Worth Watching: KFC Pulls Aussie Spot That Offends Americans
In the latest example of people being offended by ads never intended for them, KFC pulled a spot depicting a white Australian cricket fan distracting enthusiastic black West Indian fans by offering them fried chicken. Australians didn’t seem to mind, but when the ad was posted online, American viewers complained it played on a derogatory stereotype of black Americans, according to an AP report. (AdAge)
Don’t Call it a Comeback! Vibe Relaunches in December
Here’s an article I wrote that ran on The Uptowner on Vibe’s relaunch.
Vibe, the late, iconic, urban music magazine that chronicled hip-hop culture, will return to newsstands in December. Despite the challenges of reviving it—shrinking advertising dollars, a leaner staff, and an unrelenting recession—new Editor in Chief Jermaine Hall can’t wait for readers to “sink their teeth” into the first quarterly issue.
“I keep asking myself, ‘Should I be this confident about it?’” Hall said, laughing, between meetings at Vibe’s new digs on 125th Street. “But I really feel good about it.”
Hall, named editor in August, has his lips sealed about who’s on the cover. “Man, my publishers would kill me if I told you,” he said. He said that his new staff—more than a dozen, including his own industry contacts, long-standing Vibe editors like Rob Kenner (who’s “never not been on the masthead” ), and “a decent amount of new talent” –are cranking out a print magazine with a broader focus on urban culture and building a comprehensive web site.
Worth Watching: Tyler Perry Fires Back at Spike Lee
Spotted @ Clutch: Is it possible that both Perry and Lee only differ in the manner in which they present similar ideals or is this a case of “progress vs. regress”? To echo Lee’s initial statement, every artist should be allowed to pursue their artistic endeavors. But like the saying goes, “with great power, comes great opportunity.” (Read More)


