Earlier today, a hungry mob of New Yorkers (the millennial generation’s version of an angry mob) staged a ’60s-style sit-in at a Manhattan KFC restaurant. Why? They were protesting the store manager’s refusal to honor coupons for the fast food chain’s new grilled chicken courtesy of the karma-grubbing cultural icon Oprah Winfrey. Funny and absurd, sure. But I can’t help but see this kerfuffle as evidence of either the beginning of the end of all that’s good in the world or (pause for sip of Obama-flavored Kool-Aid) the return of power-to-the-people engagement.
The obvious response is to look at the entitlement of those free-chicken seekers as crass and pathetic. I mean, how could any fast food really be worth generating a storm of righteous indignation? And what about that Scrooge-like, power-crazed KFC store manager, who allegedly refused to play along and serve up the finger lickin’ goodness to which anyone with an Internet connection is entitled. These are tough times and cheap thrills are hard to come by, much less free ones. That’s tough medicine.
But how is it that chicken inspires the kind of politicized grass-roots action that hardly anybody mustered in the face of nonstop indignities (stuff like White House-approved torture, corporate corruption, and the demise of newsprint)? Does this mean that we’re still capable of getting mad as hell and not taking it anymore? Or does it mean that nobody can be bothered unless it involves a free lunch? What’s your take on what this means for the future of humanity — or the power of Oprah — PopWatchers?
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i went to a store here in vegas and the manager was making the people with coupons and there were several of us wait while he took the paying customers first we waited up to 30 min
for our orders, when a gentleman went up to place his order and saw me standing there for about ten minutes the manager went to take his order and the gentleman told the manager i had been there standing to take my order before his…
WTF is all i can says. why would anyone eat that artery clogging “chicken”? no less, one sponsored by Oprah.
Actually Mario, if you click on the nutrition facts for the grilled chicken, it’s very healthy…. the side orders? Not so much, but the chicken is good for you! Not that that excuses bad behaviour from people who aren’t accustomed to waiting a few minutes or managers with a God complex.
WTF EW? I don’t get your style of journalism (if that’s what you intended).
KFC is disgusting. Especially in NYC.
KFC pumps their chickens, actually meat blobs with no feet or beaks, full of chemicals and hormones.
The KFC I went to let us choose our own 2 pieces of chicken even though the coupon said mgr’s choice. AND I got a free small soda, not on the coupon.
Dang you, you free chicken lovers!
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule!
Our national debt is increasing at the rate of approximately $100,000 per second, but it’s free chicken that the masses are in an uproar over. Wake up, America.
Americans are perfectly capable of becoming an unruly mob against something they hate. We do it all the time. Our buttons that used to work have changed, though. In order to electrify anyone into action or revolution, you must speak to the soul. Or stomach, in this case.
Artery-clogging? You obviously failed to read the part that said GRILLED chicken (from KFC), not their usual fried chicken. Their grilled chicken is actually quite healthy for you, and (in my opinion) tastes better than their original kind. Give it a try before you shoot your mouth off.
Wanna see something scary? Follow the Oprah link in the article to Oprah’s site where you land on the KFC coupon download page. Look at some of the nearly 5000 comments for Oprah. Formal religious worship is on the decline and formal Oprah worship has been on the rise. Coincidence? Worship is the only word for it. Bet they’re working on virtual genuflection and some way to kiss the ring on her virtually-extended hand.
Franchise can elect to accept or reject coupons. It is the owners decision on whether to do it, just as it is the customers option to go to a more accomodating store with their business.
Free chicken in new york = chaos
Undone by Dirty-Bird!
1. Unless your name is Issah Washington no-one is as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore unless it envolves a free lunch.
2. The mighty Opes star continues to fade, it happened with the Greek Gods, it happened with the establishment, and it is happeneing with oprah. Deal with it.
They did the same thing here in Florida. They wouldn’t honor the coupon. Heck, if KFC is going to offer it, then KFC must honor it. It wasn’t Oprah that offered it. She might have spread the word around, but it’s not her fault. Also all KFC’s are corporate owned by PepsiCo. If you want to complain, I suggest first writing to them.
It is because the corrupt people with money have figured out a way to literally make people think things without them knowing they are being influenced. Have you seen the matrix? Its like that, they use humans as a power source, they literally grow us as a crop, livestock if you will. The majority of the population live in stupid little square boxes that are just mass produced stables. They pump water in and take waste out, just like on a farm, something like %95 of homes have a T.V. and they worship it. Television is the single greatest power on earth. if the T.V. decides to say something bad about anything, people will just believe it and do whatever it says. They try to keep us as stupid and happy as possible, so when they offer us a free dinner, and then don’t deliver, how can they not expect some of the cattle to cause a ruckus? I am not saying I am better than anybody, I am just another cow in the herd, a drone of society like everyone else, stuck in this prison we call America.
This reminds me of a news story I saw on Youtube of Popeye’s in Rochester, NY running out of chicken for a special deal on Earth Day, and people getting furious about that. One of the customers countered back, “I’m going to KFC!”
those silly blacks!
uh, jake? how ’bout you just move then? unlike Neo and the gang, we do have a choice.
Not all locations are corporate-owned. The locally-owned franchises are free to accept or reject the coupons, as I learned today when I was denied.
I paid for the grilled chicken and I’ll tell you: you’re not missing much.
I swear, New Yorkers used to be all tough and cool. Now they panic and stage sit-ins for grilled chicken and I don’t know what to say anymore, I think it’s all the condos and real housewives.
KFC is not owned by Pepsico. Seems like the comment about TV above can be said for the internet. YUM BRANDS owns KFC.
You what I hate about these bloggers? They have their cushy salaries and free sh*t, but when hungry people go looking for chicken it’s so fun to make fun of them.
Not true. Pepsi does indeed own KFC, as well as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and others. They spun it off into its own division called YUM but it is still property of Pepsi. Why do you think they all get “special” Pepsi products like Taco Bell’s exclusive Mt. Dew flavour Baja Blast?
FREE CHICKEN IS MY GOD!
WHAT IS OBAMA FLAVORED KOOL-AID AND WHEN IS AMERICA GOING TO GET PAST RACIAL JOKES AND CONCENTRATE ON MORE SERIOUS ISSUES. IT BOTHERS ME TO THINK THAT PEOPLE ONLY CONSIDER BLACK PEOPLE TO LIKE CHICKEN.
I LOVE KFC!!!!
THE GRILLED CHICKEN IS AWESOME, IT TASTE SOOOOOOO GOOOOD… I LOVE IT….I DOWNLOADED MY COUPONS AND GOT MY FREE MEAL I am SATISFIED AS EVER…………