Comments (2)

By Matthew, January 9, 2010 1:37 pm

I have been intending to elaborate on my last post for a few days to explain my viewpoint in order to avoid any confusion in relation to such a sensitive topic. A further piece of news has now given currency to the thoughts I wanted to convey. I will come back to that point later.

There are two reasons why I find the accusation of racism against the KFC commercial offensive:

1. Firstly, these accusations have been made without understanding the context of the commercials. KFC has sponsored Australian cricket for a number of years and every year releases a series of commercials to coincide with the cricket season. These commercials are usually very similar and they point they are trying to make is that KFC’s chicken pieces are irresistable. These commercials generally differ one point every year – they feature cricketers from, and/or supposed supporters of, the then touring team. This year it happened that the West Indian team was touring. The point the ad was making – which should be clear to anyone with IQ above 10 – is that the chicken is so irresistable that it distract you from supporting your side. In this sense, the particular race of the person is not relevant at all –  it was merely incidental because that was the relevant touring team.
2. Secondly, focusing accusations against conduct that is not racist detracts from the very real forms of racism that occur on a daily basis. It would be justifiable to criticise Australia for its treatment of Muslim Australians, as it would be to criticise the US for the treatment of its Muslim population. It would be similarly justifiable to raise the issue of the current violence against the Indian student population in Victoria. These are real forms of racism that occur on a daily basis and should be rightly stamped out. I understand that it is a product of history but I find it sad that in US discourse, as it seems to an outsider, racism is often limited to the issue of the treatment of African Americans. That people can go out and say that they are living in a post-racial world merely because an African American has been elected president is lamentable. It promotes symbolism at the expense of addressing real issues. Americans should be proud about the progress they have made over the last 50 years in relation to race, but it is certainly an unfinished project.

Does anyone think I am wrong? I would be very interested to hear contrary considered views in respect of the commercial.

Comments (0)

By Matthew, January 7, 2010 3:56 pm

A few months ago I posted about US criticisms of an Australian tv segment on the basis that the segment was racist. At the time I was somewhat critical of the transposing of US cultural norms onto Australians. My point was that whilst in some context something could be racist in other contexts it would not.

Unfortunately, it seems that a recent advertisment by KFC has caused new controversy and caused further accusations of racism:

Kentucky Fried Chicken’s head office in the US has apologised for “any misinterpretation” caused by a controversial Australian cricket ad as furious debate raged in the American media about whether it was racist.

The commercial, featuring a white Australian cricket fan offering fried chicken to West Indies supporters, has been pulled from the air in Australia.

…

The Australian TV commercial was picked up by the US media, including the New York Daily News and Baltimore Sun, and drew heated debate, with some Americans accusing Australians of being racist because it perpetuates a stereotype that African Americans eat a lot of fried chicken.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/kfc-pull-cricket-ad-after-race-row-20100107-lw54.html?autostart=1

What absolute rubbish. This supposed stereotype of African Americans is non-existent in Australia. Whilst this may be racist in a US context it is certainly is not in Australia. I would imagine that about 97% of Australians have never even heard of this stereotype.  What is this obsession with racism against African Americans – we are plenty racist against Muslims but this seems okay (I guess because it mirrors US racism against Muslims).

I have always considered myself to be a liberal intellectual but I am starting to reconsider my membership in that club if it involves such stupidity.