In an effort to prove that KFC is mercilessly torturing their chickens, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals representative Pulin Modi organized a rally on Forest Avenue against the multi-million dollar corporation last week. Modi, and PETA, claims that KFC is not only killing 850 million chickens a year, but also breaking their bones, slitting their throats, and ripping their beaks off while the chickens are conscious. “We’re not trying to run KFC out of business,” says Modi. “We just want them to adhere to PETA standards.” (He claims it would cost the company just two cents per meal to make the changes he wants.)
It was questionable, though, whether the protest — seven protesters holding signs bearing anti-KFC sentiments — was a success: the drive-through was still lined with cars, and patrons were still purchasing that finger-licking fried goodness.
As a move intended to highlight KFC’s alleged wrongdoing, but really just pissing off a bunch of KFC employees and fans of the Colonel’s secret recipe, a woman in chicken outfit crossed back and forth across Forest Avenue for an hour, all the while limping on crutches and leaning on a fellow activist holding a sign that read “Broken Wings and Legs.” Modi’s pleadings of the case of the poor, defenseless chickens, filled with scorn for the evil extra-crispy-or-original-recipe corporation, was really just regurgitation of information that can be found at www.KentuckyFriedCruelty.com, a PETA Web site.
But even his prepackaged info was better than that of the local KFC manager, whose response was to tell us he could give us the company’s media-relations phone number, and then, to refuse to give us the number.
The most original thought came from a friend of an unnamed KFC employee. “This is fucking bullshit, guy,” says Brent Hood. “There are a lot of bigger problems in this city than chicken. My friend works here, and this could take his job.”
Aginah Nelson, a customer-service representative for KFC cleared the air once and for all. “KFC is committed to the humane treatment of animals,” says Nelson, who denied all allegations of chicken maltreatment. “We don’t tolerate any animal abuse.”
