KFC protests 'Sweaty Granny' similarity to Colonel, we giggle
Filed under: Food, Ripoffs and Scams
A chain of fried chicken restaurants launched in 2007 in China, called Ji'a'po or, according to The Sun, "Sweaty Granny," have earned the nickname by Chinese onlookers as the "long-lost sister" of the KFC Colonel. The woman's navy blue, pink and white image appears on signs that are, indeed, the same shade of red as KFC's iconic signs; she too is shaded on the left, as if the light source is coming from the chain's name. She even has an identical Southern "welcome-home" smile as Colonel Sanders. Her glasses are the same style; her hair swoops up and to the left, like the Colonel's. Maybe she's a long lost sister? In the U.S., it's fairly certain Granny would have been fined and forced to change her looks.
Not so in China, where evidently the differences -- she's a woman, after all, and she's wearing a red striped apron, not a bow tie, and, hey! no mustache or goatee -- are enough to differentiate the two fast food icons. China's State Administration for Industry & Commerce in China told KFC Ji'a'po isn't infringing on the American chain's intellectual property.
And certainly, it would be hard to argue that customers truly become confused when faced with the competing brands (though it is of course fun to see photos like this of the two signs side by side in the "wild"). One is a dead American guy who is actually not a Colonel, selling unhealthy fried chicken. The other is an imaginary American grandma who, it seems, is working in a hot kitchen and may be a bit stinky.
You know, upon further introspection, I pick neither.
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A chain of fried chicken restaurants launched in 2007 in China, called Ji'a'po or, according to The Sun, "Sweaty Granny," have earned the nickname by Chinese onlookers as the "long-lost sister" of the KFC Colonel. For all news about KFC, browse through this gallery.
www.unthinkkfc.com
Darron Cummings, AP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-12-2009 @ 9:10AM
robert said...
i hope she doesn't use MSG in her chicken like all of KFC's chicken.
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8-12-2009 @ 9:31AM
Robert said...
Looks like the Colonel's been "knockin' boots" with a sweaty granny.
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8-12-2009 @ 1:16PM
Niki said...
It may be fine in China, but over here there is already an american granny selling fried chicken, similar, if not better, to the Colonels. The restaurant is named Grandys, and for the longest time, the old lady was often seen in the logo. Originally the restaurant was named Grannys, but the name already existed, and had to be changed.
8-12-2009 @ 9:31AM
mark said...
LOOK IT'S FRANK PERDUES LONG LOST PARENTS!!!!!
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8-12-2009 @ 9:37AM
Wish Belkin said...
"She even has an identical Southern "welcome-home" smile as Colonel Sanders."
____________________________________________
However, unlike the Colonel she doesn't have tiny breasts and chubby thighs.
(Or maybe she does. It's hard to tell from the picture)
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8-12-2009 @ 10:07AM
Jim said...
This is why the Chinese will never be THE world economic power. I have done business with them and their business philosophy, and practices are abhorant to western business ethics. They have no respect for contracts, lie, cheat, and steal concepts and ideas with neither thought nor regret.. The Chinese are their own worst enemies when it comes to business. .
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8-12-2009 @ 10:14AM
Ron said...
You said it Brudda! The chinese are such thieves, they'll rip off each other much less anything American made.
Maybe something is lost in the translation but would you want to buy anything from Sweaty Granny?
8-12-2009 @ 11:14AM
Mokey said...
Mmmmm.... sweaty chicken
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8-12-2009 @ 11:41AM
Rob said...
Nah, see, what ya'll missed is that Harlan Sanders was originally chinese. His family immigrated to help build the railroads back in the 1800's. They jumped ship, so to speak, in Salt Lake City, where Hap San Gee (Harlan Sanders) later began selling his chicken made with his Sweaty Granny's old chinese recipes (Southern China, to be sure.) When the business took off, Hap changed his name, took the Colonel title to sound more American, and there we are. So Sweaty Granny is truly the originator of the business, and by rights, has claim to the Chinese rights... and is probably due a bunch of royalties. Just kidding.
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8-12-2009 @ 12:03PM
pleeseetmee said...
You were close. The Colonel was Korean. His restaurant was originally called Korean Fried Chimps, but when he saw how the blacks loved fried chicken he made some menu changes.
8-12-2009 @ 1:12PM
barbara said...
now thats funny!
8-12-2009 @ 11:41AM
whttcrap said...
As long as it's greasy, fried chicken, blacks will line up for miles to get it. And leave all their trash out in the parking lot.
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8-12-2009 @ 11:46AM
Steven said...
Your racist comment has no place on this or any other thread.
8-12-2009 @ 11:50AM
Louis said...
KFC is the worse animal abusers out there and not only are the chickens tortured they are very dirty, diseased,and kept in the thousands like sardine cans so crowded in they can't even move and some die and others step all over them and spread diseases from it and so much more it will make you sick! you really shouldn't dine at KFC,
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8-12-2009 @ 11:55AM
whttcrap said...
I've always been fond of negroes. My great, great, grandfather owned quite a few of them.
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8-12-2009 @ 11:58AM
pleeseetmee said...
Yeah, but that was when negroes were worth something.
8-12-2009 @ 11:57AM
D-ranged1 said...
lol i used to work for kfc this stuffs awesome dont try and turn people away becuase you are a bleeding heart hippee and have a hard on for animals
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8-12-2009 @ 12:04PM
cb7777 said...
Maybe obuma like Chinese fried chicken...he likes chinese style socialisim !
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8-12-2009 @ 12:15PM
kmfrost69 said...
China has little or no regard for copyrights, trademarks, or even a patient. When it comes to business I have been told they just strait copied a motorcycle build by a company in another country. And tried to import it into the US. One of their top (if not the top) imports to the US is our own United States Flag. Would you be willing to pay $10 for a flag made in America, rather than $6 for one made in China? I know I would.
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8-12-2009 @ 12:16PM
WEB said...
I find it diffucult to believe asians would eat at American fast food places, when their food is so much better. I know that each counyrtu changes its menu, like Germany who eat pork like Americans eat parts of beef, Germans enjoy McRib all year .
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