KFC Beyond with Mike Sacks

"KFC Beyond with Mike Sacks" is Episode 335 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "KFC Beyond with Mike Sacks" was released on February 3, 2022.

## Synopsis

Mike Sacks (*Passing on the Right*, *Doin' It with Mike Sacks*) joins the 'boys to discuss baseball, crab cakes, and writer John Swartzwelder before a review of KFC Beyond. Plus, a special edition of Snack or Wack.

## Nick's intro

"*Flags were flying at half-staff here today as Kentucky honored Colonel Harlan Sanders, the smiling white-suited gentleman whose secret recipe started an international fried chicken empire.*"

This is the *Associated Press* report dated September 17, 1980, to mark the death of the founder of the world's largest chicken chain (and second largest restaurant chain overall). And though 'Colonel' was an honorific, not a military rank, in his home commonwealth, his passing was met with full honors. Instantly recognizable with his matching white coif, goatee, and Southern-dandy suit, the bespectacled Sanders had been a brand ambassador/living mascot for his chain.

And in 1964, when he sold his business for $2 million, the men who would become the restaurant's dual Ray Krocs, Jack Massey and John Brown Jr. (Brown was perhaps not coincidentally later the governor of Kentucky), the duo savvily acquired the rights to Sanders' likeness, which they would fully exploit after his death.

An actor was hired to portray the Colonel in live-action spots; the first aired in the '90s. Shortly after, the campaign was abandoned for an animated Colonel voiced by actor Randy Quaid (hot off his portrayal of a heroic hick pilot in the blockbuster film, *Independence Day*). And most famously, in 2015, the brand launched a new salvo with ad agency Wieden+Kennedy; an ever-changing cast of celebrity Colonels that the ad-shop likened to casting James Bond. Among the actors who portrayed Sanders were impressionist Darrell Hammond, the late great comedian Norm MacDonald, thoroughly-tanned thespian George Hamilton, and country singer Reba McEntire.

And though that campaign has been retired, today, forty-two years since his death lowered flags in the Bluegrass State, Sanders' face remains the logo of the crown jewel of the Yum! Brands triumvirate. His visage even looms on the branding of a product that's not chicken at all.

This week on *Doughboys*, we return to KFC, for Beyond Fried Chicken.

## Fork rating

KFC has shown up on *Doughboys* just a few times. In the 2017 Tournament of Chompions: Chicken Fight, KFC lost in a hotly-contested Full Bird Region battle with Popeye's and Church's. A few months later, there was a Double episode about the KFC Zinger sandwich. Then, also in 2017, they finally reviewed KFC properly; Nick gave it 4 forks and Mitch rated it 3.5. Four years later, they returned, and Nick and Mitch each gave it just 2 forks.

Despite the title and focus of the trip being the Beyond Nuggets, they do rate the restaurant as a whole again.

* KFC Chicken Sandwich
* Cole Slaw
* Mashed Potatoes (No Gravy)
* Honey BBQ / Classic Ranch / Hot Sauce
 Mike Mitchell
	+ Secret Recipe Fries
	+ KFC Sauce
	+ Diet Pepsi
* 3 pc. Tenders Fill Up
	+ Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
	+ Classic Ranch
	+ Diet Pepsi
* KFC Chicken Sandwich
* A La Carte Breast (Original Recipe)
* Mac & Cheese
* Biscuit
* KFC Sauce / Honey BBQ / Honey Mustard / Classic Ranch / Honey Sauce
 Mike Sacks
	+ Secret Recipe Fries
* KFC Chicken Sandwich
* Biscuit
* Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
* Mac & Cheese

## Snack or Sack

Mmmpop pop pop pop pop
Mitch is gonna eat it
Mmmpop pop pop mm Popcornopolis yea!
Mmmpop pop pop pop pop
Mitch is gonna eat it*

In Snack or Sack, the Doughboys have a snack food and decide if it is good or bad.

Since this was a remote record, Mitch is the only one to try the items today.

For this episode, Mitch has four flavors of Popcornopolis: Red Velvet, Cinnamon Toast, and Hot Cocoa & Marshmallow. (He skips reviewing the Holiday Cookie flavor.)

Red Velvet PopcornopolisCinnamon Toast PopcornopolisHot Cocoa & Marshmallow Popcornopolis

## Quotes

**Nick**: We were on the stuff. The juice. Meaning, we were drinking juice.

## The Feedbag

 Mike Mitchell
 Mike Sacks