Kat with a K

Shirley Temple and Fast Food Icons

This just occurred to me the other day when someone mentioned Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits. I'm not sure I'd ever heard of the chicken chain before; to me, the name conjures up Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, who sang and danced with Shirley Temple:

Robinson himself was never involved with the chicken chain, but Temple's song and dance partner Arthur Treacher licensed his name and acted as spokesman for Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, which is now part of Nathan's Famous.

There's probably something to be said about the connection between the cultural appropriation involved in being a fast food symbol and the way Temple's handlers deliberately paired her with older men they thought would make her look smaller and cuter, but I have to go to work, so I'll leave it at - hey! Interesting trend there!