Uproar Over KFC Using Buckets of Fried Chicken for Breast Cancer Fundraising

by Tara Lohan · 2010-04-30 13:48:00 UTC
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KFC's new motto seems to be Any PR is good PR. Shortly after unveiling the heart-attack-in-the-making Double Down, they're now trying to cozy up to our softer side by teaming up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, one of the highest profile breast cancer organizations.

Now if you purchase one of KFC's pink "Buckets for the Cure," the company will donate $0.50 to Komen. And if that weren't enough to tug at your heartstrings, they are also listing the names of breast cancers survivors and those who've succumbed on the sides of the bucket.

As Marion Nestle pointed out, the American Cancer Society's first recommendation for cancer prevention is maintaining a healthy body weight. Eating at KFC runs counter to that. And the hypocrisy has not been lost on Breast Cancer Action, which is calling out Komen and KFC.

In a new petition, Breast Cancer Actions says, "This pinkwashing is especially egregious because KFC, like most fast food chains, is overwhelmingly present in communities that have poor health outcomes. Susan G. Komen for the Cure knows that social inequities affect breast cancer mortality rates. Given this disconnect, we are especially disturbed by this partnership. It's preposterous, and we have to tell them to stop."

KFC's stunt is about as ridiculous as deciding to donate all the buns they didn't use for their new Double Down to food banks to feed the hungry. "You need go no further to understand why we need a more rational and effective food assistance policy in this country," commented Marion Nestle. The same could be said about our health care system.

Photo credit: mdid

Tara Lohan is a senior editor at AlterNet.org where she heads up the environment, water, and food sections. Her work has appeared on the websites of The Nation, Mother Jones, the Huffington Post and in Yes! Magazine.
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