(Trinidad Express) The Anti-Bullying Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ABATT) is calling on local fast food restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to immediately remove an advertisement for one of its newest sandwiches that depicts a “love triangle”, in the wake of the murder of a teenage boy by a schoolmate allegedly under similar circumstances.
KFC, however, has said the purpose of the advertisement is being misconstrued.
Last week Monday, 14-year-old Renaldo Dixon was stabbed to death during a knife attack at Waterloo Secondary School by a 16-year-old schoolmate.
An autopsy performed by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov found that Dixon suffered a four-inch wound to the lower back, which punctured his left lung.
Alexandrov said there were defensive wounds to Dixon’s arms, indicating that he attempted to fight off his attacker.
Dixon was pronounced dead at the Freeport Health Centre.
A fifth form pupil has been charged for Dixon’s death and is expected to appear at the Couva Magistrates’ Court today
The fatal attack is said to have been caused by a love triangle involving Dixon, the suspect and a female schoolmate who was the romantic interest of the two boys.
In recent times KFC has been airing an advertisement for its “Double Sweet and Fire” chicken sandwich that highlights a “love triangle”.
ABATT has condemned KFC for the advertisement labelling it as “troubling, irresponsible and reckless”.
“The said commercial starts by displaying a young woman walking into a KFC restaurant accompanied by two young men,” a release from ABATT stated yesterday.
“Whilst watching the menu board to decide upon her selection, a fist fight ensues in the background, between the two young men, in an attempt to win the heart of the young woman.”
“Upon leaving the restaurant one of the men kicks the other behind the young woman’s back, whilst the trio exited the restaurant arm in arm,” the release stated.
ABATT said while some may view the commercial as “trivial and harmless”, “any form of violence in the public domain must be condemned”.
“The ABATT rejects outright all forms of violence, particularly in the face of the spiralling crime situation in our country, further in the wake of the recent youth ‘love triangle’ fracas, which led to the death of a 14-year-old, it is imprudent for such a commercial to be aired on television,” the release stated.
“Corporate Trinidad and Tobago has a critical role to play in shaping our society and our nation’s youth and as such it is imperative that all exercise proactive rather than reactive measures,” it stated.
“The ABATT urges the management of KFC Trinidad and Tobago to remove the said commercial forthwith and ensure that there is an undertaking that such content will not be displayed in the future,” the release stated.
Charles Pashley, chief executive officer of Prestige Holdings, parent company of KFC Trinidad and Tobago, said the “intent of the advertisement is pure”.
“It is not an advertisement that is meant to incite violence. It is absolutely not meant to be violent in any way, it is just friendly banter among three friends,” Pashley said in a telephone interview with the Express last night.
The “Double Sweet and Fire” advertisement has been running for as long as a month, long before the “unfortunate and heinous” incident involving Dixon, Pashley said.
Pashley described KFC “as an upstanding citizen” who has done a lot of philanthropy in the country and would never promote bullying.
He said it was “sad” that the ABATT would resort to a form of “bullying” in an attempt to get KFC to pull the advertisement.
The ABATT release was yesterday being circulated on social networking sites such as Facebook.
