KFC "Racist" ad

[Iron Zombius]

KFC has pulled a controversial TV ad amid claims its depiction of a white Australian cricket fan offering fried chicken to West Indies supporters is racist.

Watch the advertisement here.

The fast food chain's head office in the US apologised for "any misinterpretation" caused by the ad as furious debate raged in the American media about whether it was racist.

"KFC Australia is removing the television advertisement that was being run in conjunction with the Australian cricket season," the chicken fast food giant announced in a statement.

"We apologise for any misinterpretation of the ad as it was not meant to offend anyone."

The Australian commercial was picked up by the US media, including the New York Daily News and Baltimore Sun and drew heated debate.

Some Americans accused Australians of being racist because it perpetuates a stereotype that African Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

The ad is one in a series where a cricket lover quietens people around him by giving them KFC to eat so he can enjoy the game.

The New York Daily News staged a poll on its website asking if the ad was offensive.

The vote was almost split, with 51 per cent choosing "No, it's just light-hearted and fun" and 42 per cent selecting "Yes, it plays on stereotypes".

Six per cent voted "I'm not sure".

Readers inundated the newspaper websites with emotional posts.

"This was blatantly racist," one reader commented on the NY Daily News website.

Another wrote: "Yeah, coming from the same people who almost single-handedly wiped out the whole race of aborigines (sic). You people are the worst. I've had friends who visited Australia and they told me how it is over there".

Australians, upset at the American response, bombarded US news websites and blogs to defend the ad and attempt to explain Australian humour.

"Oh dear," an Australian wrote on the Baltimore Sun site.

"Another shining example of how some Americans can be absolutely clueless about anything further away than the tip of their own nose."

The furore began in the US after the ad was posted on YouTube, attracting thousands of comments and sparking members of the public to post their own video responses.

Fuck me......! if this is all they have to complain about!

 

[AussieTerry84]

stupid bloody yanks the chick from "the young turks" vid that did a segment on this actually called the West Indians "african americans".

 

[Goreripper]

To Americans, ALL black people are African-Americans, regardless of where they come from. If this can be considered racist, then the episode of Elmo's World that my daughter watches is too, because the black woman in that asks a guy, "Is that fried chicken I smell?" and when he says yes, she says, "Well, I'll have that!" Because, you know, black people only eat fried chicken.

 

[TinMan666]

nigga please.

 

[Shadow298]

must find the Dave Chappel part about fried chicken from one of his stand up shows.

 

[Goreripper]

"Some Americans accused Australians of being racist because it perpetuates a stereotype that African Americans eat a lot of fried chicken."

This, of course, is just retarded. The people in the ad are West Indian, not African Americans. Maybe if the Australian dude had been shown encouraging them to smoke pot or do voodoo, that would have perpetuated a stereotype. But all he does is give them some food.

 

[Stonewall]

The ads are stupid anyway... like the KFC is not going to be cold and soggy by the time he gets into the cricket and whips it out.

 

[Mark]

Blacks like fried chicken though; what's the problem?

 

[Spruce Goose]

Exactly...... dumb
Aussies love bbq's... If an american ad showed us cooking a barbie would that be racist?

 

[Shadow298]

and don't get me started on all the racist shit that yanks do to Asians.
thinking it all to be one interchangeable amorphsis blob of nations where they all look the same and say shit like "oh, haro" or "5 dorror sucky sucky".

hypocritical cunts.

 

[Iron Zombius]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7iemlsT6xc&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Iron Zombius]

 

[Shadow298]

that's the one, man!

 

[Southy]

Fucking over sensitive bastards....

 

[FerretallicA]

Aww, crap. This really puts a damper on my hopes that Barrack Obama would be elected as KFC's first black Colonel.

 

[Goreripper]

WB Ferret.

 

[Shadow298]

I was actually eating KFC right next to an African guy (Somailian or at least East-Central African by his looks and scarring) today and thought "somewhere someone will think this is racist", then i thought "should I offer him some?" :Smug:

 

[Goreripper]

Offering a Somalian bloke food! How racist is that, assuming a bloke must be hungry because he's from Somalia! Why not start talking to him with a Long John Silver accent too, because he's obviously a pirate? Racist cunt.

 

[Shadow298]

Offering a Somalian bloke food! How racist is that, assuming a bloke must be hungry because he's from Somalia! Why not start talking to him with a Long John Silver accent too, because he's obviously a pirate? Racist cunt.

yes.

and?

 

[Mark]

Does KFC use halal chicken though?