Offensive Commercial

How ridiculous! This ad is offensive to Blacks only if YOU believe the
stereotypes! Why is EVERYTHING about race to some people. If a Black
plays tennis, he/she is a Black tennis player, but if a Black plays
football or basketball, he/she is simply a football or basketball
player! Would you be happy if there was a Black lady advertising
caviar? WTF? Grow up and find something worth complaining about, like
or national debt. And yes, I am Black and I like chicken ( but only
white meat) and caviar! I also like watermelon and pineapple. Guess
what, nobody got hurt by what I like! Now, I won't just leave this
post anonymously! Email me at cfosearch@aol.com if you or anyone else
has a response or would like to vent. Neither will hurt my feelings, I
promise!

A spokeswoman for the NAACP stated that when dealing with African
Americans it is always about racism. African Americans are not the
only people to be enslaved through out history.

You are not "African-American", unless you were born in Africa and
later became an American citizen! You are a black person, if you are
black, a white person if you are white. My grandparents are from
Germany, but I would never refer to myself as a "German-American". Be
black and be proud to call yourself that. And you are an American,
pure and simple.

Racist? Not again!!!
I am sorry, let's just pretend that there is no single parents out
there who happen to be..... african americans?! God forbid. Let's
pretend that there isn't any african american families out there who
actually DON'T have a dad. If you are offended by it...TURN OFF THE
DARN TV. Anybody can make ANY commercial they want....and they don't
force it on you. Turn the channel off and you won't be so.."racially
offended". Seriously...you need a reality check!!! Let me know how
that goes.

In this year of 2007 I find that your comments were extremely off
base. We are seniors, and really enjoy
the KFC commercials. I have seen many of white mother along with the
kids. and the mothers are doing the very best raising the kids all by
myself. In our area, our KFC's also include some Taco Bell meals. That
is what a single mother told me, She can have the
tostatos, and kids enjoy the KFC. Occasionall KFC has
very good bucket prices.. & many a wise mother, black or
white,hispanic,& so on. like the fact that chicken is available at
reasonable prices, and coleslaw is a
good choice for a veggie. We humans are here for the
long run, and we do not like the injustices that have
happened to the Black Race over the past 200 years. 2007 we find many
a mixed marraiges here in our state.
In business, in churches, at school functions, movies,
concerts, art museums, and so on.I cannot imagine the
injustices the Black Race has had to suffer over the
years, but this is 2007 and it is a different age. It
just shows, that we humans are all so different in our
ideas,our preferences, and believe what you will, but we all have to
make choices, and you have made yours
obviously. KFC I do not agree with this business about your
offensive advertising..Not a problem in
my state of AZ.

The guy that wrote this letter might need to find a hobby, or get a
personal life. You could always turn the channel! Or maybe they
should put you in the next commercial! You could be the dad.

I guess all middle aged white males should be offended by all the
erectile dysfunction medication commercials that are obviously
directed at them. What about all the feminine deodorant commercials
that more often than not use young white females? Are we the only
women that could benefit from their use? I think not. It isn't my
intention to make light of your feelings on this matter, but don't you
think you are being a little hyper sensitive?

I grew up in a family headed by two moms...have yet to see that in a
commercial - maybe I should be more offended by it??? Then again, I
don't waste my time watching and analyzing tv commercials...(you do
realize that the root word of analyzing is anal don't you)!

if you are a man (judging by you name NATE) then you must be gay
because what kind of man whines about this kind of stuff and as
someone below me said it is true most blacks are single parent
families so just go cry somewhere else and if it's because you were in
a one parent family or currently the father then who cares just raise
your kid and get on with your live don't waste time here whining about
something nobody will do anything about except tell you a couple of
rude things like me


Thank you :)

Nate,

I think of commercials such as these are more of an opportunity to
challenge dominant patriarchal norms than an indictment on black
society. Seriously. Through centuries of being denied the ability to
exist within the nuclear family construct, black women have grown into
strong, capable familial leaders who do not necessarily need a man at
the head of the table. While Murphy Brown was fighting for the right
to be a single mother in the 90's black women were thinking "been
there, done that." My cousin chose to adopt a beautiful daughter to
raise on her own eight years ago, and there is nothing "wrong" with
that. Fathers can be assets in that two are, in some cases, better
than one - better for mom's sanity, more likely to have economic
stability, etc. But there's nothing inherently wrong with single
parent households headed by mothers or fathers - if we assume that's
what this commercial depicts. As long as we continue to think there
is, WE will continue to be the ones perpetuating the myth that our
families are "inferior" as they are, overwhelmingly, headed by black
women.

For those of you who keep saying racism only exists because people
complain about it, well, let's just say that this site draws a pretty
intellectual crowd and I refuse to believe any of you are dumb enough
to believe that. And I can assure you that when my daughter asked me
after returning home from camp this past summer why her young blonde
friend told her she couldn't be pretty because she was black I didn't
reply, "Well, honey, you must have been complaining about it." Or
perhaps you'd be kind enough to tell the black students at Warwick
High School (a mostly white school) that the only reason confederate
flags were being waved in their face and racial taunts were being
hurled at them last week is because they "started it"? Open a
newspaper sometime before you open your mouth.

I too was offended byt this subtle racism. this is the message i sent
to KFC: I am writing to comment on the hidden racism in your most
recent KFC commercial. Sitting there at the table is an African
American mother and her 3 kids, NO DAD. There were only 4 chairs (1
for mom and 3 for her kids.) Not to mention they are eating non other
than, Chicken. This commercial subtlely send the stereotypical
message; Single black mother with her 3 kids eating chicken. But then
on the other hand I see a Pizza Hut commercial featuring the "All
American Family" (as referred to by society). Another family of 4 but
this one looks a little different. They are caucasion and there is a
DAD, a MOM, and THEIR 2 kids. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Its people like you who probably pull the race card every chance they
get. But I have a feeling that your a student, possibly in the lazy
mother's class.

Tonight I had somewhere to be, and the only time I had to feed my two
little ones was while my husband was coaching my oldest at football
practice. We ordered pizza. We sat around the table and ate together
as 3/5 of a family before I had to run out and drop them off with dad
so I could go to parents' night at the school. Busy, busy.
I thought about this letter. I'm not a single parent, but yes, I was
FEEDING MY CHILDREN WITHOUT DAD PRESENT!! Gasp! Horror!

Please do everyone a favor and get a life. There are just as many
single parent families in other cultures. How about you get an
education and stop watching so much TV then you wont have to worry
about it offending you!

Get a life!

Also I don't think KFC reads anything from PFB. I've written KFC a few
letters of support in the battle with the PeTA terrorist group. Never
gotten any acknowledgment.

Quite a few companies have stopped accepting email from PFB.
Earthlink, Verizon come to mind.

http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/59FamilyStructure.cfm

Black children are significantly less likely than other children to be
living with two married parents. In 2006, 35 percent of black children
were living with two parents, compared with 84 percent of Asian
children, 76 percent of non-Hispanic white children, and 66 percent of
Hispanic children.

Its not a stereotype, if it is true. 2/3 of black children come from
single parent households.


pwned

That commercial shows a nice, lovely family sharing a meal.The fact
that you choose to look that much into it is sad.

I finally saw this commercial last night and it got me thinking. I
don't think KFC is the one with the problem. I think Nate is. He
thinks this commercial is stereotypical because it only shows one
woman with her family. Nate is thinking stereotypically, which is by
the way, not necessarily racist.

I used to work for a company that created those little advertising
inserts you get with your credit card statements. One of my ads was
for a "satellite company". The ad contained a picture of an Asian
woman with a white man. I was thinking I was being diverse, but
instead I got complaints that I was being racist. The ad was
supposedly "perpetuating the Suzi Wong stereotype" of a submissive
Asian woman waiting on her white man hand and foot. The picture showed
the woman holding the remote changing the channel next to her husband.
WTF? Here I thought the ad was showing her in charge. It's all about
perception.

Oh for goodness sake, get over it! Hello? It is just a commercial.
I'm sure if there was just a father and child, you would be offended
too. Your one of those people who gets offended over every little
thing. Get a life!

How on earth do you know the woman was single?? Let's see other
possibilities:

!- dad was working late and mom decided not to cook.

!- dad was away on a business trip, and kids had lots of
extra-curricular activities.. they were going to get home late..so
went to drive thro and got quick dinner

!- Dad is deployed.. nuff said

See? how a non-rascist mind thinks? we don't "go there" automatically!
It takes a rascist to see racism in EVERYTHING!

It's just a chicken commercial!! Not a documentary on the lives on
single black moms!

how do you know they weren't showing a strong black woman who
tragically lost her husband at war? for all you know, they were
showing a woman who is making something of herself in the world,
taking care of her family,because she is all they have left. you even
said they were sitting down to a NICE meal. justbecause they didn't
show a husband in the picture doesn't mean anything.

why is it, that you see something like this and automatically think
that she is a single woman without a man in her life?

how do you know that she wasn't married? maybe the husband works
second shift? maybe he worked late? maybe the restraunt forgot to give
them something and the husband ran back to get it and the family was
eating the food while it was still hot?

bottom line. its a commercial. it wasn't made to be racist. you are
really overthinking it. if i saw that commercial, i would have
probably thought,' oh hey! chicken sounds good right now!', not that
theywere being racist.

Maybe, just maybe...

The mom is single because she is independently wealthy, never met a
guys she likes (or is a total extreme feminist and doesn't want a man
ruining her life), and decided to seek a donor to impregnate her so
she could be a single mother by choice.

There. I said it. Don't draw conclusions, or I'll enlist my own
imagination in the battle.

I was watching 30 Rock the other day. Jerry Seinfeld was the guest
star. Some joke was made about him having enough money to buy NBC.

What was THAT? A joke about Jews having too much money and running
the world. Talk about stereotypes.

Harumph.

over whether or not this STUPID freaking commercial is racist or not,
but at the end of the day, it's all about our own individual
interpretations.

HOWEVER. Just because some readers and the OP "took it" one way does
not IN FACT mean that it is what they claim it is.

I for one do not see this as blatant (or even thinly veiled) racism.
It is just a commercial. It is a family having dinner with a nice
dialogue. It is a family that could be in any neighborhood in any
town in this country.

If it were truly stereotypical, they would all be wearing dew rags and
talking in street slang and the mother would be puffing on a Black and
Mild and loud rap music would be playing the background. But that's
not what they show here.

I think there are people who want to believe that everything that
doesn't look and sound exactly how THEY believe it should are the ones
who are offended by it.

It's like the Salem witch hunts. Do we really need to go down that
route? Accusing everyone of doing something wrong and making each
other paranoid and suspicious of everyone else's motives?

If we truly want to squash this mess, we need to stop looking for the
bad in everything we see and just accept it for what it is.

Don Imus calling the Rutgers Womens Basketball team "Nappy Headed
Hoes" is racist (and unbelievably ignorant).

A commercial featuring a black family having a nice dinner without a
father present, is not.

The black family in the KFC commercial probably has a dad but he may
be at work, probably working overtime, on third shift or second shift,
or maybe a cop or paramedic on duty. again, he could be serving his
country in Iraq. Who knows?

I think I'll complain to KFC because they do not show interracial
couples in their commercials.

I am more offended by the POPEYE'S Chicken commercial; they have an
African American Man driving a car that consist of nothing more than a
steering wheel. He is smiling, presumably because he just ate some
chicken and failed to realize that his car had been stripped.

I also hate those GIECO commercials

Is it just me?

How do we know the father is African American?

Don't you have anything else better to blame your life on than this?
I mean really......stop being the victim. Be the victor. It takes no
energy to be the victor. It's takes all of your energy to be the
victim.

What about their other commercials which show different types of
families?

In the KFC close to me, there's a huge picture of a black family,
including a mom, dad, and a few kids.

It would be racist if they *only* showed single-parent black families.
They don't.

By the way, every time there's a commercial with a woman doing laundry
or fixing a child's food and it shows the woman and/or children but
not a man, is that implying that all of these women are single moms or
housewives?

And if there was a white family sitting at the dinner table eating KFC
someone would be complaining that there were no black people there, or
Native Americans, or Chinese, or Saskatchewans...

The fact is, commercials are developed to appeal to the company's
target audience--just because a commercial depicts its stereotypical
consumer group does not make it racist.

Maybe I should write a complaint about the commercial w/ the 2 cops
sitting in a car, eating donuts, talking about how a co-worker was
hurt and had no insurance! I am a cop, and I do NOT eat donuts, and I
work out 4-5 days a week. Maybe I should get offended every time
someone makes a commercial showing cops sitting around doing nothing,
I know the truth, and therefore, I can be the bigger person, I suggest
you give that a try!

I didn't see it that way. The woman seemed very professional, the
children polite and neatly groomed. Maybe the father is a
nuero-surgeon doing an emergency brain surgery.
My husband isn't a brain surgeon, but there are times he works late
and I often get carry-out on those nights.

I am offended by people that are easily offended.

There.

I said it.

I am failing to see the stereotypical and racial implications in the
commercial. I am white, but I wouldn't get offended if the family was
a white single mother family, and as pointed out below, I have seen
KFC commericals with african american "complete" families. (personally
i dont see an issue with single mother families, as long as the
children are in a loving enviroment) and the example was the
commerical with the drumstick bucket.

Personally, when I picture a single mother family, I dont picture race
at all. Maybe because I actually know many single white mothers... hm.


I detest racism, and I fully aknowledge that it very much still
exsists. (and it exsists in many forms... not just for african
americans) But from what i gather from your letter, you seem to be
trying to find racism where it doesnt exsist, just to cry "racist!"

He was on his way back to KFC because they got his order wrong.

He was in the bathroom with severe cramping and explosive diarrhea
from the abundance of grease and lard they use in their fryers?

Wow, I wish I had your kind of time to make note of exactly who was in
the KFC commercials and whether or not they were PC.

One time I saw a commercial for a pet flea medicine and they had a
beagle in it. I am offended by this because MY beagle has never had
fleas...

GET OVER IT!!

GET OVER IT.

Wasn't there a KFC commercial not too long ago where they had a black
family (monther, father, and 3 sons) where the youngest kid was all
worried he wouldn't get a drumstick because all the older kids were
getting them first....much to his surprise he got a drumstick because
it was drumstick bucket?

I think KFC is changes the look of their families in each commercial
to include all types of families and possible KFC customers. I highly
doubt they were trying to offend anyone.

Wow! People want racism to be over, then they are allways the one to
bring it up. Drop it and maybe racism will go away.

THANK YOU FOR BRING THIS UP!! LETS HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE KFC AND
OTHER COMPANIES ARE MORE MINDFUL OF WHAT IS DEPICTED IN THERE ADS.

I hate that others are beating you up for posting your opinion about
this issue. Subliminal messages in commercials are real and this one
helps to perpetuate the sterotype that black men don't support their
families. That is untrue, that is just what the media wants people to
believe. The fact still remains that in a country that is suppose to
be a melting pot, we do not see enough people/images on TV to
represent the non-white population of America.
Take me for instance, I am a well educated African American woman
who's married to the father of my children and one day my children and
I went out to a local store, as we were entering we were greeted by
the greeter and my youngest was asking for something from the vending
machine, to which I said "No" the greeters statement to her was "You
have to listen to your mom", "you have to listen to your mother and if
you have a father, you need to listen to him too!" I stopped dead in
my tracks, had my children walk over to the Mcdonalds that was in the
Walmart and I quietly gave this man a earful. How dare he! But this is
what some believe to be true about "us" and that commercial does not
help them matter.
I know many will not agree with me but that's ok, we can agree to
disagree.....

OMG THATS OUTRAGEOUS! Seriously, grow up. I am sure there are a ton of
black families without fathers that eat their chicken. I would be more
concerned/disgusted by the chicken then what the family in the
commercial looks like.

Would you feel better if it was an African-American father with kids,
or a white mother? Seriously, I think you are reading way too much
into this.

If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck...

Then I want you to boycott every cleaning commercial that pictures
women only. That's stereotypical!

So are you saying that every family shown should have both parents in
it? Does that mean you think that single parent families are somehow
'wrong'?

The commercial may not be stereotypical at all. In fact, it may just
be a reflection of the times. What if the missing parent is the mom's
white lesbian partner who is still at the office? Maybe you should try
to think of other scenarios before playing the race card.

Nate, please stop being racist, your letter is offensive to all
African Americans, people may think that all African Americans say
"probmem", how sad would that be?

Did it ever occur to YOU that SOME men (and women) of all races, work
night time jobs or two jobs or work one job and go to school some
nights and sacrifice being home with the family for the future good of
that family?

Play any of the Nintendo games featuring Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi,
or the enemies known as "goombas" and then come back and try to hold a
serious opinion on stereotypes in today's society. Or look at nearly
any commercial for any product that was produced within the past five
years and skip the Nintendo part.

Stereotypical? Maybe. But seriously, what did you want? A white,
upper-middle-class nuclear family? Or would that be stereotypical
too?

Is the commercial racist for depicting an afro-American family without
the father present, or are you the racist for assuming the dad just
got up and left, as opposed to being on a business trip or still at
work?

I believe the term is "touch"?

I worked with a young african american woman in 1994. She became
pregnant, and her boyfriend wanted nothing to do with her. I assumed
she would be upset, but she didn't appear to be at all.

I spoke with a mutual friend, who said the woman had expressed that
"where she was from" (a large city somewhere in NJ) it was a wonderful
thing for a woman to have a child, with or without a father.

Where I am from, it was viewed differently. Maybe it is cultural
differences, I don't know.

This is the funniest thing I have heard all day. Thanks Nate. I can't
laugh at my customers, but I can laugh at you.

It's got nothing to do with being racist.

There are more black single parents than white. At least that's what
studies say.

Sorry, I can't name one. However, I've heard it in the past.

Besides, it could be that the fictional father is out earning the
money to pay for the chicken. :)

just stop. racism only exists anymore because people continue to
complain about little things like this.

racism continues, because we allow it to. people continue to teach
their children to hate and discriminate. hate has the opputunity to
breed because of stuff like this right here, people who are easily
offended and can't just accept things as they are.

please, get a grip. it's a commercial.

I can understand where you're coming from, but I really think you're
reading too far into it.

nate, you need to get a grip! Did your mother have any children or was
your brother an only child? I have six nieces and nephews. There are
many times we chow down on KFC while watching a movie or when they
spend the night with me. If someone took a video of us would that
indicate it's a single parent family?

If you think this commercial is 'stereotypical,' well--if the shoe
fits......

This is obviously from that lady's class.

lol

So Chicken Bucket is racist, but you're offended by single-parent
families? What if Dad was at work, or on the crapper, or maybe he's
outside polishing his Escalade. THE POSSIBILIES ARE ENDLESS. THANK
YOU KFC FOR INSPIRING THE IMAGINATIONS OF THE NATION! WHERE IS BLACK
CHICKEN DAD?

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's hilarious! Good job KFC, keep up the good
work.

How dare they... I mean really if they are going for a stereotype, at
least go the distance.

Shame on KFC!

I would boycott Kentucky Fried Chicken if I found out they change
their commercial for idiots like you!

(I wouldnt actually boycott, they taste too good LOL)

You know what's offensive? Narrow minded idiots like you who read too
much into a simple commercial. Grow up!

Oh give me a break!! Why must you pull the race card here? There's
absolutely nothing racist about showing a family without a father
present. I've seen it done numerous times before by many other
companies, using white families. How 'bout the hamburger helper ads
which show a smiling white mother serving dinner to her kids? I never
saw a father in those ads.

Nate, you need to grow the hell up and realize that not every family
is perfect. In fact, about half of the families in the US are
single-parent families. But because the one in the KFC ad is black,
you assume it's racist? Might I suggest that because of this way of
thinking, YOU are the one who is racist. Personally, I think KFC
sucks, and I don't give a hoot about what they have in their ads. And
neither should you. Seems to me like you are one of those people who
try to find racism in every nook and cranny in America. Sounds like
you wouldn't be happy unless you found something to cry racism over.

That's a shame too, cuz there is plenty of racism in this country.
And your letter just weakens any real claim to racism.

And finally, it's a damn commercial!!! Who the hell cares anyway?

Sheeeesh!!!

Wow, a commerical depicts a non-traditional family and you pull the
race card. There's been a Ford commerical where it appears that a
lesbian couple are getting married, presumably with their daughter as
the floor girl. I could complain that because they showed no same-sex
couple of any other race, they're implying that only white people are
gay.

If I was white, anyway.

Oh, I didn't know African American families all have fathers present.
And all other(Caucasian/Asian, etc.) families never have missing
fathers. My friend's father has passed away. How could he be at the
dinner table every day? How dare he be a racist and die and leave
them without a father at the dinner table!
You need to stop being so confrontational. The commercial just does
not contain a subliminal message targeted to be offensive or racist.
You are too easily offended. Get over it. Feel the fried chicken
love.

I think they're trying to be modern by showing a family type that's
very common these days. I'm sure the fact that the family is black has
nothing to do with anything. It's nice to see a more realistic type of
family sometimes.

I'm thinking the complete opposite of this entire letter.
It gets tiring to watch commericals over and over with the perfect
family. KFC should be commended for promoting the idea of the fact
that there are many different types of families living in this
country. In fact, there is no real definition of a family. As a girl
growing up (my mother died from breast cancer), I lived with 2 younger
brothers and was raised by my single, awesome, dedicated father. He
worked VERY hard to make sure we had everything we needed (2 full time
jobs for a while). When he came home during odd hours every friday or
saturday night, we would have some sort of fast food brought home and
sit down as a family around the table talking about school, sports,
and other things and it meant a lot to me.

I just saw this today. I figured the African American father was
working late because he had a good job and was working hard to cure
cancer, while the mother was feeding the kids waiting for him to come
home.
What's wrong with you? Why does your mind assume the worst about
African American males?
Do you think African American males don't have important jobs that
they have to work late at? Stop being racist, African American males
are as capable of having jobs as White males.
That being said, KFC is delicious and everyone knows the Colonel had
jungle fever.

Seriously, I think you're reading too much into a commercial.

I don't like commercials in general, so I usually mute the TV during
commercials.

Actually, government statistics will tell you how very normal and
common it is to have a family headed by a single parent. Many of them
are black. If anything, KFC is reaching out to single moms, hoping
they'll recognize themselves and their families, in this commercial
and make the "I should pick up supper from KFC" connection.

I think there are worse reasons than this commercial to boycott KFC.

My, what interesting assumptions you make.

Perhaps the father is working late. Perhaps he is out of town and the
mother chose to give her family a treat of KFC. You don't know. You
simply choose to make assumptions without any basis whatsoever, then
end it with an accusation of being racist.

And I'm sure you know what happens when you assume things, right?

Were there chitlins and collard greens being served with the chicken,
too?