Oprah, KFC and me...

Ok it’s no secret I have a soft spot for KFC. Yes I know the wonderful irony that I am a vegetarian, but on occasion I eat KFC. Long ago I decided to eat the chicken of doom in every country that I visit, or at least every country that has a franchise. Perhaps it all stems from a very funny question a friend asked me years ago, “What do you call a vegetarian that eats chicken?” I thought it was the start of a joke, but it turns out she was honestly curious. I was dumbstruck and had nothing to offer.

I’ve been a veggie for years for a variety of reasons – heath and land-use ethics are the main ones – but another reason is discipline. I like the idea of facing a craving every day and saying no, not because of an ideological subscription, but by a conscious choice I make every day. To me this is a very powerful decision to make - a much harder one than simply saying that, 'I’m not allowed' and turning away. I say no to KFC (most of the time) because I choose not to and for no other reason.

So why am I babbling about KFC today? Well Oprah, yes that Oprah (she’s so entrenched into the cultural zeitgeist that ‘Oprah’ is pre-loaded into the Word spell-check – with Obama, iPod, and Facebook all getting the underline treatment) has decided to give everyone in America a meal at KFC. Go to her website and print out a coupon for a free meal at the grease pit. Apparently it is to promote some sort of healthy meal they are introducing.

What the fuck?

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that smelling KFC let alone eating it will take tangible amounts of time off your life expectancy. And not only is the most influential woman in America, no, the World saying it’s ok to eat it, she’s giving the shit away? I say again, what the fuck is up with that? I could go on for hours on the inevitable corporate kickbacks and dietary ramifications of such a credible celebrity (sorry does that sound like an oxy-moron to anyone else?) endorsing what is likely the most unhealthy meal on the planet but I’ll save you from that. I guess it’s just another strange turn of events in an already strange world…

I am still waiting for my free Dr. Pepper because Chinese Democracy hit the shelves before China became a democratic nation…

For more on my history with KFC click HERE. For more on celebrities selling out to fast food click HERE.