This is the text of a letter sent by Rocky Mountain NAAFA to KIA regarding their very distasteful adertiing campaign at the start of 2001
Rocky Mountain NAAFA
PO BOX 370381
Denver, CO 80237
January 13, 2001
Kia Motors America
P.O. Box 52410
Irvine, CA 92619-2410
To Whom It May Concern:
The members of the Rocky Mountain chapter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance find the Kia Motors television commercial depicting a fat man leaning into a refrigerator, stealing lunches, shoving food into his mouth and mumbling with his mouth full offensive and stereotypical of fat people. This type of advertising uses prejudicial stereotyping that fat people are gluttons, messy, and so food-obsessed that they would steal other people's lunches. An advertisement should not have to strain so hard for a laugh that it becomes offensive and tasteless. We can all appreciate humor, but is it necessary to 'get a laugh' using negative stereotyping? KIA Motors would never consider stereotyping other classes of people to sell automobiles.
Please pull this commercial from the air and stop using negative, stereotypical depictions of fat people in your advertisements.
Sincerely,
Members RMNAAFA
Return to the main page of Rocky Mountain NAAFA.