An Upper West Side Whole Foods has removed a sign that used a drawing of President Barack Obama to advertise a sale on chicken after complaints that the ad was offensive.
The sign outside the supermarket on Columbus Avenue and 97th Street featuring an apparent caricature of Obama advertising an upcoming sale on whole organic chicken outraged neighbor Woody Henderson.
“There are certain things that have been used to put down black people — watermelon, fried chicken,” he said.
Jason Nunez of the Bronx said, “Even if he’s not the president, you’re going to have an African American promoting the sale of chicken? They can do better than that.”
Residents and passersby agreed the man in the sign looks like Obama but not all thought it was derogatory.
“Obviously it looks like the president, but I don’t think it’s racist,” said Joseph Joshua.
A spokesman for Whole Foods said store artists create a variety of pop culture imagery to promote sales and events. The sign advertising the chicken was put up earlier in the week but taken down “once it was brought to our attention by a shopper that it may be perceived as offensive,” said the spokesman.
“There was no disrespect meant at all,” the spokesman said.
Henderson thinks the chain should take more responsibility. Another neighbor, Jeffrey Schaper, said, “I don’t think you can find a more pro-Democratic neighborhood. They’re sort of shooting themselves in the foot. It is pretty outrageous.”
(Source: NBC New York)
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4 Responses
Fried chicken and watermelon have been used as stereotypes of African Americans. (Probably out of northern stupidity, because they are really just southern foods, and northerners exposure to southern people was African Americans.)
And if that was used a negative stereotype, then sure, we shouldn’t use it. I wonder if that is the case though; not every stereotype has a negative connotation. And do stereotypes bother us when they are neutral?
If a deli was advertising their pastrami and showed Joe Lieberman eating it–would I be offended?
The PC world is getting outrageous. To discriminate against white men is perfectly pc
Remember the black boy and the sign You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Levy’s Jewish Rye. And nobody was offended except Levy if you did not buy their Rye bread
I guess this means we can’t show black musicians playing jazz? Japanese people eating sushi? (I never saw a white or black sushi chef, only asian)
People are so easily offended. Black people invented fried chicken, it’s delicious and we should acknowledge their contribution. Especially since February is supposed to be Black History month.
I like to make fried chicken. If blacks don’t want it anymore, they can use my picture as long as everything is kosher.