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Oh, America. You just couldn't resist, could you?
KFC, home of the now-legendary Double Down sandwich, is proudly trumpeting the news: The eye-popping tower of bacon and cheese surrounded by chicken filets (no bun) is about to sell its 10 millionth sandwich. And to celebrate, they're going to extend its run.
"This truly an example of popular demand," says Javier Benito, executive vice president of marketing and food innovation for KFC. "Our plans were to feature the product only through May 23, but millions of Double Down fans have spoken and we won't disappoint them. You'll continue to be able to get the Double Down at KFC this summer."
Ten million. Well, perhaps it couldn't be helped. The fried chicken chain got a huge burst of free marketing when news outlets heard about the breadless sandwich. If you didn't see the ads, you read the scathing commentary. And to parrot a cliché, there's no such thing as bad publicity. The Double Down has become a cultural touchstone – look online for proof. Twitter feeds are full of people marking their first encounters with the sandwich, and videos of people eating it are all over You Tube. "We've really never seen anything like it," says Benito.
In defense of fans of the sandwich, it's really not that much worse for you than what's already out there. Something about the lack of bread makes people assume the worse. (For those who don't want to know, shield your eyes.) The original version of the Double Down contains 540 calories and 32 grams of fat. (The grilled sandwich cuts calories to 460 and fat to 23 grams.) Yet for all the hoopla, this isn't really that outrageous in the fast-food world: A McDonald's Big Mac has 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, and a Burger King Whopper is even worse, weighing in at 670 calories and 40 grams of fat.
So is it the worst thing out there? Not by a long shot. But it's still not exactly health food. Is the taste worth it? With 10 million sold, plenty of people seem to think so.
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5-19-2010 @5:10PM Matt said... 540 calories is a light meal in my book. Why do people get bent out of shape about that? Toss in a side veg order and it's not a terrible meal nutritionally. Too much fat phobia out there (carb phobia too)! It's about eating a healthy amount of calories and getting enough micronutrients in one's diet at the same time.
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5-20-2010 @1:31AM Mami said... So do you count potato wedges and corn as a veg? how about mac n cheese or kfc's version of "green" beans?
5-20-2010 @1:43AM Opihi said... Personally I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Even that photo is nauseating to me with all that fat and fake cheese. But you're right on the calorie count, Matt. It's not that bad. Add a salad and a glass of ice water, and it certainly won't kill you. You can eat just about anything you want if you don't over do it with Big Gulps, triple scoop sundaes, super size fries. I eat tons of chocolate and cook everything in butter. But I eat small portions and I take a short brisk walk every evening. No dieting, no gym ... just moderation.
But I worry much more about Privacy issues on AOl affiliate boards. Do you know you have a "profile" here ... with an archives of all your comments. That anyone can access it right here.
WARNING ... there is a Hyperlink under your display name on this comment board. Try it. WOW .... isn't that neat?. There's your "profile'.
That profile was created the first time you signed on to ANY comment board on AOL ... and there are almost a hundred of them, including this one. It's linked to your EMail address . Permanently.
Now look at the nice archives of EVERY comment you've ever made, right there on your profile. To be seen by anyone who clicks onto it.
AOL never warned you that whatever name you first used would be DISPLAYED online and on that profile. Even if you later post under a pseudonym .... heck ... that original name is still on your profile. Gee whiz .... they never even warned you a "profile" was being made. Only that your comment had been "verified". "Verify" means "Your Profile Has Been Created" in AOL computerspeak. Sneaky sneaky ....
Oh yes. If you have an unusual name and you've ever posted anything on LemonDrop, your profile may be picked up by Google Search and you'll be all over the World Wide Web as an independent link. Instant fame?
Nasty Nasty ....
5-20-2010 @4:08PM DougH said... This is actually a reply to Opihi: that is some serious weirdness. Can we delete these records of our comments? This creeps me out.
5-19-2010 @8:34PM Mike in Phoenix said... I love this sandwich, and I have had it 3 times. I am not eating it everyday and I only get one on a Saturday when i am running errands. KFC, you have a winner, keep it up!!!
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5-19-2010 @8:19PM Conrad Shagwell said... You've got two pieces of chicken which are chock-full of hormones and other stuff. They are deep-fried so fat is added to the meal. Then you have two pieces of fat-filled cheese, plus a couple of pieces of fatty bacon. And you're happy that there's ONLY 32 grams of fat? There is very little nutrition in that horrible piece of "food" and there are many things that are bad for you. Does it taste good? Sure, it tastes great because it is a big slug of fat and we are satisfied by ingesting fat. Add some fries and a sugary drink and you've got a really tasty meal -- but it's a meal that is killing you, little by little. Your diet is largely animal-based, salty, loaded with sugar, and poorly cooked. You have no idea how you are hurting yourself with junk food like this.
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5-19-2010 @10:20PM Dee said... Against my advice, my healthy, athletic 17 yr old son just HAD to try this "sandwich". He said it tasted great, but within 30 minutes after eating it, he was sick to his stomach, dizzy, and had difficulty catching his breath. He swears that he'll never eat another one. I agree, there is NO nutritional value in this meal of death at all, and feel that restaurants should be more responsible in what they're putting on their menus. And for Mike, notice that I said the RESTAURANTS should be more responsible, not that the Government should make them do it. How sad it must be to be YOU, who can't put aside your political bitterness for a single moment, and have to drag your hate into every discussion. If you want to kill yourself by eating this sandwich, go for it, but people have the right to know the truth about what they're eating and the dangers it poses, and should be encouraged to make healthier decisions.
5-19-2010 @10:52PM Peter said... Dee -- of course if your healthy, athletic son is not used to eating greasy, fatty foods, then his body is going to react adversely to it -- but no one is going to die from eating a 540 calorie sandwich. Footlong Subway sandwiches have at least that many.
There actually are 53 grams of protein in the sandwich -- half the calories in this sandwich are from protein, and half are from fat.
Besides, how in the world is one's choice of sandwich the responsibility of the restaurant?
5-20-2010 @5:21PM Matt said... Chickens are not raised with hormones. They grow to their mature size in a matter of weeks, they can't grow any faster. Scaremongering is stupid. Don't do it.
5-19-2010 @8:57PM Tanya said... i havent tried it yet, but ive heard its really good. ima buy me a few for the fame this week. and by the way, the amount of fat/calories, comeon really, you can buy a sald at wendys and sill have a lot of fat and calories. its fast food! what do you think, everything is fat free low calories. buyer beware ! thats all. if you dont want it good for you. keeo your fat talk to yourself KFC IS GOOD, although theyve become very stingy with there food portions. oh well its america what do we expect.
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5-19-2010 @8:59PM Peter said... And what makes you say this chicken is "loaded with hormones"? 540 calories is only 1/4 of a 2000 calorie diet. And 32 grams of fat, in perspective of a whole day's worth of nutrients, is not out of the question (FDA RDA is 65 grams). Is this "healthy" food? No, but in terms of calories and macronutrients it's not bad, either.
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5-19-2010 @9:25PM Mike said... And Cardiologists are cheering wildly.
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5-19-2010 @9:42PM JEFF said... 53 grams of protein mmmmmmmmmmm....
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5-19-2010 @9:48PM Jasper said... Man I gottta try that thing. 10 million already? I wouldn't advise someone to eat that all the time, but once every few months for a special treat.
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5-19-2010 @10:16PM Kira said... I know right? The key is moderation. Don't eat it 10 times a week, but once a month or so is fine.
5-20-2010 @2:19AM Philip said... Well that does sound both glutinous and unhealthy, there is a quite interesting series of posts at the Health Journal Club by an MIT scientist who looking at the issue as an outsider comes to the conclusion that we need to be more worried about LOW cholesterol than high. If interested you can read on it here. http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/04/statins-pregnancy-sepsis-cancer-heart.html
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5-19-2010 @9:57PM Cynthia said... This sandwich looks interesting...I like the fact that there is no bread, its the damn carbs that get you every time. This is a high-end "Atkins" sandwich.
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5-21-2010 @12:15AM Erin said... It's covered in breading. There's your bread and then some.
5-19-2010 @9:55PM Peter said... This would probably be really good on some kind of specialty bread, though :) Maybe an onion roll?
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5-19-2010 @10:02PM Kerr Avon said... It's not that bad of a sandwich as far as taste goes; my only complaint is that 4.99 for the sandwich alone is too high. I'd gladly pay 2.99 for one.
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