Oprah Gives Out Free KFC in Most Hypocritical Move Yet
May 6th, 2009 By Paula Crossfield
Perhaps it was all just too much, too kind and too ahead of the curve, all that work she had done recently to expose what truly goes on for chickens and other animals in the factory farm setting. Because now Oprah has decided to bolster one of America’s worst offenders when it comes to support for factory farming, KFC, by giving away two pieces of chicken to every human in America.
It may seem harmless: a mass market “they want it, so I’m giving it to them” kind of campaign. But because Oprah has marketed herself as one who cares about animals, even getting a “Person of the Year” award last year from PETA, this KFC campaign is a serious disappointment to say the least.
This is because KFC buys their meat from Tyson, which is the largest chicken processor in the United States and is known for supporting a conglomeration of chicken CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). Inside these daylight-free hellholes, chickens are crammed so tightly together they can barely move. Worse, if we were to grow as fast as these broilers are bred to grow, we’d be 350 pounds by the time we were 2 years old. This is largely because these chickens are bred to have more breast meat (because that’s what the consumer wants), so many of them can’t even stand up. On top of that they produce so much shit that many farm workers get asthma just doing their job — and that is just the workers on the farm. Most of the Tyson workers spend their entire day on one part of the production line, slitting throats, de-feathering or removing intestines for hours on end. Yum. (video made by one worker, be warned, it is quite grotesque)
Just a recap: in order to have what we want to eat, we have created little monstrosities, which then get essentially tortured before routine killings performed by ill and disgruntled workers. And Oprah is encouraging this practice to continue!
If she would have taken the time to think about all this, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she would see that encouraging these practices is not in line with the Eckhardt Tolle, Live Your Best Life, “We will all be judged on how we treat the least among us” persona she sells on her popular television show. Individual choices do matter, especially the choices of those with enough money to buy every person in the United States two pieces of chicken.
If I were Oprah, I’d have struck a better deal with the fried chicken hawking establishment: She could have told KFC to change their buying practices, and only serve free-range chicken, and THEN give away free chicken. Had she done that, producers would start to see the value in letting their chickens outside to scratch the soil, eat grubs and peck grass.
by The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing. » Blog Archive » A big O no! Oprah teams up with KFC
On May 6, 2009 at 3:09 pm
[...] Animals We Eat” (see Kerry Trueman’s take over at Eating Liberally). Over at Civil Eats, Paula Crossfield is outraged, and frankly so are [...]
by Susan Rubin
On May 6, 2009 at 3:21 pm
The good news is that Oprah’s big boo boo is spreading like a virus in cyberspace.
My blog post on how Grilled KFC can be hazardous to your health is informative but not too harsh.
http://drsusanrubin.blogspot.com/2009/05/oprahs-free-kfc-meal-can-be-hazardous.html
Sean Croxton’s Re-think KFC You Tube post really rips into all that is wrong with this food recommendation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlxcj8o9dg
by Laura
On May 6, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Oprah’s not a beacon of light for America, really??? She’s just a business woman? I had NO IDEA! !!! And I highly doubt KFC would give away free chicken after being forced to cut production for ethical reasons.
And I’m an animal lover. But it’s so naive to expect anything more from Oprah in this case.
by pcrossfield
On May 6, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Why does she get a pass for being a business woman? I would still like for her to maintain some consistency of message.
by CHEESESLAVE
On May 6, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I have loved Oprah and have been a loyal fan since college. I am extremely disappointed in this decision on her part and will no longer watch her show.
It’s not *just* about the factory farms. They are also using soybean and cottonseed oil from genetically modified crops.
Please watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlxcj8o9dg
Go on Twitter and tell Oprah you don’t believe in supporting factory farms and GMOs. Just type in @Oprah and use the hash tag #oprahkfc
by Leila Abu-Saba
On May 7, 2009 at 1:56 am
The sides at KFC could be healthy. They used to serve collard greens, red beans and rice, and cornbread. All of these could be prepared with organic ingredients (good luck) or at least with less salt, less preservatives, less artificial ingredients.
That Oprah is giving away 2 pieces of fried chicken to every American disappoints me. I’m not accepting any, and I won’t let my kids have it either.
Google Mark Bittman and fried chicken – his recipe is easy. Do it yourself – much healthier.
by Oprah: Not America’s Arbiter of Taste « cakeaustin
On May 7, 2009 at 8:11 am
[...] Civil Eats has a good overview of the embroglio, one of the most spectacular PR disasters I have seen in a long time. Note the last paragraph in which a suggestion is offered as to what Oprah ought to have done to weild her power over KFC and to turn the tables. [...]
by The Local Beet: Chicago » Thursday Local Links
On May 7, 2009 at 8:38 am
[...] Say it aint so, O. (More here.) [...]
by Guilty Carnivore · Factory farmed chicken is not a new car, but at least it’s something
On May 7, 2009 at 11:58 am
[...] Oprah Gives Out Free KFC in Most Hypocritical Move Yet. (Civil Eats) It may seem harmless: a mass market “they want it, so I’m giving it to them” kind of campaign. But because Oprah has marketed herself as one who cares about animals, even getting a “Person of the Year” award last year from PETA, this KFC campaign is a serious disappointment to say the least. [...]
by PETA is Too Chicken to Grill Oprah | Deceiver.com
On May 7, 2009 at 12:46 pm
[...] at Civil Eats, Paula Crossfield has her organic panties in a wad about Oprah Winfrey’s big KFC grilled chicken giveaway yesterday. (If you heard about chicken [...]
by zestz » Blog Archive » Oprah Winfrey geeft kijkers gratis kipmaaltijd
On May 8, 2009 at 2:55 am
[...] had besteed aan legbatterijen en de misstanden op een varkenshouderij. De website Civil Eats windt er geen doekjes om: dit is Oprah’s ‘meest hypocritische daad [...]
by chowmama | Weekly Digest + HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
On May 8, 2009 at 7:09 am
[...] KFC promotion. Hypocritical from the 2008 PETA Person of the Year? See what Tree Hugger and Civil Eats have to say. Or tell @Oprah what you think and tag your comment with #oprahkfc (a Twitter search [...]
by Twitter Friday: Oprah’s KFC Coupons Congested Twitter | SEOptimise
On May 8, 2009 at 9:15 am
[...] hypocrisy of working together with PETA (animal rights organization) one day and advertising chicken meals [...]
by Lee
On May 8, 2009 at 12:53 pm
A complete travesty. Oprah has the ability to do so very much good. it’s just maddening when she pulls something like this.
by pcrossfield
On May 8, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Check out this great video explaining what is in KFC’s food:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlxcj8o9dg&feature=player_embedded
Great!
Best,
Paula
by Not the Minor Things, but the Finer Things « Daily Fortune
On May 12, 2009 at 1:45 am
[...] further called Winfrey “hypocritical” for embracing [...]
by kev501
On May 12, 2009 at 4:18 pm
“The Oprah Effect” strikes again! KFC isn’t the first to be overwhelmed by an Oprah mention. CNBC is airing a documentary about her power and influence called “The Oprah Effect” on Thursday, May 28th 9p ET | 10P PT.
Check out web extras at http://OprahEffect.cnbc.com
by Tony
On May 13, 2009 at 11:44 am
Oh Oprah..this is just too much…I’m tracking her now through Trackle
by Meat Free Radio » Blog Archive » Episode 19 - Meet Paul Seymour
On May 13, 2009 at 10:03 pm
[...] out these links we discussed: http://civileats.com/2009/05/06/oprah-gives-out-free-kfc-in-most-hypocritical-move-yet/ [...]