Kentucky Fried Chicken v. KFC

Today Sam and I went to KFC after church. I ate a Dreamscicle. It was like my wedding day or something.

On our way home Sam informed me that Kentucky Fried Chicken had changed its name for one of two reasons, one of which was plausable:

1) The "chicken" there could not be called chicken so they changed their name to KFC.

2) One of Sander's credos for his company was that no one could walk into a Kentucky Fried Chicken and be turned away for lack of money. So the company changed its name so no one could ever walk into a Kentuck Fried Chicken again.

In case you were wondering Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964. He died in 1980.

This launched a search of the Internet and UNT databases (for the true reason for the change, which appears to have occured in 1991) my only reliable source for researching anything about KFC from my couch.

FACT: LexisNexis seems to only go back to 1992 on the subject.

FACT: The Houston Chronicle didn't deem the name change noteworthy.

FACT: PETA (led by Pamela Anderson) began claiming in 2000 that KFC chicken was genetically modified "monster chicken." They asked the Kentucky governor to remove the statue of Colonel Sanders from the capitol building.

FACT: In the early 1990s Americans went on a "health kick" and started avoiding "fried foods."

RUMOR: The Commonwelath of Kentucky trademarked the word "Kentucky" and asked that all companies using the name pay the state fees if the word is used in a song or on a product.

RUMOR: KFC was thinking of expanding its menu outside of fried chicken, so they wanted the flexibility. This never happened.

FACT: In the early 1990s other companies shortened their name: International House of Pancakes became IHOP, Howard Johnson's became HoJos.

FACT: Americans now don't mind fried foods, it is the carbs we are worried about. So KFCs remodeled stores are going back to the old name.

FACT: KFC doesn't give you real honey. They give you honey sauce made with: HFCS, corn syrup, sugar, honey, and carmel color.

FACT: It is still tasty chicken.