KFC’s New “Whole Chicken” Commercial Backfires

A new KFC commercial featuring close-up shots of live chickens relatably dancing to the tune of rapper DMX’s hit song “X Gon’ Give It to Ya’” is causing viewers to rethink eating the bird. Many who have seen the advertisement took to Twitter to express their disdain about the commercial, stating that it was “disgusting,” and that it made them want to stop eating meat after creating a connection between KFC’s food products and a real animal. “It certainly looks as if we designed it,” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals director Elisa Allen said, “because it challenges anyone thinking of eating chickens to look these smart, sociable, sensitive, and beautiful birds in the eye and recognize that they’re individuals, not body parts to be battered as nuggets.” In response, a KFC spokesperson told The Independent that the company stood behind its commercial, stating, “We’re proud of our chicken, freshly prepared in our restaurants and sourced from Red Tractor Assured farms, and we’re not afraid to show it.” Last year, a photo of a strip of bacon with a nipple still attached caused an outrage on Reddit as people made a connection between the pig’s flesh and a living animal, proving that a high level of cognitive dissonance—or disassociating the animal from “food” on a plate—is necessary for people to consume animal products.