White woman explains her thoughts on Black people and chicken (BBC Newsbeat screengrab)
The BBC Newsbeat came under fire Monday after it posted a Twitter video sourcing the myth of Black people’s love for fried chicken.
Initially tweeted with the phrasing, “Black people and fried chicken – is there any truth in it?” the clip was removed and replaced with the following caption, removing the “fried” descriptor.
“Black people like chicken more than others – myth or reality?”
According to Newsbeat‘s Twitter account, the video is part of their documentary, That Black British Feeling. It also came at the end of Black History Month in the UK.
Black people like chicken more than others – myth or reality? https://t.co/yIOsUTzUXl
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) October 31, 2016
In the 1-minute clip, one white British woman recalled what her Black friend told her about poultry.
“A lot of Black girls that I know,” she began. “They’re always like, ‘yeah, I know I eat loads of chicken because it makes your bum bigger.’ ”
“If that was the case I would be having chicken every single day,” one Black woman retorted.
Then, a Black man rationalized that because of the prevalence of diabetes in Black families, chicken is the go-to meat over more fatty products like beef or lamb.
Reaction flooded in swiftly.
AR questioned how chicken became pinned on Black people since the community eats many other meats.
https://twitter.com/aroueno/status/793143055725555712
HabKat summed up BBC’s purported conclusion that being a Black Brit means eating chicken.
BBC said the video was looking at what is to be black and be British…so being black British is eating chicken? Alright
— Habibakatsha (@Habibakatsha) October 31, 2016
Solomon shook his head about BBC asking “a bunch of white people” about the truth of the Black stereotype.
So to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth. @BBC decided to ask a bunch of white people if the 'black people like chicken' stereotype is true 😒 SMH
— Sean 'Piffdarkie' Solomon (@Piffdarkie) November 1, 2016
B similarly called out how the program bypassed the deep history of Black people to discuss a stereotype.
https://twitter.com/NoTweetsByBilal/status/793175261965606912
Spooky Camila wondered why none of the producers at BBC Newsbeat thought about going in a different direction.
@BBCNewsbeat ur telling me not one of the producers thought to give this video any other purpose than perpetuating stereotypes? delete this
— $POOKY CAMILA (@CAMILAFLOR3NCIA) October 31, 2016
Rants pointed out the station also asked if it’s ever OK for white people to use the n-word. Some of them in the clip said it is.
BBC Newsbeat are moving bookey, 1st they ask if black ppl really love chicken & now they've asked if white ppl should ever use the n word.
— rid? (@rantsisdead) October 31, 2016
And when Newsbeat tweeted the chicken stereotype video again later, it featured an even more cleaned up caption. That was something Black female-led KWSB‘s Twitter account called them out on.
“Black people like fried chicken more than others – what’s the reality?” the video description said.
The way you initially posted the video reveals your true intentions so don't try and backtrack how insulting pic.twitter.com/aAf2BU9IGz
— gillian (@gillian_rb) October 31, 2016
