KFC criticised over racist commercial
January 7, 2010
Fast food chain KFC has denied that an advertisement produced for Australian audiences is in any way racist. The commercial shows a white Australian cricket fan sitting in amongst a group of West Indian cricket fans who are dancing and banging on drums. The man then suggests that people who find themselves in a similar situation remedy the fact by handing out a bucket of fried chicken. The advert has sparked outrage after it was posted up online without KFC’s permission in the U.S. Critics of the commercial say that it compounds the racial view that all African Americans like to eat fried chicken. KFC has hit back at the critics by telling them that they are misinterpreting the advert. KFC Australia said they will continue to show the spot in Australia and that it is merely meant as a light-hearted joke about the West Indies cricket team. KFC went on to say that the commercial was not meant to be shown in the U.S. and that any culturally based stereotypes about African Americans should not lead to the spot being labeled as racist.
The misinterpretation by American audiences has led some to condemn critics for projecting their racial sensitivities towards a different culture. Thousands of comments have flooded onto the internet both condemning and supporting the advert. KFC have also issued a statement in which they say that they are absolutely opposed to all types of discrimination and have always been proud of the fact that they are one of the world leaders in employing a very diverse range of people.
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