Holy shit that was awesome.

The problem is that he isn't sharing the bucket of chicken with them, he's tossing it at them to quiet them down.

I believe a majority of American's (including the brown ones) would have appreciated this commercial (hey, we elected Bush twice, we're a country of assholes), but somewhere in the vast American marketing machine someone (on the left or right coast) would have noticed how f'ed up this is and fixed/stopped it.

Its an Australian ad, for the Australian market.
We don't have African Americans with the tawdry history of having slave masters feed the blacks fried chicken....and they are freaking west-indians, not African Americans.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

^As an American-Australian, I will say though that the "fried chicken" stereotype is a very widely known one here.

I'm particularly interested in your view for that reason, Dag. But does it matter that they aren't African Americans? The ad depicts a fan who has found himself surrounded by opposition fans, but who defuses any potential tension by sharing KFC with everyone. The ads were shown while the West Indies were touring for the cricket. If it had been England, there is no doubt that the ad would have had English fans (the Barmy Army).

The point is, African Americans loving fried chicken is an American stereotype and an American sensitivity. Should it be an issue for an Australian ad for an Australian audience? Does context matter? I think the problem is that no ad is local anymore, with the internet and all.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

I think the fried chicken stereotype could apply to anyone of very dark complexion here in Australia. I have heard it used towards aborigines here. I need to get my cricket tragic mate @mofodoobs to chime in. >> ^kymbos:
I'm particularly interested in your view for that reason, Dag. But does it matter that they aren't African Americans? The ad depicts a fan who has found himself surrounded by opposition fans, but who defuses any potential tension by sharing KFC with everyone. The ads were shown while the West Indies were touring for the cricket. If it had been England, there is no doubt that the ad would have had English fans (the Barmy Army).
The point is, African Americans loving fried chicken is an American stereotype and an American sensitivity. Should it be an issue for an Australian ad for an Australian audience? Does context matter? I think the problem is that no ad is local anymore, with the internet and all.

I'll suggest you are not separating your own cultural history from the Australian context, something that's almost impossible to do. As an Aussie living in Australia, I'll assert that the fried chicken thing is not well known, nor have I ever heard it applied to Indigenous Australians, which would be quite ridiculous were it done and clearly made out of complete ignorance of its origins.

Perhaps you mix with people more worldly than most Australians, or at least more familiar with American culture and history than most.

I think an American seeing that ad has an immediate and emotional reaction that is quite different to an Australian. What I'm saying is that the internet has no context, so things can be interpreted very differently depending on the viewer's cultural background.

Do you really think the ad was made intending to suggest that all black people like fried chicken, so feed them KFC should you meet some?

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

I can't imagine that the producers of this commercial didn't realize that there might be some racial overtones in handing out a bucket of fried chicken to a group of Africans. Maybe it is my Americanness. I'll wait for more Aussies to chime in.
>> ^kymbos:
I'll suggest you are not separating your own cultural history from the Australian context, something that's almost impossible to do. As an Aussie living in Australia, I'll assert that the fried chicken thing is not well known, nor have I ever heard it applied to Indigenous Australians, which would be quite ridiculous were it done and clearly made out of complete ignorance of its origins.
Perhaps you mix with people more worldly than most Australians, or at least more familiar with American culture and history than most.
I think an American seeing that ad has an immediate and emotional reaction that is quite different to an Australian. What I'm saying is that the internet has no context, so things can be interpreted very differently depending on the viewer's cultural background.
Do you really think the ad was made intending to suggest that all black people like fried chicken, so feed them KFC should you meet some?

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

From @mofodoobs who is having trouble logging in:

The only reason I know of the fried chicken stereotype is because of Dave Chappelle and other African American comedians. I can't recall ever seeing a white comic doing the fried chicken thing, but I don't doubt some have and probably no where near as funnily as Dave.

I can only agree with kymbos, but would add that I can't recall any members of the West Indian supporters in the ad being white so maybe by that omission it does have a racist element by assuming that all West Indian supporters are West Indian and that all West Indians have dark skin.

What I feel is strongly racist however is the view that all groups of dark skinned people are African American which most of the critique seems to imply, and which is supported by applying the sterotype American fried chicken chit to an Australian ad that uses a "Stranger in the opposition crowd" scenario.

Of course nothing has been said about the tragic sterotypical White Aussie cricket supporter who comes across as a wanker.. I loved being portrayed that way in advertising.

Sorry, I can log in okay but doing anything else is an issue.

I moved to my other box to see if this works.

Good point on the irony of those very quick to proclaim racism assuming that all dark skinned people are African Americans. That's what I mean about context.

Would like to see this sifted to see what the broader audience thinks. Will also try to find the Andrew Ollie lecture by Julian Morrow who talks about the 'outrage industry' that the internet has facilitated.

Can't find the video, but here's the transcript and audio. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/11/07/2735643.htm

I just watched the ad again and it looks like they did cleverly sneak one white guy into shot (the racist bastards)so I guess, considering there are about 12 people in shot (plus the Aussie wanker) the ratio of 11 - 1 black West Indians to White West Indians is representitive of the Team actually touring at the moment.

From my point of view I find the shampoo ad where the dude with dreadlocks trys a shampoo which straightens his hair to be a more stereotypical view of West Indians (and more offensive) which should cause more outrage than the KFC one; but hey that's just me. If you find the image of a lazy, skankin' to regae, cooool dude (till he loses his dreads to a straighening shampoo) not a stereotype then maybe you're of a different mind to me.

>> ^kymbos:
Good point on the irony of those very quick to proclaim racism assuming that all dark skinned people are African Americans.


Hi Kymbos

It's not so much an assumption, more so an assignment of race (and accompanying stereotypes) based purely on colour of skin. If it had been portraying a Pakistani (Pakistan being the other touring cricket team this season) supporter group the race assignment from American critics (and accompanying sterotypes) would have been just as inappropriate.

The good thing is I realise not all Americans are that ignorant, and TBH it's been a media beatup to a certain extent. There seems to be a distinct lack of news in news today......Thanks Rupert.

You know, it must be rough for a company that sells a product that is used in racial slurs to market their product. I feel bad for KFC.

I like the second part, where he treats the nice folks to some delicious watermelons.

Well, I'm an american who has lived in oz for a bit (several decades ago), and the thing that seemed to tip it over the edge for me was the "too easy" at the end.

But yeah, I think if I was an aussie I would be pissed that something was deemed offensive because of foreign cultural stereotypes.

not to mention assuming that all dark skinned people are african at all.
If you are going to denote race by the geographical region a person is from then you have a problem in that all humans are technically african.

There is a solitary white bloke sitting still trying to enjoy the cricket tournament, but he can't focus because he's surrounded by a noisy, boisterous crowd of black folks jumping up and down, flailing about, and banging on their drums. The announcer asks, "Stuck in an awkward situation?"

To what situation does that refer, a) the relaxed white guy surrounded by an annoying crowd of black people or b) simply the white guy surrounded by black people?

And the white guy's solution which is "too easy" is to tame the beast by tossing a bucket of chicken at it. See, the white guy was content to just relax and watch the match, but the black folks couldn't be calmed without throwing a stereotypical black delicacy at them...

Considering all that I just typed, I don't see how the ad couldn't be interpreted as having a racist tongue in its cheek on at least one level: white people are civilized and black people are wild animals who can't control themselves without keeping their mouths and hands occupied with food.

Whether or not the "black people love fried chicken" stereotype plays into it, the commercial seems to be making a pretty clear message about KFC's perceived difference between white and black people.

Or something.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/images/misc/humor/animated_gifs/thats_racist.gif

edit: wish I could embed!

Lucky760, this is precisely what I mean by not being able to view this ad outside of your own cultural prism. You're clearly not a cricket fan, and I'm guessing you're American? Windies fans are celebrated around the world for the way they spectate, and Australians are certainly not stereotyped (not even by ourselves) as quiet, civilised reasonable cricket fans.

To the audience the ad was marketed to, it portrays a fan who's gone to his home game and found himself in the opposition cheer squad. How to get out of this awkward situation? Share your lunch, and make sure it's KFC because everyone loves it.

I'm not saying it's champagne stuff, but I am saying that is what they intended. Now, how a multinational brand managed to overlook the internet and its reinterpretation elsewhere is beyond me.

I think what escapes everyone here is that advertising clearance processes are many layered, this ad would be conceptualized and sold to the client before any single frame of film would have been shot, there is endless back and forth.

It's clear that they thought either it would be funny or rather would create enough controversy to garner more name recognition, since we are not really attacked KFC in any way just the insensitive nature of the advert.

Am sure this is was deliberate.

@kymbos: Ah, so he and the crowd were rooting for opposing teams? That's an interesting and important point to keep in mind. Given your comments, it does seem there's valid reason to consider it non-racist, however the one thing that still vexes me is: Why does the entire crowd around the white bloke consist strictly of black people?

I don't know what a "Windies fan" is, but is that part of the explanation? Is that a particular organization of cricket fans that admits only black members or something?

Right Farhad, coz nothing sells chicken like race hate.

As Napoleon said, Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/racist-fried-chicken-ad-dumped-after-us-outcry-20100107-lwr5.html?autostart=1

They are national teams, Lucky, and both West Indies ("Windies") teams and their fans are predominently black.

What I don't like about this ad is how exited everyone is about watching cricket, a game that lasts for 7 days is never going to create that level of exitement.

No, kymbos, I don't want to hear why cricket is the best game on earth. I've played it and watched it, and it's the most boring activity on earth, closely followed by watching paint dry.

>> ^dag:
I think the fried chicken stereotype could apply to anyone of very dark complexion here in Australia. I have heard it used towards aborigines here.


In my 29 years in Australia, I have never heard the Fried Chicken thing applied to aussie aborigines.

The ad plays on the "exhuberance" of the West Indie crowd (they go off with drums and music at the cricket): he is able to settle them down with yummy product - which happens to be chicken. It's not a play on the American stereotype, the ads are too stupid to be that clever (I've seen others in the campaign).

I'm shocked people are even making the link, as that requires you to equate the Native Americans in the West Indies, with the African Americans in America. They are separate population/culture/country, so it seems you could only do such a ludicrous equation on the basis of skin colour. And Im not being trite, but that would be racist.

It's disappointing to see the Americans fire up, because it seems isolationist and self-centered to pressume this certain strain of cultural poison that is endemic in their own country, must be endemic everywhere else.

And it does seem silly to see Aussies fire up. Just because the KFC thing is not present in any meaningful way here.

Its like getting up in arms about an advert which shows a man patting a child on the head, because in parts of Korea its considered an insult ("you are lower than shit" IIRC)

Regardless, have you guys seen the other ads? they are fucking terrible. I hope the entire terrible campaign gets pulled.

White Americans enjoy getting themselves fired up over anything remotely resembling racism because they want to use every opportunity to scream, "I'M NOT RACIST! SEE?!" They're constantly apologizing for their ancestors' actions.
>> ^Raaagh:

It's disappointing to see the Americans fire up, because it seems isolationist and self-centered to pressume this certain strain of cultural poison that is endemic in their own country, must be endemic everywhere else.