KFC airs cricket related commercial; Allegations of racism ensue

[Discuss Thrower]

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There's the ad. The context to an Australian viewer is that an Aussie cricket fan is seated amid a group of boisterous West Indian fans and he placates them with a gift, kind of like being the sole Mizzou fan in a crowd of Jayhawkers at Arrowhead and placating them with a KU basketball highlight DVD.

The ad got some outside attention, as seen here: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZaIhf41ctkM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZaIhf41ctkM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

.. and thus the ad is pulled.

So, knowing the context that to an Australian (or non-US viewer in general) that this advertisement is playing off stereotypes of sports fans, does that negate the racism Americans while inherently take away from the ad?

Oh yea,

DISCUS
(and please don't ban me)

[Mr. Flopnuts]

This one's just as bad.

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[Thig Lyfe]

Apparently there's no fried chicken stereotype in Australia, particularly with people from the West Indies, and the ad is just supposed to be playing off the "rival team" thing. It can definitely be construed as racist, and it was irresponsible to run the ad without realizing that something racial could be inferred, but I'd hesitate to call it out-and-out racist.

Now, that's not to say that Australians aren't dirty rotten racists...

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[Basileus777]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/jadillac1181/SDC11669.jpg

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Is it bad that I thought they were going to allude to moon crickets before I clicked that video?

[Thig Lyfe]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/jadillac1181/SDC11669.jpg

OMG

LMAO

Did you cap that yourself or did you get it from a blog? Because if it's your own you definitely need to send it to Deadspin.

[Buck]

Im not sure if its racist if its true that Black People like Fried Chicken.

Find me a black person who doesn't. If you can, I am a racist I guess.

[CrazyPhuD]

Is this commercial racist?

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[PornChief]

the majority of aussies wouldn't have a clue wtf the chicken / black people thing is about. I'm just sayin.

[Basileus777]

OMG

LMAO

Did you cap that yourself or did you get it from a blog? Because if it's your own you definitely need to send it to Deadspin.

I found it on another message board. I'm sure it's all over the internet by now.

[Discuss Thrower]

Is this commercial racist?

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Yep, the faux-documentary about if the South won the war. Good catch.

[Thig Lyfe]

Im not sure if its racist if its true that Black People like Fried Chicken.

Find me a black person who doesn't. If you can, I am a racist I guess.

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the majority of aussies wouldn't have a clue wtf the chicken / black people thing is about. I'm just sayin.

Yeah, it's a different context. If that aired here (which it never EVER would), it would no doubt be racist. It's different in Australia.

That's also why the blackface thing was allowed on air. Before Harry Connick set 'em straight, they didn't really know quite how offensive it was.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

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[PornChief]

Yeah, it's a different context. If that aired here (which it never EVER would), it would no doubt be racist. It's different in Australia.

That's also why the blackface thing was allowed on air. Before Harry Connick set 'em straight, they didn't really know quite how offensive it was.

best as I can recall, the ad ran for about 2 weeks until some journo, via the US, informed the press it was 'racist'. being a slow news day and our media's love of anything vaguely 'racist', it became front page material.

[HMc]

Yep. It was just another ad until an american got a hold of it and kicked up a fuss.

Firstly, we aren't that familiar with african american stereotypes. Secondly, the people depicted in the ad weren't african american.

[Thig Lyfe]

Yep. It was just another ad until an american got a hold of it and kicked up a fuss.

Firstly, we aren't that familiar with african american stereotypes. Secondly, the people depicted in the ad weren't african american.

This seems to be the one thing everybody missed.

[Discuss Thrower]

Yep. It was just another ad until an american got a hold of it and kicked up a fuss.

Firstly, we aren't that familiar with african american stereotypes. Secondly, the people depicted in the ad weren't african american.

That's the consensus at another message board concerning this topic.

[Pitt Gorilla]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/jadillac1181/SDC11669.jpgIt appears they've made their choices.

[BigMeatballDave]

LMAO

[Rausch]

Yep. It was just another ad until an american got a hold of it and kicked up a fuss.

Firstly, we aren't that familiar with african american stereotypes. Secondly, the people depicted in the ad weren't african american.

Isn't it racist in itself to assume that all black people should be offended by the same things?...

[Gadzooks]

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[wild1]

One question:

Why in the world would a business want to air a racist joke in an advertisement, damaging irreparably their reputation and probably causing boycotts, all kinds of negative press, and negative impact to sales?

[big nasty kcnut]

Man that racist. lol

[Rausch]

One question:

Why in the world would a business want to air a racist joke in an advertisement, damaging irreparably their reputation and probably causing boycotts, all kinds of negative press, and negative impact to sales?

Different things are offensive in different places.

[patteeu]

No, it's not. Racism requires intent on the part of the person taking the action, not just over-sensitivity on the part of the person witnessing it.

The chick in the second youtube keeps calling the black cricket fans "african americans", lol. What an idiot.

[wild1]

No, it's not. Racism requires intent on the part of the person taking the action, not just over-sensitivity on the part of the person witnessing it.

Good point.

[Uncle_Ted]

No, it's not. Racism requires intent on the part of the person taking the action, not just over-sensitivity on the part of the person witnessing it.

The chick in the second youtube keeps calling the black cricket fans "african americans", lol. What an idiot.

Thank you for supporting the point that context matters. So many people on both sides of arguments like this don't get that point.

[POND_OF_RED]

I don't think I really know a race of people who don't like fried chicken.

[Crush]

No, it's not. Racism requires intent on the part of the person taking the action, not just over-sensitivity on the part of the person witnessing it.

The chick in the second youtube keeps calling the black cricket fans "african americans", lol. What an idiot.



Agreed.

[Rausch]

No, it's not. Racism requires intent on the part of the person taking the action, not just over-sensitivity on the part of the person witnessing it.

It'd be sweet if I could double rep you.

[Demonpenz]

popeyes chicken has a black lady talking jive with black guys in the background with their pants half off Skeeting.

[jAZ]

At first, it appeared to me to be a racist stereotype. But that's based on my own ignorance of Australian and West Indian culture. If Australians don't know anything about a black-fried chicken stereotype, then it's not racist. And if the Australian/West Indian cricket match had just happened at the time of the commercial, it's even less racially motivated.

It's like bud lite doing a simliar commercial for any football rivalry.

Nothing to see here. Americans should be less American-centric in cases like this.