Popular fast-food giant KFC tried to join the conversation around Coldplay’s ‘kiss cam’ controversy with a cheeky HR joke, but the move backfired quickly as netizens turned the spotlight on its food quality.

Ever since a video of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot cuddling on camera went viral, brands and influencers have been quick to spin jokes around it, each adding their own brand-specific twist to the controversy.

In a cheeky joke referring to the incident, KFC said, “Just know our sides are always HR approved.”

Within seconds of the tweet, social media users gathered to remind KFC of its “disgusting” food quality and “dirty” outlets.

“That’s funny, KFC, but it also reminds me of the time I had your coleslaw and had explosive diarrhoea for the next 3 days. It got to the point where my parents even had to replace the toilet,” a user highlighted.

Another user said, “Your chicken gave me diarrhoea.”

“Fix your store! They’re dirty!!” added a user.

“Your mashed potatoes are 50% plastic,” exclaimed a user.

A user asked Grok, “Has KFC improved the quality of their food, or is it still basically dog kibble?”

“What a coincidence because the sides usually end up getting taken to a place like KFC,” quipped a user.

“What about the chicken, though? Who’s approving that?” a user said, suggesting that the quality of the chicken the food chain uses is bad.

“Remind me again why KFC closed down in Denmark?” a netizen asked, referring to the temporary closure of all 11 Danish restaurants in June 2025 due to food safety violations, including falsifying chicken expiration dates, improper thawing, and hygiene issues like mould and dirt.

Another user shared KFC Trinidad and Tobago’s 2020 Emancipation Day post, which features an image of a chicken drumstick casting a raised fist shadow, and asked, “Was this HR approved?”

The post was heavily criticised for racial insensitivity despite no direct Black History Month connection.

A Jumbotron camera at a Coldplay concert in Boston, Massachusetts, captured the CEO, Andy Byron, with his arms around the company’s head of HR, Kristin Cabot. Both Byron and Cabot are married.

They went viral for trying to dodge the “kiss cam,” which prompted Coldplay singer Chris Martin to joke, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”