Chicken Chain Yanks Mugabe Ad After Threats

A fast-food chain in South Africa has pulled a spot spoofing Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe because his supporters threatened to retaliate against staff, reports the BBC. The commercial for Nando's chicken was called "Last Dictator Standing," and it showed a Mugabe stand-in frolicking with fallen dictators—think a water fight with Gadhafi, sand angels with Saddam, karaoke with Mao, etc. It got broadcast in Zimbabwe via satellite and also became a YouTube smash.

"We feel strongly that this is the prudent step to take in a volatile climate and believe that no TV commercial is worth risking the safety of Nando's staff and customers," said the company in announcing the decision to pull the ad. The leader of one pro-Mugabe group had said earlier this week: "We're ready to defend the head of the state and government in whatever way we can." (More Robert Mugabe stories.)