Supermarket apologises for fried chicken slur

Ananova ^ | 02/06/02

[Arkle]

A Pennsylvania supermarket has apologised for advertising a sale on fried chicken in honour of Black History Month.

Giant Food Stores customer Lance Sellers brought the advert to the attention of the manager of the store in Union Deposit east of Harrisburg.

Paula Diane Harris, president of the Greater Harrisburg Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, said the sign reinforces racist stereotypes.

"Not all African-Americans eat fried chicken, greens and chitlins. We like salad, roast beef, low-fat chicken, just like everybody else," she said.

The sign read: "In honor of Black History Month, we at Giant are offering a special savings on fried chicken."

"I showed it to a few of the other customers ... and they all were stunned," Mr Sellers said. "When I approached the store manager about the problem he had the nerve to ask me why it offended me so much."

Giant Food Stores has apologised and said the sign was not meant to be offensive.

"It did happen. It was at that one store only," said Denny Hopkins, Giant's vice president of advertising. "We had a customer bring the sign to us and complain and we immediately took it down."

Giant is sponsoring several programs for Black History Month, including having jazz bands and soul food samples at its Kline Village Plaza and Union Deposit stores, Mr Hopkins said.

Mr Sellers said the sign wouldn't keep him from shopping at the store. "We laugh about it," he said. "How could they put something like that out there?"

[Arkle]

Talk about touchy.

[HIDEK6]

I think this is the store where Fuzzy Zoeller shops.

[Seeking the truth]

I can't wait for this years St. Patrick's Day. I'm going to get POed at all the leprecauns, green beer, corned beef & cabbage references I see.

In fact, I am going to sue them all.

I am deeply offended at such sterotyping!

[Dog Gone]

Okay, now it's not PC to link foods with people. Boston, I'm sorry. No more association with chowder or baked beans.

It's a slur to link cajuns with crawfish. Mexicans may no longer be associated with Mexican food.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

This reminds me of the time that KFC hired Gregory Hines as a spokesperson about 10 years ago.

Hines is, as you might know, an accomplished African American singer, actor and (tap) dancer. Apparently wishing to capitalize on Hines' talents, there was a KFC commercial in which Hines tap-danced over to a bucket of fried chicken.

First time I saw that ad I said "they'll be pulling this off the air real quick."

Sure enough. I never saw it again.

[caddie]

"Not all African-Americans eat fried chicken.... We like... low-fat chicken... ," she said.

ROTFLMAO

[Behind Liberal Lines]

That being said, I can see the point in this case. Unlike, say, St. Patrick's day, where certain foods (and drinks) are part of the holiday's tradition, Black History Month is NOT an "eating" holiday, ala St. Paddy's or Thanksgiving. So there was really NO reason to "honor" it by having a sale on any food, let alone one often associated with a racist sterotype.

[lds23]

In Atlantic City, back in the 30's, the black section of the beach was known as "Chicken Bone Beach".

[caddie]

The funniest Irish bashing I ever saw was on the Simpsons, when they showed an Irish St. Patrick's Day parade at the outset.

They are no sooner out of the gate when a fight breaks out in one of the ranks,

Soon, the whole thing is a riot.

How funny can you get!

[Arkle]

"When I approached the store manager about the problem he had the nerve to ask me why it offended me so much."

Did you give him an answer?

[APBaer]

I won't comment on this sign on the library door a couple of weeks ago:
"This Library will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King"

[Cicero5]

Oh fine! Does this mean we have to pay full price for our fried chicken all month??? How unfair, its always a few people who mess it up for everyone else.

[Dakmar]

Quick, everyone run to the nearest Chinese restaurant and explain to the owners how oppressed they are. I'm sure they will just think of themselves as entreprenuers until they get some left-wing enlightenment.

[BibleBaseballBarbecue]

Giant is sponsoring several programs for Black History Month, including having jazz bands and soul food samples at its Kline Village Plaza and Union Deposit stores, Mr Hopkins said.

Um, I don't get it. Jazz and soul food are great for Black History Month, but fried chicken is "offensive"?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

To make amends Giant Food Stores will be offering a free watermelon to anyone offended by this promotion.

[timydnuc]

This priceless! I'm hysterical....no kidding! I'm laughing so hard I'm in tears!! Someone tell me that this is a bogus post. Nothing can be this funny and TRUE!!

[Notwithstanding]

B.S. - Many of the soldiers who worked for me were black and they ALWAYS talked up how good their banana pudding, fried chicken and collard greens were. We had many potluck dinners and there were actually informal contests to determine the best banana pudding and fried chicken.

Why is it a moral outrage for a white person to celebrate something that black people themselves celebrate?

[Arkle]

To make amends Giant Food Stores will be offering a free watermelon to anyone offended by this promotion

That is so funny!

[steve-b]

Someone tell me that this is a bogus post.

Ananova isn't exactly what I'd call a hard news source.

[Tall_Texan]

You can bet if the store was offering FREE fried chicken for blacks, they would show up in hundreds to cart off the free food and THEN go back to express their outrage.