Whole Foods Pulls Chicken Ad Featuring Drawing of...Obama

WNBC-TV

A Whole Foods Market in New York pulled an advertisement that used a drawing of President Barack Obama to hawk chicken after complaints that it was offensive, WNBC-TV reported.

The hand-drawn sign for the Whole Foods in Manhattan's Upper West Side was promoting a one-day Friday sale for $1.99 organic chicken. In it, an angry-looking Obama appears to be shouting the lower price.

Neighbor Woody Henderson told the station he was outraged by the sign.

"There are certain things that have been used to put down black people — watermelon, fried chicken," Henderson said.

Jason Nunez of the Bronx was similarly dismayed, saying: "Even if he's not the president, you're going to have an African-American promoting the sale of chicken? They can do better than that."

Not everyone took issue with it.

"Obviously it looks like the president, but I don't think it's racist," Joseph Joshua told WNBC.

A spokesman for the upscale supermarket chain told the station that store artists use a many different pop culture images to promote store sales and events. He said the sign was put up earlier in the week but removed "once it was brought to our attention by a shopper that it may be perceived as offensive."

"There was no disrespect meant at all," the spokesman said.

It's worth noting that Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey made headlines last month when he described President Barack Obama's health care overhaul as "fascism."

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Featured image WNBC-TV.