PETA responds to “Oprah-gate”

PETA has been noticeably quiet in regards to the recent KFC and Oprah partnership until now.  It’s pretty understandable since PETA had previously bestowed Oprah with the “2008 Person of the Year” for “using her fame and listening audience to help the less fortunate, including animals.”

PETA has sent the following response to Ecorazzi:

PETA was horrified and immediately wrote privately to Oprah to enquire as to whether KFC had deliberately misled her the way it has been misleading other consumers on its Web site. Seeing how strongly Oprah had publicly criticized cruelty to chickens in the food industry, PETA believes that Oprah was likely the victim of the very consumer deception practices that PETA cited in its recent complaint to the FTC about KFC. PETA president Ingrid Newkirk wrote, “I believe you had no idea that KFC has refused to take any action to stop its suppliers from scalding birds alive and breaking birds’ wings and legs during live shackling.”

Which, of course, is simply ridiculous.  Oprah knows what the hell “KFC” stands for, it stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken.  It’s not rocket science to see that the place sells chickens.  And since that is the case, there is no way that Oprah could possibly be deceived about what KFC does.

You know, I’ve been reading about this all day.  So many people think that KFC did this….thing….to offer free food to the homeless.  I am serious, people are up in arms about this.  Riddle me this.  If KFC did this to offer free food to the homeless then why would you offer the coupon on the internet?  The coupon was only available online and only for 24-hours.  How many homeless people have a computer and printer?  And, how would they even know about it unless they watched TV to see Oprah mention it on her show?  KFC did this to advertise their new grilled chicken and that is it.

Listen, I’m all for helping those people who are less fortunate than I am.  But lets not confuse the real issue here.  The real issue isn’t feeding the homeless, it is about someone with the resources to make a positive impact using that fame to allow a brutal company make more money by killing sentient beings.  All while making money herself as I am sure that KFC paid her for the advertising.

It’s a shame, she has the ability to make such a positive impact.  She has enough star power to pair herself up with anyone…she could have (and should have)  made a better choice.  Sigh.