KFC slammed for ‘sexist’ ad that ‘reinforces gender stereotypes’
Collective Shout, a grassroots organisation against the objectification of women, has condemned an ad from KFC for “reinforcing gender stereotypes and for its sexist grooming of boys”.
The ad, which has been running consistently during the Big Bash League coverage thanks to KFC’s sponsorship of the sport, depicts a woman leaning forward to check her reflection in a parked car window. As she is adjusting her cleavage, the window is rolled down, revealing a disapproving mother and two young boys staring open-mouthed at the woman.
Collective Shout spokeswoman, Melinda Liszewski, said that the ad reinforced the dangerous and archaic ‘boys will be boys’ trope.
“Ads like this reinforce the false idea that we can’t expect better from boys. It is another manifestation of the ‘boys will be boys’ trope, hampering our ability to challenge sexist ideas which contribute to harmful behaviour towards women and girls,” Liszewski said.
“The research is solid: attitudes shape behaviour. A growing number of reports show how re-enforcing of gender stereotypes – including in advertising – contributes to a lesser view of women, resulting in their mistreatment.”
Liszewski also argued that the ad counteracts the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 – 2022, which funnels money into school programs that teach children about respectful relationships.
“Governments are putting millions of dollars into ‘respectful relationships’ programs in schools. At the same time corporates like KFC – which claims to care about young people – undermine these goals.”
The ad is part of KFC’s ongoing ‘Bucket’ campaign, which shows people responding to situations with the phrase “Did somebody say KFC?”. In the ad in question, the woman is later seen enjoying KFC at what appears to be a music festival.
Recently, another ad in the series, which showed a group of women refused entry into a nightclub, caught fire from the industry watchdog Ad Standards, for misleading viewers of the availability of a $4.95 meal deal that ends at 4pm.
In their argument about the recent ad, Collective Shout also made reference to a social media ad that alluded to masturbation, for which KFC was forced to issue a public apology for.
Update 2:56pm, Friday 24 January – KFC has responded with the following comment from a spokesperson: “We are pleased Ad Standards has ruled that our ad does not breach advertising standards. The ad was part of a campaign that sees the fun in life’s awkward moments and it was not our intent to cause offence to anyone.”
Humour and human biology no longer mix it seems.
What a load of crap. This isn’t about boys being boys or respecting women. It’s a woman using what she thought was a mirror to adjust herself and showing 2 teenage boys (hormones) who had cleavage thrust into their face. It’s not sexist at all. It doesn’t demean the woman nor paint the boys into a rape culture mentality. Over react much ?
If you think young boys aren’t going to look at girls/young women then I’m bloody Santa Claus.
Hey, guess what? Boys WILL be boys.
I’m a woman and find the ad to be funny, harmless and based in teality (which is what good advertising should be). THERE’S SOME SEXIST STUFF OUT THERE TO GET FIRED UP ABOUT BUT THIS IS NOT IT.
Heaven help us that something funny ever happens in real life.
http://www.buildabridge.com
The people who voice this kind of opinion regarding sexist stereotypes are rapidly becoming sexist stereotypes.
This very nicely constructed and well-executed ad is a story about human beings caught up in the combined action of being human.
The young woman takes advantage of the reflection in the window to check out her, obviously constructed, appearance. “The best-laid schemes of mice and” (young girls) will go astray when the obvious has been neglected, and so Mother is not amused as she lowers the window. The boys are just that, BOYS, and at their tender age this simple and quite innocent accident, is likely to cause at least a tiny frisson of reaction.
Sexist stereotypes? NO, just a little slice of life and human beings caught in the act of being themselves.
I don’t particularly like the ad, but this is PC gone mad. What happened to a thing called humour? Australia has unfortunately lost its sense of humour. If we can’t laugh at ourselves then we’ve lost all hope.
Collective Shout misses the point, it’s about a young woman (the main character) taking control of how she projects herself to the world by checking her reflection. There happen to be other people behind the glass who display a range of reactions if you include the mother. Collective Shout is clearly positioning the main character as a victim and therefore removing her agency in the situation portrayed, which is a classic case of internalised misogyny displayed by Collective Shout. By doing this, they’re throwing a good dose of their own objectification and might I add slut-shaming into the mix, as if the main character is reduced down to just a pair of breasts.
Correction – “In the ad in question, the woman is later seen celebrating with the boys and their mother over a KFC meal.”
The woman is partying with her friends – not the people from the car!
Hi Drew,
You are correct, that was an error on my part when editing the story. I have fixed.
Thanks!
Hannah – Mumbrella
this complaint is ridiculous.
the way these extremist groups focus on such trivial or peripheral slights with the same intensity as that which they should reserve for egregious abuses acts to denigrate the important work that is needed in some areas
And yet no one took issue with the KFC ad that showed the kid ditching his exams so he could go and smash a bucket instead?? Stay in school boys & girls, you dont want to be led astray by ideological nonsense.
This complaint by Collective Shout reinforces negative stereotypes of feminists lacking a sense of humour and being anti-sex prudes.
I’m female too and absolutely LOVE the ad! So genuine! Their best yet! What a clever agency whoever they are – and I don’t work in the industry. The look on those boys faces is just so perfect! So lighten up and have a good laugh you ‘politically-correct’ people who seem to want to be on a downer all the time. BORING.
That,s a good one, also like the one where young boy winds down window, glaring at man admiring his lovely mum.
ohhh… please! Humor… yes, we need more of it.
If anyone has an issue with the ad, then they should be looking at living on the moon. Human nature… Let’s have fun with it.
I am not triggered nor offended. Does my view count too?
It’s a girl checking her reflection (all boys and girls do that) and it happens BY ACCIDENT, there are young boys watching. It happens. It’s real world. We are seriously in trouble if this is seen as “grooming”. Again people are dying to find something to be outraged about. Get a life – it’s nothing to do with sexism and everything to do with a real life scenario which is kind of funny. To finish, what about the car ad where the bloke is ogling a woman and the young kid winds the back window down? Is this teaching young boys how to treat woman? Who’s complaining about that? What about the Diet Coke ad where woman are Ogling the window cleaner. The list is endless. I’m so bored – gotta go and buy some KFC.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t a lame copy of recent tiktok viral concept of girls/boys checking themselves out only to have people inside opening up the window.
Only difference is that tiktok has both girls/boys version, and they are checking their hair and looks… Not the cleavage.
If damn 12 yrs can do this in male/female versions and make it PC, KFC can too.
Anyone who doesn’t think this was overdone are just tired of people correcting their ways.
I found it very funny and non offensive. Those that are offended need to get a life.
Questions for Mumbrella – why publish this with such a pointed headline? Like, it’s not really fair to say that KFC was “slammed” for a ‘sexist’ ad when it’s literally only one organisation (who make a living off pointing out / criticising ads) taking issue. It’s not like there’s a broader societal backlash (and if there is, it certainly isn’t mentioned in the article).
How big of a public persona does an individual (or an organisation) have to have before it’s sole opinion is deemed big enough to “slam” something (and have an article written up about it)? If I (a mid-level nobody consultant) was to come out with an opinion on an ad, would you publish it with the same headline? What if a famous CD or CEO had the same opinion – would you still say that KFC was “slammed” or would you attach the person’s name to the accusation?
A more truthful headline would be something like: “Collective Shout deems latest KFC ad to be ‘sexist’”.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have run with this article (however, I honestly believe that you shouldn’t have run with this article…); I’m just curious as to why you have put the weight of a single accusation on KFC and not the organisation that came out with it?
In my opinion – this reeks of editorial bias towards Collective Shout.
Perfect casting! One ad I don’t get tired of seeing and have a good chuckle each time. Plain and simple to enjoy without any BS involved.
Get a life everyone and stop this incessant whining and whinging. It is a funny simple ad. OMG. Run the ad more often KFC. This free advertising can only help.
Who is the girl in the clip?
In seriousness though, not the first time with KFC. A couple of years back they did a derogatory one with the cricket and chicken…with massive racial undertones
“Won’t somebody pleeease think of the children”
The girl in ad loves flaunting and the boys enjoy perving. Only human so what’s the issue?
100% agreed!!
Just goes to show how convinceing professional young actors can be
Overreact much? Get a sense of humor! Idiots!
Stop it
Can’t wait for the the sequel
This ad was slammed by a religious group. Enough said ?
Stop it and smile
KFC need a sequel
Great marketing
Brilliant; funny and true.
Really, journalistic crap, the adds worked !
Seriously ! These adds are funny and well done. As a woman ( yes one of them with an a not an x!) What teen boy is not going to think all his Christmasses had come at once. Lol. Some people really overthink every dam thing. All I can say to them is GET A LIFE !
They’ve smoothed out the Bennie Hill overtones in the execution but under crank it and replace the leering young lad with a little bald guy and we’re back in ’83.
Still wondering what on earth this ad has to do with KFC chicken? Classic lazy creative work relying on stereotyping and sexual innuendo to sell crap junk food. AND it looks suspiciously like the agency responsible has sent the All Staff memo to direct its employees to get online here to try to talk it up and diss the complaints…all part of the BS/smoke & mirrors game of advertising.
Huh??? Children are more street savvy these days then a lot of small-minded adults.
I’m from NZ so have not seen the add in question. My issue is not the complaints but about the fact that. And I have experienced this myself as I love clothing and style. the sad fact that if a male did what she has done he whould be ridiculed by the people in the car by comments like he loves himself. That is the main reason why boys see women as objects. It is because society doesn’t allow them to objectify themselves. They see themselves as a spectator of being who they are. Society does not allow them to be human properly.
Of course it’s not offensive, but it’s another objectifying image of a woman. I while on its own its fun and harmless, it’s not on its own! It’s one of hundreds of objectifying images you’ll see this year, which just adds to the sexist and unhealthy culture we have around how women are perceived. See the bigger picture!
For those who don’t find this ad sexist, how would you feel about two thirteen year old girls gawking at a mans package as he adjusts his speedos in the same way the boys in the ad admire the girls cleavage? Gross right? This is double standards at its worst.
I can’t believe they made the teen actors do it. I can’t believe HR hasn’t got involved.
I agree as a nation we sometimes take ourselves too seriously but this is the cheapest form of advertising, not very clever and outdated prehistoric thinking.
We have progressed way beyond that.
RT, I’m pretty sure that teenage girls do gawk at a package outline. They are teenagers – they all do it and the influx of hormones mean they cant help it.
Stop defending these religious nuts.
They couldn’t influence Ultratune’s blatant form of advertising, I doubt KFC are going to listen.
“I can’t believe HR hasn’t got involved”. Wise words, there are a range of situations I encounter in my professional and personal life every day where I think the same thing.
Yet another ad that reduces women to being sex objects, and boys and men to being the victims of uncontrollable sexual desire. Both women and men are better than this! If you don’t think ads like this are harmful, check out this recent research from Women’s Health Victoria – an independent health promotion body – which gathers together all the evidence about how ads like this contribute to a culture of gender inequality and violence against women: https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/advertising-inequality-impacts-sexist-advertising-women%E2%80%99s-health-and And consumers are sick of it, as shown in this recent research by RMIT and WHV: https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/community-responses-gender-portrayals-advertising-research-paper
FGS. It is JUST AN AD and not sexist IN ANY WAY…. move on and stop destroying creativity and this country….. Honestly… just an ad… it fatigues me that so many people jump on this band wagon and are ‘offended’. she was checking herself out in a car window (we have all done that) and realised there are boys inside the car (we have all done that)…. it is FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FGS
Can we just lighten up please. If we took everything so seriously and dissected every bit of life, we would be in deep trouble.So let’s just have a giggle and get on with it!
Yes Sonia, thank you! Clever and down to earth and …… FUNNY!!
Sexism,all rhetoric etc..are we kidding ourselves..wtf????…I haven’t heard anyone mention the underwear add where a male at an airport is walking thru a metal detector and the female basically has him remove clothing one at a time..then says ‘nice package’???…yet nothing said..these are clever adds made by intelligent people who understand our larakin sense of humour..in the kfc add watch the girls eyes make contact with the young lad in the back seat..people look at people all the time..have a look at news feeds etc with influencers and what image they project..deemed acceptable??
I am over 60, I thought the add was one of the best I had seen in 30 years. At least there was some attempt at humour.
I am sick of young ladies who think they have been hard done by. I will not go into what it was like to be female in the 1970s. But I do not need Collective Shout to think they are doing anything but increasing their media presence.
We are loose with the rules and we like it that way
Agree with you here Jen.
Nobody knew the name Collective Shout before they ‘shrieked hysterically’ at UltraTune and Honey Birdette.
Good questions, as yet unanswered I see. I can only assume that, like all publishers, Mumbrella want their content to be widely consumed. Certainly in all of the chatter I’ve heard about this (either here or across social and other news outlets) I have not seen one comment that does not ridicule Collective Shout’s stance on this. Perhaps we’ll get some Mumbrella editorial on this at some point. I hope so because any hard news value is completely absent here.
I’m actually cool with it. I am a bit confused though. Are you saying that you would be equally offended if the tables were turned, or that that is something you’d like to see?
Very good point. You see similar stuff from click bait news sites (news.com / daily mail etc) who will write an article about something being ‘slammed’ purely off a scattering of tweets from nobodies
Why don’t these snowflakes just get a real life. Why they are given any time at all? How on earth do they think the CHICKENS feel. (K)eep (F)reeing (C)hickens. Vive la chickolution, ?
Mansplaining at its finest…
Ah, a voice of reason, at last. Our society is rapidly going down the gurgler. No morals and no decency.
The main character is just reduced to a pair of breasts
If we had that people would complain about men being objectified
We all do this…check ourselves out for decency purposes in a mirror, but this advert televised is just an excuse to show a female’s busty cleavage and bottom for the entertainment of men watching tv….once again!
Collective Shout aren’t missing the point at all. Yes it is about “a young woman” once again! But if you make yourself aware of the reasons Collective Shout give for eliminating this type of normalised portraying of women and girls in advertising and popular culture, you will understand why it needs to stop. It sends untrue messages to dangerous and unwell individuals in our communities about the worth of all females.
Feminism isn’t a religious group, it’s like masculine a state of mind.
No the main character is the star because she sees the situation for what it is, reacts in the perfect way and gets on with what she was doing. Just like some males, females can be beautiful and pleasant to look at. It’s nature. Get over it.
First of all what rubbish. Secondly, the woman in the ad freely applied for the job, got it and happily did it. Lastly I’ve worked in an ad office and for a long while now both women and men are involved in all ad campaigns so before you come out with men just making ads for their own as you put it entertainment, think again. Also I hope you’ve never got some enjoyment out of looking at a handsome, well built man sometime. It’s nature.grow up!
So again you want to stop something because of a small minority of individuals who would do what you are suggesting anyway without seeing this ad and therefore depriving the vast majority of people who would see this ad as it is meant to be seen, a funny, clever skit where the woman at the centre of it is the star and not because of her boobs but because of the way she handles the situation.