Thursday, April 9, 2009

Barack Obama Eats Fried Chicken? Who Knew?!!

I have the feeling that I probably need to go out and buy a lottery ticket. Yeah, I’m feeling kinda sorta like the blog fortune teller. Yeah, call me Negrodamus Jenkins or some shit like that.

About a week ago I made a post about Fried Chicken (Fried Chicken:The Next Movement) being the next movement. In that post, I featured a commercial for a Korean fast food chain that specialized in fried chicken, in Korea. Well, the commercial was racist as hell (trust me you have to see it to understand – just click the link above). Even so, just like I said on the post, I thought it was funny.

Ok, so not that the commercial was funny, or racism for that matter, but the idea of a commercial like that in this country would be funny. Ok yeah, so of course it would be offensive and deemed inappropriate, and that wouldn’t be funny. What would be funny is to see Negroes up in arms about it, and even staging protests and boycotts. Well lo and behold, the shit is happening right here in America, in my beloved New York City, in the very area where I call home known as Brownsville out in East New York. Yes, my mother still lives there to this day, as does many of my relatives, and yes it is home.

See the pic above? That’s the banner to a restaurant in Brownsville that serves fried chicken. One would think that the owner of this restaurant loves Barack Obama and voted for him. Uh huh, one would think that the owner of this restaurant is so much of an Obamaholic that he felt the need to change the name of his restaurant last week to show his support of the president. Well, that’s not exactly true. Just like everybody, this guy is cashing in on Obama-mania. Yup, this guy didn’t even vote for Barack because he just moved to this country from Bangladesh in January. Umm, that’s India for you geographically challenged readers; and no, it's not some town in Louisiana where Bobby Jindal played in the movie Slum Dog Millionaire.

Well, my brothers and sisters in Brooklyn aren’t taking too much to the name change, and have been protesting. Let’s see, fried chicken good, Obama name to sell fried chicken bad. Therein lays the dilemma and hence the reason why I think it’s funny. Surely there are always going to be the people among us who would overlook all the controversy and walk right in and still buy that chicken. And then I’m sure there are some who like a junkie fresh out of rehab would be tempted to give way to the drug that is the yard bird and relapse. Yes, somewhere in Brownsville there are a few fried chicken Pookies running around because that shit just be callin them.

Uh huh, and to me that’s what’s funny about this. I mean stereotypically speaking: it’s kinda like a sex addict boycotting the strip club because there’s a picture of a sexy stripper dressed as a nun on the marquee. The owner of the restaurant had pledged to change the name after being told of the community disapproval. Well, as of right now, dude has reneged on the name change and has decided to keep the name. Yup, the war over Obama Fried Chicken is on son! And this is why this is even funnier to me. Damn right, and I hope they get the NAACP, and all the rappers in on this.

Ok, so yeah you might say that it’s wrong for me to find humor in this, and I should support my brothers and sisters in Brooklyn since I always preach and speak of social change and justice. Yeah you’re right I always do, but if you’re not laughing at this, it’s because you’re not paying attention. I mean we’re talking about fried chicken here. Fried chicken that is being sold in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Sold by a dude from Bangladesh, who is down the street from a business called Obama Beauty Supply, that is owned by a dude name Mohammed Seraji whose hot item is the Michelle Obama wig that sells for $49.99. Hello?!! What’s wrong with that picture? Why protest the fried chicken joint instead of using your energy and enthusiasm to open your own fried chicken restaurant?

I mean hell, is changing the name of the restaurant going to stop the rampant Black on Black crime in Brownsville? Is it going to bring down the Black unemployment rate in the neighborhood, the city of New York, or the country? Right now Metro cards are going up in prices (that’s the transit system) because the state in running in the red, but people wanna protest Obama Fried Chicken?!! Do you see why I think this is funny now? Hell, maybe this is just a little poetic justice on the part of the guy from Bangladesh. For years, especially since 9/11, anyone who looks like they’re of Middle Eastern or East Indian descent is often referred to as a “Habib”. Uh huh, maybe the guy who owns this restaurant sees this as payback for his brothers and sisters being insulted and degraded. After all, people think Barack is Muslim, right?

Oh well, I think I’m gonna go out and buy a lottery ticket – you know buying lottery tickets is a Black thing too right?-yeah, hopefully I win a few millions so I could open my own fried chicken joint in the hood and call it Bin Laden Fried Chicken. We’ll see just how many people would be willing to boycott that joint. Hell I got one better: why don't we all protest Spell Check because everytime I type the name Barack Obama I get those red squiggly lines.


QUESTION:Do you see the name "Obama Fried Chicken" as racially insulting?

Checkout the throwback Brownsville anthem:

23 comments:

President Anthony Taurus said...

LOL.. there's an Obama's Fried Chicken on 115th and Lenox in Harlem too. I'm bout to blog it now lol

proacTiff said...

Question: Do you see the name "Obama Fried Chicken" as racially insulting?

No more than I paid any attention to Kentucky Fried Chicken having changed its name to KFC.

I loved the real life references that our people seem to be missing in the grand scheme of things!

Sassy Natural Mama said...

Its not "racially insulting." But its pretty rude to take the name of a country's leader/hero and put it on a cheap ass chicken joint. Imagine a Clinton Fried Chicken or MLK Wings! George W. Bush has an airport named after him. Obama, a chicken joint and "beauty supply" store. For shame!

Michael Horvath said...

If I saw that restaurant I wouldn't eneter it just because of the name. I won't support anyone who will pull stuff like that.

CareyCarey said...

See, stuff like this don't phase me at all. Hey, that's NY baby ...the entertainment capital of THE WORLD. It's funny and I might laugh and walk on by OR ...call me Pookie or call me Dookie I might roll up in there and grab me a couple of legs. Syyyyyit, if the food is right, whats in a name - really. I don't know why people do what they do and for the most part I don't care. The only time I really worry about a name is when I ask ol'girl who's ***** is this *lol*

There's bigger fish to fry ...really.

CareyCarey said...

Oh, if the previously mentioned Ol'girl says RiPPa's or Obama's then I might have a problem *smile* ..."who is that man and what does he mean to you" - old school song

Shabazz said...

I'm from brownsville, born and raised.
All I can say about this is, if it had been about 15 or 20 years ago, that place would've been riddled with bullets.

Shabazz said...

What's really killing me though, is that they come to our communities and do this shit, and we blindly walk like sheeps to slaughter, into these vampires' businesses. I live in VA now. I've been down here for 5 years, and I can't count how many racist experiences I've witnessed either personally, or as a third party. I'm in the process of getting my shit together so me and my family can relocate to another part of the US. I'll give you an example of how they do us: A gas station around my way recently got taken over by some hindus. Now, they have a whole rack on display of bongs, every blunt wrap flavor imagineable, and any cigar you can think of. I told the owner's ass off personally, because I shouldn't have to walk into a store with my kids and they have to be subjected to this shit. You wouldn't dare see that in a store in the white community. Another example: There's a supermarket that opened up not far from my house in a semi-rural part of town(Black community), owned by some afghanistans, and most of their items are 2-3 times the price of what you would pay in a store like walmart for instance. I called the owner of that store out on it too. The reason they monopolize in situations like this is because alot of the residents of the community have cars to go to another store. It disgusts me to the core to see the blatant raping and pillaging of our people on any level.I do not shop in either of those stores.

CareyCarey said...

I realize this is Big RiPPa's spot and it's not a discussion board so excuse me RiPPa.

But we've gone from chicken to bong pipes. Is the issue about unhealthy products in our neighborhood or the people that's peddling them ...huh, what's the real issue. Do I smell racism? I am sure there are a whole lot of funky spots in every hood. You can't run and you can't hide. Why cry about it?

Is this some new kind of crack or are we talking about chicken ..."Don't keep turning me on right in the middle of turning me off"

RiPPa said...

@carey: Its allgood family. This is why I post these topics; for discussion. I agree with you that we have larger issues with much more benefit than changing the name of this business.

@Shabazz: You're right, back in the day, that joint would be shot up. But see, thats what's wrong with leadership in my opinion. Asn trivial as this is, to me its going to incite the wrong reactions from some of our people. Rather than trip on this business, and always point the finger at the outsiders who come in and take our money, why not focus on getting our own like we used to.

@Miles: Have you ever shopped at Walmart? Most people have and continue to do so even though they have been well documented to take advantage of their employees who are often low wage earners.

@DC DIVA: I could only imagine what the inauguration was like. But hey, this is America, and I don't see people gettin pissed at the white folks selling those Obama coins and porcelain plates on TV.

RiPPa said...

@80'sBaby: But those are gov't ran institutions like the Bush airport. Being a private business the only thing this dude has to worry about is copyright infringement. Since the Obama name is a name and not a trademarked property, he can do that.

Shabazz said...

carey drooled:"I realize this is Big RiPPa's spot and it's not a discussion board so excuse me RiPPa.

But we've gone from chicken to bong pipes. Is the issue about unhealthy products in our neighborhood or the people that's peddling them ...huh, what's the real issue. Do I smell racism?"

I don't give a damn what you smell, I don't mind being called a racist; espescially if it's against people who couldn't give a shit whether me or anyone else who looks like me lives or dies, you damn skippy I'm a racist, and I'll wear that badge proudly.

Lola Gets said...

Honestly, I dont find it offensive, I find it funny.. Folks are going to do whatever they think is going to make them the most money. Apparently, folks think the Obama name is going to bring in the big bucks, so let them have at it.

L

Sassy Natural Mama said...

I'm just saying that the private owners who name their businesses after Obama wouldn't DARE name them after Bush or Clinton.

RiPPa said...

I'm just saying that the private owners who name their businesses after Obama wouldn't DARE name them after Bush or Clinton.

I feel you on that. Ain't no money in those other names. Everybody is putting their money on the Black dude right now (LOL).

CareyCarey said...

Thank you RiPPa

I know its not nice to bring mess in another mans house but I've been told if the kids get out of line you have to get that ass where they do their dirt.

We've all seen Harlem nights - right. Well Ol'boy said "don't take this ass whoopin per-per-personally, Shabazz, but we just fackin' up in here.

Look, if you give a smile you'll generally receive one. Why on earth would someone say they are proud to be a racist ...huh, splain that to me?! So, you can be a racist but Rahdah can't sell chicken with Obama's name on it ...sometin' ain't right.

I said racism, you said racist ...that's a big move. I got a little racism in me, am a black man in Amercica. But what kind of intelligent man would proclaim to the world that they are so entrenched in their hate that they would pawn their right to be respected.

Look, ain't going to hit you with a hardball cause I didn't bring a rag to clean up the mess. But listen, I don't think you are standing on right so wrong can't never win.

Are you a sports fan? Allen Iverson said, "practice, are we talking about practice" ...chicken, are we talking about chicken?

I'll talk about the issues but I don't think we want to do the full blast thang.

Micheal Jackson was the scarecrow in the Wiz. He was hanging on that pole and the blackbirds were pickin' at him. They made him sing a song. It went something like "you can't ....

Shabazz said...

Whatever Carey, you don't know me so mind your own damn business. You know absolutely nothing about me or my black experience, so who the hell gives you the right to pass judgement on me.
If you choose to live your kumbya love everybody bullshit, that's you. That doesn't mean you have the right to judge me or my beliefs. That's my business and my right to feel that way.
It's funny people like you always try to jump on your soapbox and get all high and mighty, but I never see that same fire when the kkk decides to march through your neighborhood.(I live in VA, which I've witnessed with my own eyes) And BTW- I personally don't care about your ass-kicking threats, I have more than enough people to protect me. Grow up, take your tail out from between your legs, and stand up like a Black man, not the puppet on strings society trained you to be, hell, your wife might even respect you more.

Peace

CareyCarey said...

You've said a whole lot of nothing young man but let me see what I can do with that without dropping my pants like you did. It's not uncommon for a man to feel he's standing on shaky ground and then to resort to slinging insults, I've been here before. I've seen weak men try to project their on confusion on someone else. I understand your position. They say a good offense is better than a good defense, since you were not standing on anything I feel you pain.

Let me take my tail out from between my legs and talk to you.

I feel like I am hitting a midget with a brick but you came to me with your tricks and lame treats. Look Shabazz, you are correct I do not know you but the more you talk that nonsense, I am getting a pretty good picture of you. You hurt us man ... black men. You seem to fit the sterotypical image of the angry black man. What are you mad about? I didn't judge you brotha, I merely observed and commented. So you live in VA ???? ...I have a son that lives there??? So you lived in Brownsville??? Maybe that's your problem. Clowns on the left of you ...jokers on the right ...stuck in the middle with the angry black man ...YOU. Move around and open up brotha. This is a blog were discussion and differing views is what it's all about. If mine differs from yours, nobody is wrong. Listen, gets some tools that will help you debate. Try to stay with facts and your game will improve, it's hard to fight facts. Right now it's seriously lacking in substance. You know what I mean? Don't let your emotions rule your brain. It's a sign of weakness.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I find it funny. These cats come from foreign soil and they recognize what sells and they hop on it. It's not racially unjust to me. If Obama ain't saying nothing about it, why is everybody else? Why do you think there are so many foreign stores and shops in black neighborhoods? They know what sells and how to sell it and they don't hesitate to go after it. I am lmao at the Obama hair store though with the Michelle Obama wig, but I'll be that's their best selling hairpiece too.

Shabazz said...

You don't know nothing about me old man, I gaurantee you wouldn't be talking shit in person. It's ok though pc gangster go on get your rocks off mark

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