how they wouldn’t recognize the racist symbolism in the commercial. I just think it’s unlikely that not one person associated with the making of this commercial (whether someone at KFC or the ad company) knew about the racist connotations. To me, it’s more likely they simply ignored the racist material and thought it was a funny ad that wouldn’t cause any controversy (since it’s confined just to Australia).

 

[BoyBrumby]

To see it as racist presupposes the negative connotations of black people eating fried poultry derivatives tho and I imagine the chaps at KFC might have a bit of a blind spot in that regards.

I mean, if it were English or Indian fans the Aussie was amongst, would anyone consider it racist? Not IMHO.

 

[Sir Alex]

It's only really "racist" if one immediately thinks of black people eating nothing but fried chicken bollocks pieces.

If there is such an association in Australia (or the UK) it'd only be second-hand from American tv.

Conversely it could also be percieved as KFC is a "exclusive" product and "elevates" the black people to "civilized" audienceship. I don't understand the motive of that ad. There is no doubt in my mind that it indeed portrayed the dancing West Indians antics as some sort of a laughworthy "inferior" bunch. To think otherwise would mean KFC purposefully showed it's product to be hypocritical, elitist and pompous which is hard to accept they did intend.

 

[Sir Alex]

To see it as racist presupposes the negative connotations of black people eating fried poultry derivatives tho and I imagine the chaps at KFC might have a bit of a blind spot in that regards.

I mean, if it were English or Indian fans the Aussie was amongst, would anyone consider it racist? Not IMHO.

Indians are generally vegetarians so it would carry even more negative connotations.

 

[four_or_six]

I actually had no idea that there was any negative connotation around black West Indians eating fried chicken. But then I don't know a lot about culture in that part of the world at all. I know now.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I actually had no idea that there was any negative connotation around black West Indians eating fried chicken. But then I don't know a lot about culture in that part of the world at all. I know now.

I don't think there is, specifically. If yer man had offered (racks brain for suitably West Indian foods) rice and peas or curried goat it might've been guilty of stereotyping (and I doubt KFC has either on its regular menu either), but I do think the "black people live on fried chicken" is more of an American negative stereotype.

 

[wpdavid]

I don't think there is, specifically. If yer man had offered (racks brain for suitably West Indian foods) rice and peas or curried goat it might've been guilty of stereotyping (and I doubt KFC has either on its regular menu either), but I do think the "black people live on fried chicken" is more of an American negative stereotype.

I think so, but only because I vaguely recall a fuss after Tiger Woods won the US Masters for the first time and Fuzzy Zoeller suggested that they'd be serving fried chicken in the clubhouse next time.

 

[Matt79]

In other news, as ads must now conform to ****ed, obscure cultural norms from countries on the other side of the world were it was never intended to be shown anyway - representations of women not covered by the hijab are now banned in Australia in deference to Iranian sensitivities. Furthermore, any ad showing Catholics being forced to watch people walk around wearing orange will also be banned given the specific history in Ireland.

Would love to see American's response if they were told that they were racist due to their representation of Muslims/Asians/any group besides blacks or Hispanics in their media. Gagfc.

 

[The Sean]

To see it as racist presupposes the negative connotations of black people eating fried poultry derivatives tho and I imagine the chaps at KFC might have a bit of a blind spot in that regards.

I mean, if it were English or Indian fans the Aussie was amongst, would anyone consider it racist? Not IMHO.

Yeah, exactly - it had nothing whatsoever to do with the colour of anyone's skin and everything to do with the fact that the Aussie was sitting among "opposition" fans, and it just so happens that in this particular series the opposition are West Indies.

I have read that when it was originally picked up and shown in America the ad was edited to remove any of the cricket references or context - does anyone know if this is correct? Would explain some (though not all) of the hysteria if that were the case.

In other news, as ads must now conform to ****ed, obscure cultural norms from countries on the other side of the world were it was never intended to be shown anyway - representations of women not covered by the hijab are now banned in Australia in deference to Iranian sensitivities. Furthermore, any ad showing Catholics being forced to watch people walk around wearing orange will also be banned given the specific history in Ireland.

Would love to see American's response if they were told that they were racist due to their representation of Muslims/Asians/any group besides blacks or Hispanics in their media. Gagfc.

Every single word of this.

 

[Manee]

Are people genuinely offended by the fried chicken stereotype?

 

[Shri]

Was the news a foxtel piece? I have heard that that news company is about as reliable as a water buffalo that gets diarrhea after eating ham and tomato sauce. Those morons ran a piece on mass effect being a porn game back when it was released. Un-****ing-forgivable for that alone.

 

[nightprowler10]

Saw this on PC as well. Wasn't it made when WI were touring? Imagine there'd be English fans present had the ad been made during an Ashes series. Also read that the same guy shuts up his room mate the same way in a different ad. Of course it would seem racist if you were to take none of that in context...

 

[Matt79]

It's part of a series of ads where he shuts up his flatmates, in laws and ground security staff with Kfc

 

[Matt79]

Crap ads on a more general level tbh

 

[GGG]

would brits be offended if they were drinking tea and eating cucumber sandwiches? I doubt it and if a black person is offended by this then they have a complex problem.