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[Alan Dale]

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[mockney piers]

Peddling cheap anti-Americanism there AD? Shame on you!!!!

;-P

[Alan Dale]

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[ruffers]

I was all set to steam in as I have a general opinion that Australia is a bit racist but, having watched the ad, I don't think it's meant that way. More US interpreting something through their own values, racist in the eye of the American beholder.

[Mick Mac]

I think the reference to being in "a difficult situation" needs more explanation than the act of giving out KFC. What does this statement mean if made by an white Australian surrounded by black West Indian cricket fans?

As for giving out KFC - Is fried chicken popular in the West Indies? I have no idea. I think people would be over sensitive to be offended by that part alone. But "difficult situation", I'm not sure what that is supposed to be getting at.

[EDOldie]

But I think the aussies, perhaps a bit like white africans, are far less sensitive to race issues.

I remember seeing an australian 'talent' show where the group dressed up as black & white minstrels which was truly toe curling and about the most offensive and racist things I have ever seen on television. However, all the aussies seemed to think it was hysterical and it took one of the judges, who was a white american, to point out just why it was so awful and why he found it so offensive.

I suppose I'm saying some people just don't get it. Like whoever made that dreadful KFC ad

[woofmarkthedog]

Blimey it's not exactly handing out bacon sandwiches at bar mitzvah is it

Sheeezzz am I missing something ?

Now slices of watermelon for afters, that might have tipped it

W**F

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I think it's a silly stereotype about WIs and chicken but I would have interepreted the 'difficult situation' as WIs slaughtering Aussies at cricket. But maybe that's just wishful thinking!

[Loz]

It's a bit unfair applying, as a third party, your cultural sensitivities to other countries. If you are American and this ad was shown in America, they may have a point. But this was in Australia for Australians and the 'fried chicken' stereotype doesn't hold up. Nor, I believe, does it in the West Indies. This is from a series of ads showing how a cricket fan gets out of 'difficult situations' with the help of KFC - they needed a cricket crowd and the Windies were, at the time, touring Australia. So really it's a case of 'move on, nothing to see here'.

Different countries have different racial sensitivities. 'Paki' in the UK is pretty much up there with the worst of the racist epithets because of historical (and lets face it, current) incidents that occurred here, but in Australia it's still used on occasion as a shorthand for Pakistani (though that is changing).

On the other hand, when you're in someone else's country you need to be aware of these things. There's the story of the Aussie girl, was working in London, who turned up to work on a Monday and was asked about her weekend. "Ooh, not good", she said, "I spent the entire weekend in bed with a wog" and left her workmates speechless. (She meant ill in bed with a virus/bug.)

[brum]

A good example of how society has become sensitized to anything construed as remotely offensive.

[ruffers]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think the reference to being in "a difficult

> situation" needs more explanation than the act of

> giving out KFC. What does this statement mean if

> made by an white Australian surrounded by black

> West Indian cricket fans?

City fan in the middle of United fans.

Spurs in Arsenal.

England in Germany.

It could just mean that the colour of skin is irrelevant?

[ClareC]

I also interepreted the 'difficult situation' as WIs slaughtering Aussies at cricket and him being surrounded by WI fans.....

Seems to me you can interpret a lot of things to be racist if you search hard enough! I don't agree with racism at all but I also find purposely interpreting things to be racist when they are not intended as such to be bordering on a form of racism itself (and down right irritating!!).

[Alan Dale]

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[Loz]

As said by many, Alan, that stereotype is American, originating in the south. The ad was Australian, the crowd West Indian and this forum British. Why should an American sensitivity apply?

  Quote

I thought you'd all balk at the idea of advertising the stereotype of black people loving fried chicken.

In some places, being called 'black' is deemed racist. Finger pointing is a minefield, isn't it?

[Mick Mac]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think it's a silly stereotype about WIs and

> chicken but I would have interepreted the

> 'difficult situation' as WIs slaughtering Aussies

> at cricket. But maybe that's just wishful

> thinking!

Probably right PGC.

[mockney piers]

IS it just me, I took it to be the Aussies slaughtering the windies hence the desire to appease, a bit like when I offer a winning smile to the home fans when west ham are thrashing the home side and a home stand ticket is the only way I could see the match.

I had no idea about any connection between black people and fried chicken, I'm guessing it's a stereotype alien to this country. Hence I took this to be a pop at American insularity.

You learn something new... as the old adage goes.

Thinking about it, much as I have often sat amongst the home fans I have yet to need to put my appeasement strategy in to practice. It's giving me ideas for new ones though. Bring something really really boring to the Emirates, or the Guildford Examiner to Old Trafford?

[Mick Mac]

You see i dont know whether west indian people like fried chicken or not so thought id ask the question.

Then i thought through the possible answers :

Yes they do - (that is potentially racist)

No they dont - (that is possibly racist too)

Some do, some dont.

This is the only safe answer and yet manages to not really answer the question at all, so i decided not to bother asking the question after all.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Racist? Piffle.

Would we be shocked or amused if the Windies had handed the Aussie fans square pies and mushy meas if the boot was on the other foot?

I went to the Jerk Chicken cook out this summer at Horniman Gardens, a celebration of all things Windian, supported by our lovely Council. Many thousands of other people were there, many of Windies origin.

We cant take what the Americans think to be racist - remember this?

[Loz]

  Quote

Yes they do - (that is potentially racist)

No they dont - (that is possibly racist too)

Don't quite agree, Mick Mac. It's not whether or not they like or dislike it, but it is a stereotype that they like it - and a negative stereotype at that. In the American South, the negative stereotype is most definitely there. In the West Indies? Nope.

Even just a 'stereotype' sometimes isn't enough to be deemed racist. If the cricket crowd had have been English and he'd pulled out a thermos of tea no one would bat an eyelid. If the role was reversed and a Windies supporter handed out cans of beer to the Aussies, everyone would have laughed.

I just accept that sometimes, some people just like to go out of their way to be offended. I believe it's a hobby.

[Loz]

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Aussie fans square pies and mushy meas

Tsk. You mean a 'floater'?!! It's a pie (doesn't have to be square) in green pea soup, not mushy peas. Looks disgusting, but tastes lovely. Quite hard to find, actually.

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I went to the Jerk Chicken cook out this summer at Horniman Gardens, a celebration of all things Windian, supported by our lovely Council. Many thousands of other people were there, many of Windies origin.

A disgrace! How can our council support such an obvious race hate event?!?! :))

[Mick Mac]

Actually Loz - i believe i am right in principle - to suggest a whole race or nation have the same positive or negative attribute is racist.

Therefore to suggest all west indians (or worse all black people) either all like or all dislike fried chicken is potentially racist. To say some like it and some do not like it is,strictly, the only non racist answer.

However this ad is not racist as it makes no such statement - but it allows you to think it if you want to be offended.

[Loz]

Well, yes, Mick Mac, I'd agree that, in principle, you are probably right.

[*Bob*]

Looking forward to KFC's follow-up advert.. The Ozzie guy hands-out Watermelons. Hilarious!

"Whaddayamean.. racist? Ah, look mate, don't spit the dummy"

[mockney piers]

In all fairness it is an advert for fried chicken, hence by definition is casting said product in a positive light, aimed at selling it to Aussies by portraying them as good blokes (said in heavy Aussie brogue).

As Loz said, nothing to see here, move along. The inference of racism or political forum leanings is only with an unintended audience, and of course our Alan.

[mockney piers]

One of my nicknames at school was melon, a luxury item back in those dim and distant days, served only at the most obsequiously aspirational middle class parties with a slice of equally exotic Parma ham.

I guess because melons came from Spain. I never thought of it as a racist slur, unlike the moniker in big school from the scary kids 'fuck-off-you-deigo-Spanish-cunt' which on reflection probably has a tinge of it about it.