plezWorld in Action: Offensive KFC Commercial

KFC Commercial (family sans father)

KFC Commercial (family with father)

plez sez: i posted about this offensive commercial (Black family without a father at dinner) last week (Issue with KFC Commercial). despite the great comments and dialogue that the post inspired, i am feeling no better about the situation if this commercial is still being broadcast by KFC.

so i have decided to take some action. it may not change anything, but at least i did something.

i called the KFC Comment Line and logged a complaint about the commercial. the customer service rep that i spoke with was well aware of the issue (there have been a number of calls about this commercial) and she logged my complaint into their customer feedback system.

U.S. Customer Satisfaction - 1-800-225-5532
Canada Customer Satisfaction - 1-866-664-5696

next, i posted the following letter on the KFC Online Customer Comment Form and the Yum! Brands Feedback site (Yum! Brands owns KFC):

About one month ago, I viewed the "Single Mother" KFC commercial while watching television with my wife and daughter. Where was the father? Why wasn't there at least another chair at the table for their father? Why was there no mention of a father?

As an African-American, a husband, and a father, I find this commercial to be offensive because it perpetrates and glorifies a negative aspect of the African-American family.

I am offended that it is possible that because of your commercial, my young daughter will think that it is acceptable that she can be happy and have a family of 3 kids without a responsible husband.

As such, I've decided that my family will no longer patronize KFC's restaurants until this offensive and degrading commercial is removed from your rotation.

I have also called KFC Customer Satisfaction and logged a complaint about this offensive commercial.

i have no idea whether my actions will make a difference, but i feel a lot better about my decision to do so. if you have the time and the inclination to do so, i encourage you to call and/or e-mail KFC with your concerns.

For Your Information:
KFC's Corporate Address for Comments
P.O. Box 725489
Atlanta, GA 31139

KFC Online Customer Comment Form: http://64.213.197.19/forms/irpt_welcome.asp?brandid=80

Customer Satisfaction:
U.S. - 1-800-225-5532
Canada - 1-866-664-5696

Blog Update - 10-24-2007:
i received the following letter in response to my complaints to KFC. as you can see, KFC continues to stand behind the commercial "and looks forward to serving [me] again soon."

October 23, 2007

Dear plezWorld:
Thank you for contacting KFC regarding our recent advertising. The opinions of our customers are very important to us. KFC is a fan of the American family and we celebrate those who make dinner time their family time. We also understand that sometimes work or other schedule issues prevent the entire family from dining together. Whether all the family members are present at dinner -- or just some of them -- KFC is proud to be a part of family time, as depicted in this commercial.

We thank you for voicing your opinion. Please be assured we value your patronage and look forward to serving you again soon.

Sincerely,

KFC Guest Satisfaction Department

WRONG ANSWER! they may stand behind that commercial, but they will never (and i repeat, NEVER) have to worry about plezWorld, or the family of, ever darkening the threshold of one of their restaurants again! my money and my integrity means far more to me than a bucket of their greasy, salty chicken.

the letter from KFC implies that the father is simply missing this dinner with his family, but when i called KFC, the customer service rep specifically referred to the "single mother" commercial! plus, i've looked at the commercial numerous times, there are several shots where the mother IS NOT wearing a wedding ring.

i haven't bought gasoline at a Texaco in over 10 years and it's been almost that long since i've dined in a Denny's, so abstaining from KFC will be a piece of cake. this is my PERSONAL BOYCOTT of KFC... and it will continue.

i guess i would've felt better if i had been contacted by The Colonel.

Issue with KFC Commercial (2007)

KFC Commercial (Family sans Father)

plez sez: it was about a month ago that i saw this commercial while watching television with my wife and daughter. we have a DVR, so i went back and watched it a few times... each time i saw the commercial, i got angrier and angrier: where was the father? why was there no mention of the father? why wasn't there at least another chair at the table for their father? since the theme of the commercial was "best part of the day," why wasn't there a mention of having the family together for dinner, even though the father couldn't be there, was the best part of their day?

at first, i thought that it was a case of trying to find hidden racism under every rock... but everytime i see this damn commercial, something just boils in my stomach.

i know that at least 70% of the households in our Black communities are headed by a Black woman. it is a sad reality. but is that a reality that needs to be justified, no, glorified by KFC? they are selling fried chicken, for Christ sakes, i don't want them making something that should be abnormal seem like it is normal. a family, regardless of race, should have a loving mother and a nurturing father. there will be cases when this is not possible - gay couples, ne'er-do-well spouse abandons the family, children raised by other family members, etc - but this should be the exception, not the rule!

call me old fashioned. call me disillusioned. call me a Republican (HA HA HA)! i don't want my 6-year old daughter growing up thinking that it is okay for her to raise 2 or 3 kids without a husband. and i don't want some damn KFC commercials telling her that either!

the issue surrounding this commercial has cropped up on some other blogs that i frequent. what follows is my reaction on those blogs.

plez on African American Dad:
My wife and I saw the same commercial a few weeks ago; we actually paused the program we were watching and replayed the commercial two or three times! I’ve only seen it that one time, but we were taken aback by the “hidden racism” that is so prevalent in so many aspects of the media! Like you, I tried to find it on YouTube, because I had planned to post it on my blog.

I have started a personal BOYCOTT of KFC as a result… that commercial had me steaming! I will have to be one HUNGRY Negro to EVER cross the threshold or buck up in the drive-thru of another KFC, for as long as I live (or until this offensive commercial is retired.

How in the HELL is KFC going to air/broadcast such an offensive and racially biased commercial of a Black family without a father! I still cannot get over the fact that in 2007, I am seeing negative images of Black families shown on prime time television! How many WHITE and BLACK families have seen that commercial and thought in the back of their minds how NORMAL that must be in our community… I am sick!!!

plez on Booker Rising:
shay, thanks for sharing the commercial, i looked for it on YouTube a few weeks ago and couldn't find it.

i don't like the commercial. the first time i saw the commercial, i wondered out loud to my wife about the absence of the father in the scene. i don't want KFC making social commentary via their commercials about the "situation" of Black single parent households while slingin' fried chicken to the masses!

and if i read the comments above correctly, many of you within the Black community are fine with the preponderance of fatherless households in the US and don't mind KFC legitimizing it in their commercials. i don't like it and i feel that this commercial by KFC is a deliberate and offensive attempt to portray our Black families in a negative light!

i don't want my daughter to view even ONE ad that says her family of 3 kids can be HAPPY without a responsible father in the picture. as such, i've decided that i will no longer patronize KFC's restaurants.

for me, it's not right... and it's not okay!

emphasis was added for this article

hat tip: African American Dad & Booker Rising