- When you're wrong,
the worst thing you can possibly do is double down.
But what about when you're very, very right?
Over a decade ago, KFC upped the ante
on one of its most beloved classics
and turned an April Fool's Day joke
into an eye boggling dish that revolted food reviewers,
entranced a nation, and changed an entire industry.
This is the story of how a fast food behemoth
pushed their luck, embraced deep fried hedonism,
and arguably created a whole new category of food
in the process.
Unlike Ronald McDonald or the Taco Bell Chihuahua,
the Colonel was a totally real person.
Born in 1890, Harland Sanders leaves home
at the tender age of 12
and goes on a Forrest Gump-esque journey around the South.
He works on a farm, becomes a streetcar conductor,
a steam engine stoker, and a lawyer, until finally in 1930,
he gets a gig as a manager at a Shell gas station.
That's where he starts serving
some of the down-home pan-fried country cooking
he grew up eating,
and steadily the food branch of the industry takes off.
Sanders perfects his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices,
and eventually spins his fried chicken outpost
into a fast food franchise called Kentucky Fried Chicken,
which of course becomes a massive success.
He's declared an "honorary Colonel"
by the Governor of Kentucky
and his likeness has evolved
into one of the most recognized corporate icons
in the world.
Now let's fast forward to 2010.
The Jersey Shore is dominating airwaves,
Lady Gaga wears a meat dress, and Despicable Me introduces
the concept of Minions into our lives, delighting boomers
on Facebook all over the world.
So things are obviously getting weird
and firsthand reports on food blogs, paired
with leaked cell phone footage of regional commercials,
confirm that KFC is developing
and testing a seemingly impossible breadless sandwich
in Omaha, Nebraska and Providence, Rhode Island.
The unconventional new dish features: bacon,
two melted slices of Pepper Jack cheese,
the "Colonel's Special Sauce", two fried chicken patties
in lieu of bread,
and a complete disregard of societal standards.
And things get real that spring.
In a press release cheekily sent on April Fool's Day,
KFC confirms the Double Down is not fake
and is "so meaty there's no room for the bun."
John Linn of the Palm Beach New Times says people
were both incensed
and enticed by the sandwich's egregiousness.
Jane Wells of CNBC literally asked
if the Colonel was "trying to kill us?"
And David Cho for the AWL sums it up by writing,
"America, we did it!
We, like the Double Down,
are pretty much exactly what people think we are."
But KFC snubs their finger lickin' noses
at the discourse and the Double Down becomes
a cultural focal point and a stupidly popular bestseller
with hundreds of thousands of Americans
from Stephen Colbert to YouTube food reviewers..
to your cousin Lou indulging in the fast food curiosity.
They extended the limited run another couple months,
despite some pushback from public health figures.
Nutritionist Susan Levin writes a letter
to KFC calling the 540 calorie sandwich,
"a troubling symbol of corporate irresponsibility."
Still, this doesn't stop the chicken empire
from taking the increasingly buzzy Double Down
to curious markets overseas.
By the late 2010s, KFC's across Europe, Africa, Asia,
and Oceana all have variations of the Double Down.
Some countries use turkey bacon
to adhere to Halal standards,
others offer a Zinger option with extra spice,
And in South Korea, they do a Zinger King riff
that adds an entire beef patty to the mix.
But the Double Down did more
than just inspire countless hot takes
and net KFC millions of dollars.
It proved that an internet feeding frenzy can translate
into a priceless publicity boom,
and set the stage for a decade where stunt food
became a daily site on social media.
Throughout the next 10 years,
Burger King introduces a Bacon Sundae,
Dunkin' Donuts makes a breakfast sandwich
with two glazed donuts as buns,
and Taco Bell unleashes the Doritos Locos Taco,
as well as the Naked Chicken Chalupa.
And independent restaurants around the country start
to realize if they intentionally create wild Frankenfoods,
someone on the internet might just make a video about it.
In the year 2021, as the stunt food craze has mostly faded,
the Double Down continues to make limited appearances
on domestic and international menus,
and inspire derivative heart attack jokes
wherever it goes.
So we salute you Double Down.
You're the wise old grandmother
of the I'll-Try-Anything-Once foods,
a sandwich that knows all press is good press,
and an edible symbol of the enterprising nature
of American capitalism.. for better, or worse.
Hey y'all, if you like this video,
make sure to subscribe to our channel
and comment on what you want us to cover next.
We might not actually do it,
but we'll definitely read the comment, thanks.