UPDATE: City To Remove 14 Blocks Of Bike Lanes On Bedford Ave.
Leftover Metrocard Change Infuriates Some
Hamster Rides The 4 Train
Bouncer Beatdown at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club
Obama's Afghanistan Plans: 30,000 More Troops, Withdraw By July 2011
Unsurprisingly, not everyone is a fan of the Obama Fried Chicken joints that have popped up around town. Councilman Charles Barron says, “It’s exploitative. It's like saying Obama is a watermelon lover.” He is now planning a protest outside of the Brooklyn outpost on Monday. Another Brooklyn establishment cashing in on the name is the Crown Heights restaurant called Obama Flavor Caribbean Soul Food. However, one local argued, “I liked it even better...It is showing respect (to have) Obama’s name in the community.” The White House couldn't be reached for comment by amNY, but they point out that the feds ruled that Sixpoint Craft Ales' Hop Obama draft was a violation of certain alcohol sales rules (but it is legal for restaurants to use the name). What do you think, is using Obama's name in this scenario a point of pride or prejudice?
Obama Fried Chicken Protest Scheduled
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebookComments (34) [rss]
Post a comment (Comment Policy)
Tips
Newsmap
Contribute
Aside from all other issues, I'm less likely to eat at a place if it relies on a gimmick, and this is as big a gimmick as you can find. No one will be more likely to eat at these places because of the name, and in fact the name may push away potential customers who find it unsavory to unofficially claim our President as a spokesperson.
They'll go out of business quickly enough, and then it won't matter either way.
Have you seen the stands selling unofficial Obama t-shirts and other memorabilia? Granted, it's not exactly the same as these restaurants, but it points to the fact that people aren't turned off by commercial exploitation of Obama's name and image.
I saw a van selling "Obama coins" a month after the election. Who buys coins from a van parked at the curb? Crazy.
Pride or prejudice... “It’s exploitative. It's like saying Obama is a watermelon lover.”
Isn't that a racist, stereo type is ever there was one? And really, if Sharpton hasn't complained yet, it must not be racist!
Does anyone know whether the proprietors are black or white? I'm sure it will make all the difference to Barron.
I believe there are 2 owners who are white and actually live in Martinsville Indiana.
If they're white they're business and lives will get ruined. If they're black, at most they'll have to change the name. If a white guy says nappy headed ho he loses his career. If a black guy says it he says a million records.
This is just as exploitative as Kennedy Fried Chicken. Which is to say, just as silly, pathetic, and meaningless. I think I'll start a XXX shop called Barron Watermelon Boobs, Collar'd Underpanties.
Barron has made a career out of racial politics; why stop now?
For the next eight years no one can refer to the Prez as a chimp or associate him with fried chicken or they're racist.
Granted, after the last 8 years chimp is kind of worn out.
Sharpton Fried Chicken would make more sense and be much more appropriate.
Umm...isn't associating watermelon with fried chicken just as random/racist/unneccessary?
Third option request: Pride, Prejudice, or ______.
If they're white they're business and lives will get ruined. If they're black, at most they'll have to change the name...more likely they'll have a line out the door. If a white guy says nappy headed ho he loses his career. If a black guy says it he sells a million records.
Don't let these whiteboy academics tell you how to enjoy your food. If you black and like watermelon and fried chicken, just enjoy the shit out of it like millions of americans do daily. Black people also like oxygen last time I checked. I don't even know how saying someone likes fried chicken and watermelon became a denigrating insult.
Don't let these whiteboy academics tell you how to enjoy your food. If you black and like watermelon and fried chicken, just enjoy the shit out of it like millions of americans do daily. Black people also like oxygen last time I checked. I don't even know how saying someone likes fried chicken and watermelon became a denigrating insult.
dugg
http://tinyurl.com/dbsnu8
Since when did ethnic food become racist?
There's and Indian family that owns the most sterotypical pizza/sub/pasta place around the corner from me on 9th ave. They gave the place a fake Italian name and everything. Their pizza rocks and they're really nice. Are they racist? I think not.
If Obama fried chicken is racist that means Irish bars serving 90 beers on tap need to go, Jewish delis serving rye bread and lox need to go, Greek Diners serving everything from gyros to matzo ball soup need to go, pan-asian fried everything and sushi joints run by any and all asian ethnicities are totally racist in their uniformity, and falafel carts run by every ethnic group ranging from eastern europe to the carribean also need to go.
Since when did ethnic food become racist?
Nah, you're right. It's just everyone's imagination that bigots since time immemmorial have always made cracks about blacks loving to consume watermelon, fried chicken, McDonalds, grape soda, and other ordinary food items that most everyone eats.
Like when Fuzzy Zeller "joked" that at the Masters dinner, they would be serving fried chicken and collard greens (because of Tiger Woods). Or trolls everywhere before the Obamas even moved into the White House joked that it would start "smelling like fried chicken."
Or how someone I know is embarrassed about a bigoted relative of hers who does "funny things" like order a bucket of KFC to "celebrate Martin Luther King Day".
I mean, gimme a break. I'm so sick of the Born Yesterday Crowd who like to "play naive" whenever issues like this come up and then serve up stupid, terrible analogies that have nothing to do with what's being discussed.
Pizzerias being given an Italian name? NO COMPARISON. Greek diners serving gyros? NO COMPARISON. Pizzas and gyros are a legitimate expression of Greek and Italian cuusine, not something that was artifically pinned onto them as something that they "only" like to eat and "can't get enough of."
But it makes sense why your analogies would be illogical. Who SAID that "fried chicken was ethnic/ black food?" It's not! It's regional! I mean, gimme a break, the most successful franchise that became synonymous with fried chicken (KFC) was started by a white man and had as its icon a Southern white patriarch. But now all of a sudden, fried chicken is "ethnic food" in your eyes.
Now I see why you don't understand why some ppl would be annoyed with this; you're part of the problem. You start out complaining that people are unfairly labeling this whole thing bigoted, when the very premise you base your comlaint on is ignorant-- that somehow, fried chicken is "ethnic food" (i.e., black people food).
Good one!
----
P.S. one more picture for the Born Yesterday Crowd:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/827473693_11cc9ab40f.jpg
In case you can't see it, it's a statue of Colonel Sanders (presumably in front of a Tokyo-based KFC). He's wearing a kimono and holding a wedge of watermelon. Nice to see stereotyping has also made its way to places as far away as Japan.
It's the capitalist spirit of America, yo. Any angle to make a buck! Though it may cause some to shake their heads, you can't say it isn't predictable and, in a benefit-of-the-doubt kind of way, a sign of the irrepressibly shameless business instinct that sets America apart from more staid places.
Aslo, Barack's father is Kenyan, not deep south african american. His white mom from Kansas would be waaaaay more likely to be digging into a juicy deep fried drumstick.
Let's wait and see what B. Obama's take is on all this. Maybe he will brush it off as humorous and then have the owners tax records secretly audited for the last ten years, or take a piece of the action. Kind of like the colonel did back in the original KFC days.
I like fried chicken and I want you all to know I'm not black. Watermelon makes me pee too much so I don't like it anymore.
Eh. I'd rather have Popeye's or better yet, buffalo wings anyway. Although I'd like to try some of those Korean-style chicken wings I've heard so much about.
Do you have any locations down in the Village or SoHO or Tribeca that make those Korean-style chicken? I hear they are crispy and delicioso with out being greasy.
I know church's pressure cook their chicken and there are times when I have a craving for cheap chicken.
but since there's piece of chicken nearby, I pass em by.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
If anyone it exploitative, it is Barron.
Absolutely stop using this business name. Notwithstanding the points above, we ultimately are talking about respect and deference to the 44th president of the United States of America. This concern trumps all others.
Absolutely stop using this business name. Notwithstanding the points above, we ultimately are talking about respect and deference to the 44th president of the United States of America. This concern trumps all others.
Jen Carlson exists exclusively for comment-baiting posts. If she's getting paid by page views, she's RICH by now. UGHHHHH
touchy touchy touchy
Jen is doing a great job at what she is doing. If you don't like how she put's a story together I would suggest bypassing her articles. Her name is listed at the bottom so it's easy to find.
How do you think Rev Al can afford all those expensive suits he wears?
I saw a Obama Pedicure place in Vegas a couple of weeks ago. It had a picture of him on the sign.
If it wasn't for those damn spaghetti snappers this world would be prejudice free.
OBAMA isn't even a typical black American name. Although it is undeniably a memorable name--and right now attached to a sitting U.S. president who is half-black (and for the person who argues Kenyan, so be it, tell that to those who elected him because of his African-American identity) the name is not exclusively his. It's not trademarked or copyrighted, so get over it. This is a country built on capitalism and if people freely choose to purchase their chicken there and get a laugh out of it, so be it. I don't laugh when I see t-shirts denigrate the White House which read, "Whose House is it now -- Obama's House!!" but I'll get over it also. And those shirts are worn in all sorts of ways I don't find funny. But since the wearers are black, I guess they don't mean no disrespect to the White House now, do they. No pun intended. Yeah, right. Live a little people, go to D.C. and right there on Pennsylvania Ave. there's a place called--wait now--it's a little insulting, "Slick Willy's" named for Clinton. And another one in Arkansas. This is America. Get over it!
Just notice the colored tiles outside the chicken place and reread your piece. You asked whether it's pride or prejudice. Just before the election I noticed a group of Arabics DANCING in the crowd during an OBAMA rally in my hometown. Happy as could be. Knowing middle-eastern culture a bit and seeing the black or blue and white tiles on the outside of this joint, it could actually be an appeal to pride. Barack Obama represents a new day for Arabs and Muslims in America because of his roots and this place looks like it could appeal on that basis. After all, it's not a hot dog stand (good Muslims don't eat pork).