A Pink Bucket of Deceit

Allison O'Brien
ab536111@ohio.edu


The article that caught my eye the most was the one about KFC and their phony, deceptive marketing tactics.  It seems incredibly ironic that KFC is trying to help raise money for a terrible disease by encouraging bad eating habits that could contribute to other health problems and diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.  The article discusses KFC's "pink bucket" of chicken in which 50 cents from each bucket purchased is donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Like the article says, it appears that KFC is trying to "buy health credits" through their link with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzdmUWFd34qACdfWchXmKSUg69lJKOwj8dmqoDht7m1CxVXNEC6x8SyAKBXlLE3BU8FUHeAx0HFOf1jHTstHBddmcd4wiF-9ILXr4JaiH7AZenjbY4EGh4tawUiZdJw4eHe33fKSFUFdG/s1600/kfc-pink-bucket-72.jpg

  

According to the article, it appears that this isn't the only time that KFC has attempted to deceive their customers.  They have not only claimed that their food is "slow-cooked" when it's really just fried, but they have also tried claiming that their food is actually healthy.  In reality, fast food isn't healthy.  It's desirable because it's cheap and convenient.  They shouldn't try to deceptively claim health when it can simply be proven that they are not healthy.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has been under fire for various other reasons over the years including when some employees at a South African KFC were recorded washing raw chicken on the ground and when a California man claimed that KFC had served him a fried rat.  Both of these instances turned out to be false, but not before creating a media frenzy and concerning KFC customers all over the world.

This isn't the first time and it certainly won't be the last time that fast food companies use deceptive marketing and advertising tactics to convince their customers that what they are eating is healthy.  Another example of this is the marketing and advertising that McDonald's has done for their oatmeal.  In the article "How To Make Oatmeal...Wrong", Mark Bittman explains that while McDonald's claims their oatmeal is "a bowl full of wholesome," this is simply not the case.

Bittman says that while McDonald's is trying to advertise the healthy ingredients in their oatmeal, a more accurate list would be "oats, sugar, sweetened dried fruit, cream and 11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchen."

In this infographic from mindbodygreen, we can see the comparisons of McDonald's oatmeal to other oatmeals as well as comparisons between the oatmeal and other foods in regards to sugar, calories and saturated fats.  It reveals some shocking comparisons such as the fact that one cup of the oatmeal has as much sugar as 32 bowls of Quaker instant oatmeal and that one cup of the oatmeal has the same saturated fat as 5 toasted bagels.

Like the article says, KFC should stop using deceptive tactics and just be what they are: a fast food restaurant that sells fried chicken.  Stop the false marketing and advertising and know that people aren't going to stop eating fast food anytime soon.  When I eat chicken nuggets I know they aren't healthy, but they're convenient and cheap and that is why I buy them.  Companies will gain more respect from their customers if they are honest rather than if they are unethical, immoral and dishonest.