(OPINION) Gospel artist Kirk Franklin is drawing the ire of conservative Christians in Jamaica for gyrating and flexing his biceps while ministering in a tank top and shorts at “Fun in the Son,” a popular annual gospel concert sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken, a brand of the company Jamaica Broilers Group, which is well-known for their commitment to Judeo-Christian values.
“At Jamaica Broilers Group, we are committed to staying true to the core. Our core values are based on Judeo-Christian principles and form the foundation on which our business is built and on which we are encouraged to conduct our lives,” the company states on its website.
“This is how we determine what is expected of us in fulfilling our obligations to our customers, shareholders, employees, contractors, and communities. Our policies and procedures reflect these principles and as they are the bedrock of our culture — they are ours to own, protect and live without compromise.”
Prior to the “Fun in the Son” concert that took place at the Caribbean island’s National Stadium on Saturday, the company, which engages in the production and distribution of poultry products, animal feeds and agricultural items, and has significant operations in the U.S., encouraged the public to join them in celebrating 65 years of “God’s faithfulness,” with Franklin, Toby Mac, and several local Christian artists.
“The Best Dressed Chicken is celebrating 65 years of God’s faithfulness to our company and in light of this, we want to invite Jamaica to join us for a free, family-friendly festival,” the company announced.
“We believe God has blessed us, so we want to bless others. We are about transforming the lives of people for Jesus Christ so that they can positively impact the future of our country.
Our hope is that this Gospel Festival will change lives by providing spiritually uplifting, wholesome, fun-filled activities where people can celebrate their love of God with their family and friends.”
Many concertgoers, however, did not get that message from Franklin’s performance. Reactions to a viral video of Franklin performing at the concert posted on X by The Tropix on Sunday, which has been viewed more than 947,000 times as of Wednesday, show some members of the audience were so confused and offended that they walked out.
“I was at the concert and honestly, he confused me. I was listening to the songs as the females sung but he distracted me the whole time. I couldn’t connect to the songs after looking at him.
He was dancing like I was in an Usher, Michael Jackson, and Chris Brown concert,” wrote one woman who described herself as a “God-fearing chica” on X.
“I walked out during his first song! This just didn’t sit well with me how he was behaving on that stage. I thought I was at an Usher concert!” Tasha Brown added in response to another video of Franklin on stage dancing at the concert shared on Facebook by the Jamaica Gleaner.
