US commentators label Oz KFC ad ‘racist’

MELBOURNE - An ad by KFC Australia showing a man offering fried chicken to a crowd of West Indies fans has been labelled ‘racist’ by US commentators.

In the ad, which is a part of the cricket survival guide, an Australian fan named Mick asks viewers “Need a tip when you’re stuck in an awkward situation?” after being surrounded by cheering West Indies fans.

Following his statement he then shares a bucket of KFC chicken with fans around him.

But the video has apparently caused a huge stir in the US after it was posted on YouTube, with some seeing the ad as a reference to racial stereotype that African Americans eat fried chicken.

User “ThunderCurls” posted the ad on the video sharing website with the title “Racist KFC advertisement?”

“How do you survive a crowd of “awkward” black people? According to KFCs latest advertisement a bucket of fried chicken will do the trick,” News.com.au quoted the description as stating.

The video has caused a lot of debate, attracting more than 200,000 views and 2000 comments.

According to the Huffington Post, media commentary sites in the US blasted the ad, claiming that the ad supported stereotypes.

“Here, a flustered white guy gets out of an “awkward situation”, which in this case appears to mean being stuck in a crowd of happy, cheering black people at a sporting event - by ordering in fried chicken,” Kiran Aditham wrote about the ad.

KFC Australia has acknowledged in a statement that the ad could be perceived as racist, and that it has been “misinterpreted by a segment of people in the US”.

“It is a light-hearted reference to the West Indian cricket team,” KFC said.

“The ad was reproduced online in the US without KFC’s permission, where we are told a culturally-based stereotype exists, leading to the incorrect assertion of racism.

“We unequivocally condemn discrimination of any type and have a proud history as one of the world’s leading employers for diversity,” it added.

Buzzfeed’s Jack Shephard introduced the video by saying, “What’s a white guy to do when he awkwardly finds himself in a crowd full of black folks? KFC has the answer.” (ANI)