OK, I saw the new KFC commercial last week for the first time. I debated over saying something, not wanting to “go there.” I caught it again today and it is what it is: a dad laughing at the dinner table with his wife and two kids. A happy family by all accounts, and they just so happen to be white. This would be perfectly fine, even normal, if several bloggers, including myself, hadn’t been writing about the last commercial. I’m not trying to make this into a thing, really I’m not (I have much bigger problems to contend with in my life). In fact when I wrote about the last commercial I was very moderate compared to some of the comments left on my post and what I read on other blogs. I pretty much only had questions. But I’ll tell you that this new clip, so soon after the fatherless black family clip, has given me pause.
Again I’ll posit a question: Was that a chicken leg that just bounced off my cheek? (Or is this not worth talking about?)
I think it’s a REALLY big deal. The images we see are deliberately chosen to say something to us. These commercials reinforce the message that white fathers are around and black fathers are not.
K, My 11 year old doesn’t let us eat KFC any more since she saw this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFgbHK6yP2g, which doesn’t have anything to do with racist messages, but is one more reason to avoid the Colonel.
I’m with you on the commercials, btw.
Corey
definitely worth making noise about. as i said before, with any other ethnicity (not just white, but asian, hispanic, hawaiian, you name it) there’d be a dad at the table. what the …! KFC ought to be hearing it loud and clear.
I saw a white version of the KFC commercial you mention in a previous post and it made me feel better.
thanks for sharing. i was one who was less than moderate on your post and even less so on mine: i even called and wrote KFC imploring them to stop airing the Black fatherless family commercial (it may’ve worked because i have not seen it lately).
i’ll feel a lot better when KFC airs a commercial with a Black family, complete with the father!