Potatoes, gravy and ‘gross’ nudity

‘Gross’. Wendy Dukes’ response after seeing a nude Kanye West music video played at the family restaurant.

You have to be 18 years old to beat the censorship block on YouTube.

But Te Puke's Wendy Dukes claims she and her family got Kanye West and 11 others bollocky, unblurred and uncensored at a family restaurant in Papamoa recently.

'It was gross, really gross – all these naked people.” And fried chicken.

It was 7pm, dinnertime, and they almost gagged on their Quarter Packs. 'It was so inappropriate,” says Wendy.

She and her partner Phil, his daughter Madison and her friend were approaching the counter at KFC in Papamoa when they were stopped dead. 'Oh my God!” exclaimed young Madison.

It was Kanye West in his infamous ‘Famous' video, in bed and up there on the big screen on the restaurant wall. Twelve of them apparently au naturel, buck naked, unvarnished, apart from a massive strategically placed – or strategically unplaced – shimmering sheet.

Madison is just 12, her friend just 11.

'I just wanted you to know, I loved you better than your own kin did,” sang Kanye West. And he goes to rue not having made love to Taylor Swift…not yet. All this amongst the Quarter Packs, $2 Krushers and the kids in a family restaurant in suburban Papamoa.

Madison was saying: 'Oh gosh”. And Wendy was saying: 'Well don't look at it”. 'I am telling the girls off for looking at it.” Wendy would have preferred some censorship – some blurring of the offending bits and bobs. 'But there was nothing – nothing left to the imagination.”

When they complained at the restaurant counter Wendy and Phil were told the video had been on before. 'But that didn't make it right. That's not good enough,” says Wendy.

But it seems nothing could be done. KFC staff apparently had no control over what was up on the big screen. It was all done through Sky. That's what Wendy and Phil say they were told.

Wendy blames both KFC and Sky. 'Sky for not censoring; and KFC for not ensuring that what's showing in their restaurant is appropriate.”

The restaurant rang Phil the next day. 'To their credit, they were very apologetic,” says Wendy. 'They admitted it should not have happened but it was out of their hands.” Other offended customers went straight to Restaurant Brands – the fast food company that runs KFC.

'A video clip of this nature has no place in a KFC restaurant,” said Restaurant Brands' customer care representative Carla van Bommel in an email. 'No place at any time of the day let alone dinner when young children can view it. We are so sorry you had to see it.”

The parent company ordered a channel change as soon it became aware. It also went on the offensive.

Carla strongly recommended customers lay a complaint with the Broadcasting Standards Authority. 'Hopefully, some public pressure will make Sky realise this content is inappropriate for screening to NZ audiences. Once again, we are so sorry.”

And so was Sky. 'We certainly regret any offence caused to KFC customers,” says the company's director of communication Kirsty Way.

Kirsty says it sounds like the cutting edge video was broadcast during a programme block classified ‘16' – or should not be viewed by people under 16. A classification warning was provided at the start of the programme block, including visual warning labels for language and content.

The classification may include things like adult themes, nudity and offensive language – content that shouldn't be viewed by under 16s.

There are systems like ‘parental lock' to block programmes and even entire channels. And while normal Sky subscribers would have had the classification information available to them, it would not have been available to KFC customers.

Kirsty says Sky will be discussing options with KFC because there are channels which do not contain R16 music videos. Although it's up to the customer what they choose to purchase and show.

However, Sky 'regrets any offence”.

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