Dreadlocked man in KFC ad triggers outrage

Fast-food restaurant KFC has found itself in the crosshairs of critics incensed by its latest social media campaign, which involves a dreadlocked man seemingly finding it hard to resist its Big Deal.

The ad, which appears on KFC Jamaica's social media pages, comes with the cheeky caption, "When it's the Big Deal, we get it ... it's hard to resist. What would you do for that perfect bite?"

However, not everyone is biting. Rastafarian scholar Micheal Barnett believes the use of the dreadlocked man in the ad completely misses the mark, crossing a cultural line that KFC may not have intended but should have been more mindful of.

"It's inappropriate because Rastafarians don't patronize KFC or other fast-food joints. Maybe they are trying to solicit the patronage of Rastas, but this is cultural insensitivity," Barnett stated.

He pointed out that Rastafarians have long faced ridicule from people and companies outside of their movement.

"Rastafarians have been exploited in tourism packaging, and there's little respect or cultural sensitivity shown. You've got the whole 'rent a dread' thing, fake locs sold to tourists, and paraphernalia mocking our culture. This KFC ad is just another example of people being unaware of the depth of Rastafarian values," Barnett reasoned.

He emphasised the need for a national discussion about the portrayal of Rastafarians in the media, noting how their image has often been used as the punchline in jokes.

"From as far back as I can remember, there's been this idea of 'mock the dread', where Rastas in plays are there to be made fun of. You'd hear things like, 'Give him some pork, man', or 'Hide the pork in the food', which is outright disrespectful," Barnett said, clearly frustrated by the long-standing stereotyping.

Barnett also questioned whether the man featured in the ad is truly a Rastafarian. "I strongly believe the person in the picture is not a Rasta. They probably just found someone with dreadlocks to fit the image, but a firm believer wouldn't participate in a KFC ad. It gives off the wrong message, as if Rastas endorse KFC, which isn't true. Rastas are about ital, natural food - fast food goes against our livity of staying close to nature and avoiding processed foods," he explained.

Efforts to get a comment from KFC's brand manager, Andrei Roper, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered.