Australian KFC ad withdrawn after US bloggers/media stick in their 2 cents worth

[tigerbob]

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore

SYDNEY (AFP) – US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken said Thursday it would pull a cricket-themed TV advert running in Australia, after furious online debate claiming it was racist.

The ad, which features a white Australian cricket fan appeasing West Indies supporters with an offer of fried chicken, sparked controversy in the United States after being posted on the Internet.

Some bloggers and journalists accused KFC Australia of playing on a racist stereotype that African-Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

One viral media site, Buzzfeed, posted the video under the subtitle "What's a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."
KFC Australia issued a statement Thursday saying it would immediately remove the advertisement "to avoid the possibility of any further offence".

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

Prior to pulling the ad KFC had defended it as a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team", and said it was unaware a "culturally based stereotype" existed in the US relating to fried chicken.

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore - Yahoo! News

For fuck's sake.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore

SYDNEY (AFP) – US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken said Thursday it would pull a cricket-themed TV advert running in Australia, after furious online debate claiming it was racist.

The ad, which features a white Australian cricket fan appeasing West Indies supporters with an offer of fried chicken, sparked controversy in the United States after being posted on the Internet.

Some bloggers and journalists accused KFC Australia of playing on a racist stereotype that African-Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

One viral media site, Buzzfeed, posted the video under the subtitle "What's a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."
KFC Australia issued a statement Thursday saying it would immediately remove the advertisement "to avoid the possibility of any further offence".

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

Prior to pulling the ad KFC had defended it as a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team", and said it was unaware a "culturally based stereotype" existed in the US relating to fried chicken.

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore - Yahoo! News

For fuck's sake.

That's some funny shit. So now fried chicken along with wartermelon and red soda water plays on racial stereotypes. IMO a stereotype didn't just come into being overnight, there has to be some truth to it somewhere.

 

[tigerbob]

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore

SYDNEY (AFP) – US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken said Thursday it would pull a cricket-themed TV advert running in Australia, after furious online debate claiming it was racist.

The ad, which features a white Australian cricket fan appeasing West Indies supporters with an offer of fried chicken, sparked controversy in the United States after being posted on the Internet.

Some bloggers and journalists accused KFC Australia of playing on a racist stereotype that African-Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

One viral media site, Buzzfeed, posted the video under the subtitle "What's a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."
KFC Australia issued a statement Thursday saying it would immediately remove the advertisement "to avoid the possibility of any further offence".

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

Prior to pulling the ad KFC had defended it as a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team", and said it was unaware a "culturally based stereotype" existed in the US relating to fried chicken.

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore - Yahoo! News

For fuck's sake.

That's some funny shit. So now fried chicken along with wartermelon and red soda water plays on racial stereotypes. IMO a stereotype didn't just come into being overnight, there has to be some truth to it somewhere.

Red soda water. You see, that's a new one for me.

 

[Diuretic]

I'm glad Bob brought this up. I didn't because I was pretty damn sure that most, if not all, USMB members would see that it's not a racist ad. While there has been outrage on both sides of the Pacific on this I thought to myself,"self, USMB-ers aren't this fucking thick."

I was right.

Australia is a racist country in many ways, but not in this way - this was an American take on a perfectly innocent tv ad.

KFC has withdrawn the ad. Not because of any complaints here in Australia but because it is shit scared its American business will be affected.

 

[Ravi]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

 

[AVG-JOE]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

Kind of like a guy in a NY Yankees hat offering a hot-wing to a girl in a Boston Red Sox jersey, saying "Your team sucks, but that's no reason we can't have sex."

 

[Dr Grump]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

When the ad was made the West Indian cricket team was touring Australia. That is why West Indians were in the ad. Currently the Pakistani cricket team is touring Oz, and if they had been around at the ads conception, Pakistanis would have been used in the ad. If the NZ, England or South African crickets teams (99 percent made up of white, European males) had been touring Oz, then they would have been in the ad. It's called cultural ignorance on those who oppose the ad......

 

[Ravi]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

When the ad was made the West Indian cricket team was touring Australia. That is why West Indians were in the ad. Currently the Pakistani cricket team is touring Oz, and if they had been around at the ads conception, Pakistanis would have been used in the ad. If the NZ, England or South African crickets teams (99 percent made up of white, European males) had been touring Oz, then they would have been in the ad. It's called cultural ignorance on those who oppose the ad......

It would have worked with the Pakis, but with the others...not so much, unless the crowd was dressed in clothing that showed their support for their team.

I don't believe KFC was trying to be racist. However, their explanation falls flat. They've claimed Australians don't know about American racial stereotypes (isn't KFC an American company?) but West Indians certainly do...so it was a stupid ad.

 

[mudwhistle]

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore

SYDNEY (AFP) – US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken said Thursday it would pull a cricket-themed TV advert running in Australia, after furious online debate claiming it was racist.

The ad, which features a white Australian cricket fan appeasing West Indies supporters with an offer of fried chicken, sparked controversy in the United States after being posted on the Internet.

Some bloggers and journalists accused KFC Australia of playing on a racist stereotype that African-Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

One viral media site, Buzzfeed, posted the video under the subtitle "What's a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."
KFC Australia issued a statement Thursday saying it would immediately remove the advertisement "to avoid the possibility of any further offence".

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

Prior to pulling the ad KFC had defended it as a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team", and said it was unaware a "culturally based stereotype" existed in the US relating to fried chicken.

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore - Yahoo! News

For fuck's sake.

That's some funny shit. So now fried chicken along with wartermelon and red soda water plays on racial stereotypes. IMO a stereotype didn't just come into being overnight, there has to be some truth to it somewhere.

Don't forget Hennesy and Malt Liquor...


...and shootin your "9" Gangster Style

 

[Dr Grump]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

When the ad was made the West Indian cricket team was touring Australia. That is why West Indians were in the ad. Currently the Pakistani cricket team is touring Oz, and if they had been around at the ads conception, Pakistanis would have been used in the ad. If the NZ, England or South African crickets teams (99 percent made up of white, European males) had been touring Oz, then they would have been in the ad. It's called cultural ignorance on those who oppose the ad......

It would have worked with the Pakis, but with the others...not so much, unless the crowd was dressed in clothing that showed their support for their team.

I don't believe KFC was trying to be racist. However, their explanation falls flat. They've claimed Australians don't know about American racial stereotypes (isn't KFC an American company?) but West Indians certainly do...so it was a stupid ad.

BS..why should an ad aimed at the Australian public take America's mores, values and morals into consideration.....?

Just because KFC is an American company doesn't mean Aussie are aware, or even care, for US stereotypes...

It was not aimed at West Indians..the ad was run in Australia, not Barbados or Trinadad...

...the point of the ad was to keep the opposition supporters quiet, whoever they were. In this case, because they were touring Australia, it was West indian supporters. As stated, it could well have been English supporters

In that vein, why was it a stupid ad? The colour or race of the people was irrelvent...the team they supported is the only relevent factor...

 

[Ravi]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

 

[California Girl]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

It is the fault of Americans.

Typical American arrogance that we can decide what is and is not racist in other countries.

Oh, and, calling Pakistanis 'Pakis' is considered hugely racist in the UK, therefore you are a racist, Ravi. Just sayin'.

 

[Ravi]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

It is the fault of Americans.

Typical American arrogance that we can decide what is and is not racist in other countries.

Oh, and, calling Pakistanis 'Pakis' is considered hugely racist in the UK, therefore you are a racist, Ravi. Just sayin'.

Is that your American arrogance calling me racist?

In your view, is racism okay if no one sees it?

 

[Dr Grump]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

It only caused offense with Americans...your average Aussie or Windie couldn't give a shit../

Why is giving free petrol to aborigines racist?

Er, the only people who have a problem with the ads are Yanks....

 

[California Girl]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

It is the fault of Americans.

Typical American arrogance that we can decide what is and is not racist in other countries.

Oh, and, calling Pakistanis 'Pakis' is considered hugely racist in the UK, therefore you are a racist, Ravi. Just sayin'.

Is that your American arrogance calling me racist?

In your view, is racism okay if no one sees it?

Not American arrogance, but the Brits would call you racist for using the term 'Paki', see how that works.... If it is okay for Americans to call others racists, then it is okay for the Brits to call you a racist for using the word Paki.

In my view, racism is not ok. But we really need to consider what is or is not racist before calling it as such. I've been called a racist for not voting for Obama.... that's because people are too stupid to see the difference between 'I didn't vote for Obama AND he is black', and 'I didn't vote for Obama BECAUSE he is black'. Too deep for you?

 

[Diuretic]

That is pretty funny.

But what does this mean:

"light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team"

When the ad was made the West Indian cricket team was touring Australia. That is why West Indians were in the ad. Currently the Pakistani cricket team is touring Oz, and if they had been around at the ads conception, Pakistanis would have been used in the ad. If the NZ, England or South African crickets teams (99 percent made up of white, European males) had been touring Oz, then they would have been in the ad. It's called cultural ignorance on those who oppose the ad......

KFC would have worked for the Pakistani supporters for sure, not so sure about the others though. NZ, England or South African supporters might have been mollified by beer I think

The view from here is that the furore in the States was manufactured. As commentators have pointed out, if the ad had featured fried chicken, watermelon and collard greens it would have been a bit suspicious even to the average Australian. That would have been a reference to stereotypes of blacks in the South I think.

Now, you have to understand the nations involved - Australia and the West Indies.

The Windies have always been super popular in Australia, the cricket contests were labelled "Calypso Cricket" back in the day when the Windies were on top of the cricket world. Nowadays they're struggling a bit but they'll get back on top of course, these things are cyclical. Australians have travelled to the West Indies to watch the cricket when Australia was playing over there and really got into the joy surrounding the game there, that's what the ad reflects.

References to indigenous Australian people simply because of the colour of their skin (which varies) are somewhat misplaced. It reminds me of the confusion on all sides back in the 1960s and early 1970s when radical aboriginal activists from here travelled to the States to meet with black activists. They found had nothing in common. Unfortunately it seems our aboriginal activists didn't realise that native Americans were their true counterparts.

 

[concept]

Did the KFC spokesman use a negro dialect?

 

[Toro]

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore

SYDNEY (AFP) – US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken said Thursday it would pull a cricket-themed TV advert running in Australia, after furious online debate claiming it was racist.

The ad, which features a white Australian cricket fan appeasing West Indies supporters with an offer of fried chicken, sparked controversy in the United States after being posted on the Internet.

Some bloggers and journalists accused KFC Australia of playing on a racist stereotype that African-Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

One viral media site, Buzzfeed, posted the video under the subtitle "What's a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer."
KFC Australia issued a statement Thursday saying it would immediately remove the advertisement "to avoid the possibility of any further offence".

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

Prior to pulling the ad KFC had defended it as a "light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team", and said it was unaware a "culturally based stereotype" existed in the US relating to fried chicken.

KFC pulls Australian cricket ad after 'racism' furore - Yahoo! News

For fuck's sake.

I agree. That's pretty stupid. Everywhere I've traveled in the Caribbean, there are a lot of KFCs. They do better in that part of the world than McDonald's.

 

[Toro]

Did the KFC spokesman use a negro dialect?

Maybe Harry Reid can be their spokesman.

 

[tigerbob]

It was stupid because it caused enough offense that it was taken off the air. Most companies want to attract customers, not repel them.

So would you be okay with an ad shown in America of a gas station giving out free gasoline to a bunch of partying Aborigines?

And I love how this is somehow the fault of Americans. bwahahahahaha!

It is the fault of Americans.

Typical American arrogance that we can decide what is and is not racist in other countries.

Oh, and, calling Pakistanis 'Pakis' is considered hugely racist in the UK, therefore you are a racist, Ravi. Just sayin'.

Is that your American arrogance calling me racist?

In your view, is racism okay if no one sees it?

She's right about the Pakis comment. And unless you did it intentionally, then no, you're not a racist. You're just culturally ignorant, so presumably intent plays a huge part in both cases.