Can Chicken Wings Be Racist?

Published on Tuesday, September 28, 2010, by James Norton / Edit Post

Big Shot Bob's House of Wings in Avalon, Pennsylvania, has a little bit of a PR problem on its hands, thanks to a poorly named flavor of chicken wings: Black on Black Crime. Yikes.

Restaurant owner Matt Cercone reportedly said, "If I had any idea this would happen, it wouldn't have gotten on our menu. We've been getting threatening phone calls here, and there are people saying we're going to go out of business."

Cercone has now changed the name to "Big Fine Woman 2000," a moniker picked by the woman who first brought the controversy to the local forefront. (For the inquiring gastronomer: The actual wing flavor, according to the restaurant's website, is "Dark BBQ sauce and Black Magic." Um, OK.)

Of course, this is hardly the first time food and racial issues have crossed paths: The Southern Poverty Law Center was less than pleased with a sign at the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar invoking Obama and the n-word, KFC ran a chicken-themed ad in Australia that was deemed less than sensitive, and, of course, there was once a fairly massive restaurant chain called Sambo's that faded in popularity as complaints of racial insensitivity piled up.

Accusations, of course, don't always equal a serious incident: Questlove, the drummer for the Roots, photographed and angrily tweeted an NBC cafeteria Black History Month menu featuring fried chicken, collard greens, and black-eyed peas—but the menu's author, a black chef, defended the choice of soul food as being right on target for the theme.

Image source: Flickr member yaaaay under Creative Commons
ALLFood Media
POST A COMMENT |22 Comments

COMMENT

  • We are too stuck on stupidity. We look so ridiculous to the rest of the world. We are imploding because of our own bigotry. Words are spoken. They could mean anything depending on the speaker. Words are heard. They could be interpreted in many ways depending on the hearer. That is what makes our country unique and great. If we can't be more empathetic before we speak, and if we can't be tolerant...+READ

    We are too stuck on stupidity. We look so ridiculous to the rest of the world. We are imploding because of our own bigotry. Words are spoken. They could mean anything depending on the speaker. Words are heard. They could be interpreted in many ways depending on the hearer. That is what makes our country unique and great. If we can't be more empathetic before we speak, and if we can't be tolerant when we hear, we are just trouncing on everything our ancestors fought for. The restaurant was NOT empathetic enough to see the insult and the hearers were not tolerant enough to laugh it off. If they can't do this, there can never be any dialogue that would help each side to be considerate of the other. "Words are turds; know your offal."-COLLAPSE

  • PS: What color is a "person of color?"

  • I just want to point out that other signature wing flavors they offer are: "Thunderlips," "Sweatshop," "The Talk of Beaver Falls," "Black Magic," "Bada Bing," and "Cool Runnings." Most of the magic black offerings look like they probably have seasonings like blackened catfish, and the Cool Runnings ones have Jamaican jerk seasoning. The Sweatshop flavor with hot chili garlic sauce could be called...+READ

    I just want to point out that other signature wing flavors they offer are: "Thunderlips," "Sweatshop," "The Talk of Beaver Falls," "Black Magic," "Bada Bing," and "Cool Runnings." Most of the magic black offerings look like they probably have seasonings like blackened catfish, and the Cool Runnings ones have Jamaican jerk seasoning. The Sweatshop flavor with hot chili garlic sauce could be called racist too. In any case, looks like a fun if insensitive selection of names. The only groups who don't get an insensitive name are Latinos and LGBTs on their menu.-COLLAPSE

  • Prav,
    You are Oversensitive. There, I said it. Now take your statistics and do something positive other than complaining. Try boycotting the Hip Hop world which exploits and glamorizes "bitches and ho's" "40's and 9's" and of course Black on Black Crime (drug dealing, murder, prostitution, etc). Personally I think the name of the wings is HILARIOUS, so long as the chef is black and the wings are...+READ

    Prav,
    You are Oversensitive. There, I said it. Now take your statistics and do something positive other than complaining. Try boycotting the Hip Hop world which exploits and glamorizes "bitches and ho's" "40's and 9's" and of course Black on Black Crime (drug dealing, murder, prostitution, etc). Personally I think the name of the wings is HILARIOUS, so long as the chef is black and the wings are like crack!-COLLAPSE

  • There's nothing worng with that name. The only people that see anythiong wrong with it are a handful od shit disturbers who just like to have a reason to point fingers because of their own insecure racial feelings towards others. "Black on B;ack crime" was a phrase used by a famous black fighter "Quinton Rampage Jackson" in a televised interview prior to an upcoming battle with another black...+READ

    There's nothing worng with that name. The only people that see anythiong wrong with it are a handful od shit disturbers who just like to have a reason to point fingers because of their own insecure racial feelings towards others. "Black on B;ack crime" was a phrase used by a famous black fighter "Quinton Rampage Jackson" in a televised interview prior to an upcoming battle with another black fighter "Rashad Evans". Just as in the case above where Questlove, the drummer for the Roots, photographed and angrily tweeted an NBC cafeteria Black History Month menu featuring fried chicken, collard greens, and black-eyed peas—but the menu's author, a black chef, defended the choice of soul food as being right on target for the theme. It's a non wining battle. The only time we are going to get away from racisim is when the same people that like to point fingers keep their unfounded opinions to themselves.-COLLAPSE

  • To those of you who don't "get it" - here are some facts.

    While African Americans comprise 13.5% of the U.S. population, 43% of all murder victims in 2007 were African American, 93% of whom were killed by African Americans. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau).

    If you think joking about "black on black crime" is light-hearted, funny, cute, or clever, then you are a sick individual. As a person of...+READ

    To those of you who don't "get it" - here are some facts.

    While African Americans comprise 13.5% of the U.S. population, 43% of all murder victims in 2007 were African American, 93% of whom were killed by African Americans. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau).

    If you think joking about "black on black crime" is light-hearted, funny, cute, or clever, then you are a sick individual. As a person of color, I find it pretty offensive.

    Now I await the responses calling me "oversensitive".-COLLAPSE

  • Why exactly is the phrase "black on black" racist? People are so f%%%^&NG paranoid.

  • maybe it's the 'crime' part that has people skittish? why bring that into a food name? People are getting weird. -er.

  • The wings were named by a black guy and blacks can't be prejudiced. So what's the problem?

  • The wings were named by a black guy. The soul food menu was made by a black guy. That makes it ok. I think people are mad because the owner of the restaurant is white and they don't know the wings were named by a black guy.

  • My mother was Japanese but so open to any food and a fabulous cook.
    She would make any cowboy proud - fried chicken, roasts, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, cornbread and her specialty - cinnamon rolls.

  • Hell is other people.

  • In Minneapolis there's a KFC that has a sign by the menu board "All white orders cost 10% more." Of course they mean all white meat orders, but as it's in a predominantly African American neighborhood, I think it's tinged with a good bit of humor. That sign's been there forever and nobody says a word because it's funny, dagnabbit.

  • Perhaps the moniker of Black on Black Love would not have met with as much resistance.

  • And I just looked at their menu - all the wing names are clever. Chili Palmer, Mean Joe Green (local football player)...

  • I don't think 'B on B Crime' as racist - they were merely trying to be clever. Maybe they didn't explain it enough on the menu (and we clever people HATE to explain our cleverness...). I don't think a dessert (of what - a sweet white cake with loads of white frosting and ice cream?) called White Death would be racist.
    Some are overly sensitive, and this wasn't the best idea. But the new name?...+READ

    I don't think 'B on B Crime' as racist - they were merely trying to be clever. Maybe they didn't explain it enough on the menu (and we clever people HATE to explain our cleverness...). I don't think a dessert (of what - a sweet white cake with loads of white frosting and ice cream?) called White Death would be racist.
    Some are overly sensitive, and this wasn't the best idea. But the new name? UGH! I would never order a dish with a name like that. And where are the overweight, to complain about that name?
    You can't win. I would have compromised with B on B Fine.-COLLAPSE

  • Some try to make things bigger than what they seem. It was a bad PR move nothing more nothing less.

  • If they have a menu item, say a skinless chicken breast covered in a mayo based bar.q.que sauce (yes there is such a thing) and its called "White on White crime" well, then they get a pass. Otherwise, this is some racist bull*#@%.

  • I have been to a restaurant outside outside Jackson, Miss. where on the menu hog maws (that had something served with it that escapes me) are preceded by "not for white folks". I thought that was the funniest thing... but racist... but I doubt it was meant maliciously (but I could be dense). I cannot tell you how many times Thai or Indian places tell me that white people (that being me - the...+READ

    I have been to a restaurant outside outside Jackson, Miss. where on the menu hog maws (that had something served with it that escapes me) are preceded by "not for white folks". I thought that was the funniest thing... but racist... but I doubt it was meant maliciously (but I could be dense). I cannot tell you how many times Thai or Indian places tell me that white people (that being me - the orderer) do not like that. Or that a particular item in not on the white people's menu say in a Chinese, Malay or Vietnamese place.

    No. Things haven't changed much. Sometimes racism is overt like Mr Black on Black crime wings or others sorts where we just pass it off as a who cares item. But racism is racism - whoever says or writes it.-COLLAPSE

  • Sooo.... I think it's a great name. What? The public would have preferred Black on White Crime, or White on Black Crime? If Matt Cercone was attempting to be racist, he could have done a much better job. Hey... a friend of mine who used to live in Austin got the bar where he worked to name their fried cod sandwich the "Coney Island Whitefish". FUNNY.

  • No idea that "Black on Black Crime" would be offensive/controversial? That restaurant owner is either an idiot or is disingenuously stirring up controversy for the publicity -- in which case he's succeeded.

  • Wow. Things haven't changed much, I see.