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 6)
8-12-2009 @ 9:10AM
robert said...
i hope she doesn't use MSG in her chicken like all of KFC's chicken.
Reply
8-15-2009 @ 6:16PM
casey said...
Probably still tastes like abused, rotten animal corpses fed hormones and tortured in sick factory farms.
kfccruelty (dot) com
8-15-2009 @ 9:37PM
jeff martin said...
Yo, Bob. What do you think MSG means? I bet its "More Sweaty Granny"
8-15-2009 @ 11:26PM
Brandon said...
the slants invented msg and use it in all their food
8-16-2009 @ 12:39AM
George W Bush said...
I hate the taste of KFC, it is now a nasty mix of sub-standard chicken parts, but that being said, the Chinese are up to their standard BS. It is time to stop them in their tracks by sending them a message. The message is this "You are not following any rules of decent behavior in anything and you are fast becoming a blight on humanity. Become decent and fair NOW" How do we communicate this to them in a way they will not ignore as they ignore everything else they do not want to hear? Stop buying their goods and stop shopping at any store that is loaded with their goods and demand that your elected officials review the trade agreements with them and impose some stiff sanctions on these bandits.
8-16-2009 @ 1:01AM
NonHype said...
YUM...... abused, rotten animal corpses fed hormones and tortured.... Oh, my favorite! Really stop, you're making me hungry. Ok, That's it...I'm going to go and get some now and eat veggies, mashed taters and biscuts. Who's with me?
8-12-2009 @ 9:31AM
Robert said...
Looks like the Colonel's been "knockin' boots" with a sweaty granny.
Reply
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)
Reply
8-15-2009 @ 5:37PM
Dorothy said...
riboy has it right!
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. .
Reply
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?
8-15-2009 @ 5:33PM
riboy said...
Give me a break,lie, cheat. steal, American business wrote the book on these things. The Chinese learned from the best liars in the world and the last time I checked who is the worlds economic power China. Who owns nearly 1 trillion dollars of American debt,you got it China does.
8-16-2009 @ 1:28AM
Master Shake said...
About 20% of your income tax goes to paying just the INTEREST ONLY on loans from China and Europe. Your post is a perfect example of how Americans have no clue about their status in the world. You are BROKE. Your corporate-owned government sold your ass out while you were busy casting votes based on non-issues like abortion rights and gay marriage, suckers.
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 @ 11:14AM
Mokey said...
Mmmmm.... sweaty chicken
Reply
8-12-2009 @ 1:54PM
Bill800 said...
I think its funny - but I don't think I'd go to Sweaty Granny's any time soon. My sister-in-law does business with the Chinese and she says you have to watch them like a hawk.
Reply
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.