Soothe Your Holiday Woes With Popeyes’ “Emotional Support Chicken”

When fortune and favor are not smiling upon you, where do you turn for solace? Some people go to church. Some people have a drink. Others need a hug. But, on a fairly universal level, few people can say that three pieces of fried chicken don’t turn that frown upside down. Such is the thinking if chicken chain Popeyes, which is offering an “emotional support” chicken carrier for passengers in the terminal at Philadelphia International Airport.

The “emotional support chicken” is a three-piece chicken combo served in a cardboard box shaped like a chicken. You can bring it on the plane with you, unlike actual chickens.

“We know holiday travel can be frustrating, and there’s no better way to ease stress than with a box of delicious POPEYES [sic] fried chicken and a good laugh,” said Hope Diaz, Popeyes’ chief marketing officer, in a press release. “We appreciate how comforting emotional support animals are and wanted to create our own version. The good news it that our emotional support chicken is permitted to fly without restrictions–one less worry for busy travelers,” the release said.

With fuel prices low and flights relatively affordable, holiday travel is expected to smash records this year. This Christmas, as people cross the country to go home for the holidays, at least they won’t be doing so hungry! I mean, I’m not sure how this will affect vegetarians. But otherwise, this is a good thing.

The chain is poking light fun at the current news stories that tell of people claiming dogs, cats, monkeys, and even peacocks are their emotional support animals. Emotional support critters are not classified with true service animals as far as American disability laws are concerned. I admire the company for taking their chances against extreme political correctness and lightly poking fun at the phenomenon.