document_title: KFC

question_text: who is the owner of kfc in india

question_tokens: who is the owner of kfc in india

text: KFC

text: History

text: Harland Sanders was born in 1890 and raised on a farm outside Henryville, Indiana (near Louisville, Kentucky).[5] When Sanders was five years old, his father died, forcing his mother to work at a canning plant.[6] This left Sanders, as the eldest son, to care for his two younger siblings.[6] After he reached seven years of age, his mother taught him how to cook.[5] After leaving the family home at the age of 13, Sanders passed through several professions, with mixed success.[7] In 1930, he took over a Shell filling station on US Route 25 just outside North Corbin, Kentucky, a small town on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains.[8] It was here that he first served to travelers the recipes that he had learned as a child: fried chicken and other dishes such as steaks and country ham.[8] After four years of serving from his own dining room table, Sanders purchased the larger filling station on the other side of the road and expanded to six tables.[9] By 1936, this had proven successful enough for Sanders to be given the honorary title of Kentucky colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon.[10] In 1937 he expanded his restaurant to 142 seats, and added a motel he purchased across the street, naming it Sanders Court & Café.[11]

text: Sanders was unhappy with the 35 minutes it took to prepare his chicken in an iron frying pan, but he refused to deep fry the chicken, which he believed lowered the quality of the product.[12] If he pre-cooked the chicken in advance of orders, there was sometimes wastage at day's end.[5] In 1939, the first commercial pressure cookers were released onto the market, mostly designed for steaming vegetables.[13] Sanders bought one, and modified it into a pressure fryer, which he then used to fry chicken.[14] The new method reduced production time to be comparable with deep frying, while, in the opinion of Sanders, retaining the quality of pan-fried chicken.[12]

text: In July 1940, Sanders finalised what came to be known as his "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices.[15] Although he never publicly revealed the recipe, he admitted to the use of salt and pepper, and claimed that the ingredients "stand on everybody's shelf".[16] After being recommissioned as a Kentucky colonel in 1950 by Governor Lawrence Wetherby, Sanders began to dress the part, growing a goatee and wearing a black frock coat (later switched to a white suit), a string tie, and referring to himself as "Colonel".[16] His associates went along with the title change, "jokingly at first and then in earnest", according to biographer Josh Ozersky.[17]

text: The Sanders Court & Café generally served travelers, so when the route planned in 1955 for Interstate 75 bypassed Corbin, Sanders sold his properties and traveled the US to franchise his chicken recipe to restaurant owners.[18] Independent restaurants would pay four (later five) cents on each chicken as a franchise fee, in exchange for Sanders' "secret blend of herbs and spices" and the right to feature his recipe on their menus and use his name and likeness for promotional purposes.[19] In 1952 he had already successfully franchised his recipe to his friend Pete Harman of South Salt Lake, Utah, the operator of one of the city's largest restaurants.[20]

text: Don Anderson, a sign painter hired by Harman, coined the name "Kentucky Fried Chicken".[21] For Harman, the addition of KFC was a way of differentiating his restaurant from competitors; a product from Kentucky was exotic, and evoked imagery of Southern hospitality.[21] Harman trademarked the phrase "It's finger lickin' good", which eventually became the company-wide slogan.[19] He also introduced the "bucket meal" in 1957 (14 pieces of chicken, five bread rolls and a pint of gravy in a cardboard bucket).[22] Serving their signature meal in a paper bucket was to become an iconic feature of the company.[22]

text: By 1963 there were 600 KFC restaurants, making the company the largest fast food operation in the United States.[18] KFC popularized chicken in the fast food industry, diversifying the market by challenging the established dominance of the hamburger.[23]

text: In 1964, Sanders sold the company to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey for US$2 million (around US$15 million in 2013).[10] The contract included a lifetime salary for Sanders and the agreement that he would be the company's quality controller and trademark.[24] The chain had reached 3,000 outlets in 48 different countries by 1970.[25] In July 1971, Brown sold the company to the Connecticut-based Heublein, a packaged food and drinks corporation, for US$285 million (around US$1.6 billion in 2013).[26] Sanders died in 1980, his promotional work making him a prominent figure in American cultural history.[23] By the time of his death, there were an estimated 6,000 KFC outlets in 48 different countries worldwide, with $2 billion of sales annually.[27]

text: In 1982, Heublein was acquired by R. J. Reynolds, the tobacco giant.[22] In July 1986, Reynolds sold KFC to PepsiCo for $850 million (around US$1.8 billion in 2013).[28] PepsiCo made the chain a part of its restaurants division alongside Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.[29] The Chinese market was entered in November 1987, with an outlet in Beijing.[22]

text: In 1991, the KFC name was officially adopted, although it was already widely known by that initialism.[30] Kyle Craig, president of KFC US, admitted the change was an attempt to distance the chain from the unhealthy connotations of "fried".[31] The early 1990s saw a number of successful major products launched throughout the chain, including spicy "Hot Wings" (launched in 1990), popcorn chicken (1992), and internationally, the "Zinger", a spicy chicken fillet burger (1993).[32] By 1994, KFC had 5,149 outlets in the US, and 9,407 overall, with over 100,000 employees.[33] In August 1997, PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as a public company valued at US$4.5 billion (around US$6.5 billion in 2013).[34] The new company was named Tricon Global Restaurants, and at the time had 30,000 outlets and annual sales of US$10 billion (around US$14 billion in 2013), making it second in the world only to McDonald's.[35] Tricon was renamed Yum! Brands in May 2002.[36]

text: By 2015, the company was struggling, having lost business to other retailers and being surpassed by Chick-fil-A as the leading chicken retailer three years previously. To combat this, the company launched a new initiative with a plan to revamp its packaging, decor and uniforms, as well as expanding its menu. Additionally, beginning in May 2015, a new series of advertisements was launched featuring Darrell Hammond as Colonel Sanders.[37] Subsequently, in a planned rotation of actors, Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton and Rob Riggle portrayed Sanders in similar ads through the fall of 2016.[38][39][40][41][42]

text: Operations

text: KFC is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. KFC had sales of $23 billion in 2013.[3] KFC has its headquarters at 1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville, Kentucky, in a three-story colonial style building known colloquially as the "White House" due to its resemblance to the US president's home.[43][44] The headquarters contain executive offices and the company's research and development facilities.[45] KFC is incorporated at 1209 North Orange St, Wilmington, Delaware.[46]

text: By December 2013, there were 18,875 KFC outlets in 118 countries and territories around the world.[1] There are 4,563 outlets in China, 4,491 in the United States, and 9,821 across the rest of the world.[1] Outlets are owned by franchisees or directly by the company.[47] Eleven percent of outlets are company owned, with the rest operated by franchise holders.[48] Although capital intensive, company ownership allows for faster expansion of the chain.[49]

text: Most restaurants are furnished with images of the company founder, Colonel Harland Sanders.[45] As well as dine-in and take-out, many stand-alone KFC outlets offer a drive-through option.[50] KFC offers a limited delivery service in a small number of markets.[50] Units include express concessions and kiosks which feature a limited menu and operated in non-traditional locations such as filling stations, convenience stores, stadia, theme parks and colleges, where a full scale outlet would not be practical.[50] Average annual sales per unit was $1.2 million in 2013.[51] Worldwide, the daily average number of food orders at an outlet is 250, with most occurring within a two-hour peak-period.[52]

text: As chairman and CEO of Yum!, David C. Novak ultimately has foremost responsibility for KFC operations.[2] Sam Su is chairman and CEO of Yum!'s Chinese operations, and Muktesh Pant is the CEO of KFC.[2] Richard T. Carucci is president of Yum!, and Roger Eaton is the COO of Yum! and the president of KFC.[2]

text: Africa

text: The company hopes to expand its African operations, where it is already the regional leader among US fast food chains.[53][54] The company is slowly expanding across the African continent, opening 70 outlets, but progress has been hampered by sourcing issues, such as a lack of quality suppliers.[49]

text: Asia

text: KFC continues to grow in Asia.

text: In Malaysia, the first KFC restaurant was opened in 1973 on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.[55] There are 609 outlets as of June 2016.[56][57] In 1995, Projek Penyayang KFC was founded in an effort to provide food to more than 150 orphanages every quarter.[55]

text: In Sri Lanka, KFC was launched in 1995 at Majestic City. There were 25 KFC restaurants in Sri Lanka as of December 2014.[58]

text: In Singapore, the first KFC franchise was opened in 1977 along Somerset Road. In 1993, KFC Singapore was the first KFC in Asia to develop and launch the Zinger burger. KFC restaurants in Singapore are currently owned and operated by KFC (Malaysia) Holdings Bhd.[59]

text: In Bangladesh, the first KFC outlet was opened at Gulshan in 2006. As of June 2016, the country is home to 19 KFC outlets.[60][61]

text: In Cambodia, KFC first opened on Monivong Boulevard in Phnom Penh in 2008.[62]

text: In Myanmar, the first KFC outlet was officially opened on Bogyoke Aung San Road in Yangon in 2015.[63][64]

text: In Taiwan, KFC entered the market in 1984 and opened its first store in 1985 in Taipei City. The 100th store in Taiwan opened in 1999. It was the second largest fast food chain restaurant in Taiwan until Mos Burger exceeded the number of branches of KFC in 2008. Now KFC is the third largest fast food chain restaurant with 137 stores as of 2017. [65]

text: China

text: KFC is the largest restaurant chain in China, with 5,003 outlets as of 2015.[66] They are operated by the Yum! China division. KFC became the first Western fast food company in China after its first outlet opened in Qianmen, Beijing, in November 1987.[67]

text: Local food items include rice congee and tree fungus salad, with an average of 50 different menu items per store.[67][68]

text: In December 2012, the chain faced allegations that some of its suppliers injected antiviral drugs and growth hormones into poultry in ways that violated food safety regulations.[69] This resulted in the chain severing its relationship with 100 suppliers, and agreeing to "actively co-operate" with a government investigation into its use of antibiotics.[67] KFC China sales in January 2013 were down 41 percent against the previous year.[70] To counter sluggish sales, the menu was revamped in 2014.[71]

text: In July 2014, Chinese authorities closed down the Shanghai operations of the OSI Group, amidst allegations that it had supplied KFC with expired meat.[72] Yum! immediately terminated its contract with the supplier, and stated that the revelation had led to a "significant [and] negative" decline in sales.[73]

text: KFC opens its first outlet in Tibet in March 2016.[74]

text: India

text: There are 350 KFC outlets in India.[66] The company has adapted the standard KFC offerings to Indian tastes[75] and the menu options in India include the Hot & Crispy Chicken and Fiery Grilled bucket options, Chicken Zinger Burger, Rice Bowlz, the more recently launched 5-in-1 Meal Box and a range of shakes called Krushers.[76] The business was refranchised in October 2015 after Yum concluded a year-and-a-half-long exercise to reorganize its business under larger, well-capitalized franchisees. In this regard, about a third of its outlets, operated by several of its franchisees, have been sold to a newly formed entity—Sapphire Foods India Pvt. Ltd. The new entity is owned by a consortium of four private equity funds, led by Samara Capital. The other investors are CX Partners, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and a fourth fund, said a top executive at the local arm of the American food company.[77]

text: The first Indian KFC was a two-storey outlet on the fashionable Brigade Road in Bangalore in June 1995.[78] According to journalist Michael White, the company could not have chosen a "more difficult venue for its maiden entrée into the country".[79] Bangalore housed the headquarters of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, one of the most influential, vocal and anti-foreign investment farmers' associations in the country.[79] The first outlet suffered protests from left wing, anti-globalisation and environmental campaigners, as well as local farmers, who objected to the chain bypassing local producers.[80] Many[quantify] Indians were concerned about the onslaught of consumerism, the loss of national self-sufficiency, and the disruption of indigenous traditions.[81] The protests came to a head in August 1995, when the Bangalore outlet was repeatedly ransacked.[78] The KFC outlet in Bangalore demanded, and received, a police van permanently parked outside for a year.[80] The outlet was closed on September 13, 1995 by local authorities, who claimed the company used illegally high amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in its food.[82] The outlet re-opened a few hours later as the result of an appeal by KFC to the Karnataka High Court. The company stated the recipe was no different than that used in any other KFC store.[83] Rural activist M. D. Nanjundaswamy claimed KFC would adversely affect the health of the impoverished, by diverting grain from poor people to make the more profitable animal feed.[84] Environmentalist Maneka Gandhi joined the anti-KFC movement.[84] A second outlet opened in Delhi, but was closed by the authorities throughout November, purportedly for health reasons, but more likely to avoid a repetition of the Bangalore incident.[85] The Delhi outlet soon closed permanently.[86]

text: KFC began to expand outside of Bangalore in 2004,[87] with a localized menu that was the most extensive meat-free menu across the chain's worldwide operations. It introduced a vegetarian menu that included rice meals, wraps and side dishes and, like McDonald's, served eggless mayonnaise and sauces. Unnat Varma, marketing director of KFC India, states "The vegetarian offerings have made the brand more relevant to a larger section of consumers and that is necessary for KFC's growth." KFC also began using Indian spices and cooking techniques to localize its chicken dishes. By 2008–09, KFC operated 34 outlets in India.[88] In 2014, KFC launched the "So Veg, So Good" menu as part of an India-specific promotional strategy focused on enhancing their vegetarian range. The company has been up to a lot of innovation over the past few months with the launch of the first-ever no crust, all chicken KFC Chizza in December 2016.[89] More recently, KFC got Mumbai's dabbawalas to deliver its newly launched 5-in-1 Meal Boxes. The city's dabbawalas, famed for their efficient delivery of office lunches, took on the role of KFC delivery men as part of an innovative marketing campaign. They supplied specially created 5-in-1 meal boxes to some office-goers instead of their regular dabbas.[90] The innovation efforts have continued with the launch of the Watt a Box, a practical new take on the 5-in-1 Meal Box, which can also charge phones.[91]

text: Indonesia

text: In Indonesia KFC is the largest Western restaurant chain, with 466 outlets as of December 2013.[1][92] The chain has grown to hold an estimated 32 percent market share, and menu items include spaghetti, wraps and chicken porridge.[93] The master franchisee is PT Fastfood Indonesia.[94]

text: The first outlet opened in Jakarta in 1979.[94] Salim Group, Indonesia's largest conglomerate, became a major shareholder in 1990, which provided the company with funds for major expansion.[94] Its master franchisee, PT Fastfood Indonesia, was publicly listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange in 1993.[94]

text: Japan

text: KFC Japan was formed in 1970 as a joint venture between the American parent and the Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation.[95] In December 1974, KFC Japan began to promote fried chicken as a Christmas meal.[96] Eating KFC as a Christmas time meal has since become a widely practiced custom in Japan.[97] As of 2013[update], Japan is the third-largest market for KFC after China and the United States with 1,200 outlets.[98]

text: In December 2007, Mitsubishi assumed majority control of KFC Japan in a JP¥ 14.83 billion transaction.[99]

text: Pakistan

text: KFC has a presence in eighteen major cities of Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sukkur, Muree etc.) with more than 65 outlets nationwide. Its first outlet was in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi. KFC Pakistan menu consists of burgers, fried chicken, nuggets, fries, rice dishes and drinks.[100]

text: Europe

text: United Kingdom

text: As of December 2013, there were 784 KFC outlets in the United Kingdom.[1] British turnover was around £684.5 million in 2013, according to Technomic.[101] About 70 percent of outlets are run by franchisees, with the remainder company owned.[102] The company employs 24,000 people.[102] Around 400 sites are drive-through outlets.[102] Average outlet turnover is between £1 and £1.5 million.[102]

text: Annual sales amount to 60,000 metric tonnes of chicken, 60 percent of which is purchased from the four largest suppliers in the UK, including Faccenda Group[103] and 2 Sisters Food Group,[104][105] and delivered fresh to outlets at least three times a week.[106] The remaining 40 percent is sourced from companies in Europe, Thailand (including Charoen Pokphand Foods) and Brazil.[107] All of the Original Recipe chicken is sourced within the UK.[107]

text: England had the first overseas branch of KFC which opened in Preston, Lancashire in May 1965, and was the first American fast food restaurant chain in the country, pre-dating the arrival of McDonald's, Burger King and Pizza Hut by almost a decade.[108] Ray Allen, an experienced Lancashire caterer, was the first franchisee.[109] The first London branch opened in North Finchley in November 1968.[110] In 1971 there were 31 outlets; by 1975 the chain had grown to 250 outlets.[111] In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, KFCs began to introduce seating. KFC opened its first drive through restaurant in the UK in 1984.[112] By 1987 the company had almost 400 outlets.[113]

text: In May 1997, the "Tower Burger", a fried chicken fillet burger with the addition of a hash brown, was first launched in the United Kingdom.[114] In 2006, the company stopped pre-salting its fries and removed trans fats from its products.[102] In 2012 palm oil was replaced by rapeseed oil in the fryers.[102] Between 2004 and 2014, KFC UK increased its offering of "portable" foods: burgers, wraps and salads.[102] During that period, sales rose from around £500 million to almost £1 billion.[102] In 2012, KFC UK invested £9 million to install ovens in all of its outlets, so that it could offer griddled chicken.[102] In 2013, KFC rolled out Lavazza coffee across all of its UK outlets.[115] As of 2014, KFC UK is trialling serving only halal meat at 96 of its outlets.[116]

text: Middle East

text: The first KFC in the Middle East opened in 1973 in Kuwait. Today there are over 700 outlets, certified halal, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.[117] KFC Israel existed from 1993 to 2013 and featured kosher restaurants.[118] In 2012 KFC opened in Ramallah in the Palestinian Authority[8] and later expanded to Hebron,[9] Bethlehem,[10] Jenin,[11] and three separate outlets in Ramallah: the Ersal Branch (Bacri), Plaza Mall Branch and Masyoun Branch.[119] In 2013 the New York Times reported that KFC was being smuggled into Gaza through tunnels.[120][121]

text: North America

text: United States

text: KFC sales in the United States in 2013 were estimated at $4.22 billion by Technomic.[122]

text: The basic model for KFC in the United States, not necessarily duplicated elsewhere, is a focus on low prices, a limited menu (29 items on average) and an emphasis on takeout.[48] A "very strong percentage" of sales come from African American customers.[123] Many KFC locations are co-located with either Taco Bell or Pizza Hut, or other Yum! restaurants.[50] When Yum! owned Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants, these brands were often co-branded with KFC as well.[124] Often these locations behave like a single restaurant, offering one menu with food items from both restaurant brands.[125] In 2003, there were 354 KFC-Taco Bell combines, offering the full KFC menu and Taco Bell items, and 13 units offering the full KFC menu and a limited number of Pizza Hut items.[50] The concept originated in 1991, when a KFC-Taco Bell combination opened in Virginia.[22] Some locations were also opened as combinations of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, but this failed to catch on, and Yum! CEO David Novak blamed a lack of franchisee commitment for its lack of success.[126]

text: Initially, Sanders and KFC used hydrogenated vegetable oil for frying, but in the 1980s the company began to switch to cheaper oils such as palm or soybean.[127][128] In the 2000s it became apparent that these oils contain relatively high levels of trans fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. By April 2007, the chain had switched to trans fat-free soybean oil in all of its US outlets.[129]

text: In 2008, Novak credited low US sales as being the result of a lack of new ideas and menu items.[130] The Spring 2009 launch of Kentucky Grilled Chicken only resulted in a temporary halt to the sales decline.[131] In 2010 KFC announced a turnaround plan that included improving restaurant operations, introducing value items and providing healthier menu options.[131] In the same year, Advertising Age noted that KFC was losing market share to its smaller chicken restaurant rival, Chick-fil-A.[132] In 2011 Bloomberg News referred to KFC US as "an also-ran to McDonald's Corp".[133] In 2012, Forbes magazine described how many of the KFC outlets were "aged and uninviting", and that the chain "hasn't introduced an exciting new food item in ages".[134]

text: KFC was described in 2012 by Bloomberg Businessweek as a "muscular player" in developing regions, specifically Africa, China and India, while noting its falling market share in the US to rivals such as Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.[135] Some analysts speculated that KFC would begin spinning off its ailing US operations.[135] That year, the company began divesting control of company-owned US restaurants to franchised operations, with the intention of reducing overall company ownership from 35 percent to 5 percent.[135]

text: Oceania

text: There are over 600 KFC outlets in Australia, and around 100 in New Zealand.[98] KFC was the first American style fast food chain to open in both countries.[136] In 2013, KFC reported an annual turnover of almost 2 billion AUD for its Australia and New Zealand operations.[137]

text: Australia

text: Yum! directly operates 160 KFC outlets in Australia.[137] The largest of the 53 independent franchisees in Australia is Collins Foods, which operates 169 stores.[137][138] KFC's major poultry suppliers in Australia are Inghams, Steggles and Turi Foods.[137]

text: The first Australian KFC was opened in 1968 in Guildford, a suburb of Sydney.[139] The franchise was owned by a Canadian entrepreneur called Bob Lapointe.[140] Between 1970 and 1971, 75 outlets were opened.[140] This had a major impact on Australian chicken production, which increased by 38 percent during the period.[140] By 1995 there were 452 outlets, and the company employed 12,000 staff.[139] That year, Australia produced 35 percent of KFC's international earnings.[139]

text: New Zealand

text: The first KFC opened in New Zealand in 1971 at Royal Oak, a suburb of Auckland.[141] By 1980 there were 37 outlets.[136] In 1989, PepsiCo acquired the 50 percent stake in KFC New Zealand that it did not already own from the local Goodman Fielder conglomerate.[141] In 1991 New Zealand turnover topped 100 million NZD for the first time.[141]

text: Products

text: KFC's core product offering is pressure fried, on-the-bone chicken pieces seasoned with Colonel Harland Sanders' "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices.[142] The product is typically available in either two or three piece individual servings, or in a family size cardboard bucket, typically holding between 6 and 16 chicken pieces. Poultry is divided into 9 different cuts (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 1 keel, and a backbone-based breast cut divided into 2 pieces).[143] The product is hand-breaded at individual KFC outlets with wheat flour mixed with seasoning in a two- to four-minute process.[52][137]

text: It is then pressure fried for between seven and ten minutes (the timing differs between countries) in oil at 185 degrees Celsius.[52][144][145] Following this, the chicken is left to stand for 5 minutes in order for it to sufficiently cool before it is placed in the warming oven.[52] It is KFC policy to discard chicken if it has not been sold within 90 minutes, in order to ensure freshness.[52] The frying oil varies regionally, and versions used include sunflower, soybean, rapeseed and palm oil.[49] A KFC executive stated that the taste of the chicken will vary between regions depending on the oil variety used, and whether the chicken has been corn-fed or wheat-fed.[49]

text: As well as its core chicken on the bone offering, KFC's major products include chicken burgers (including the Zinger and the Tower burgers); wraps ("Twisters" and "Boxmasters"); and a variety of finger foods, including crispy chicken strips and hot wings.[146][147] Popcorn Chicken is one of the most widely available KFC products, and consists of small pieces of fried chicken.[148] In some locations, chicken nuggets are also sold.[149]

text: KFC adapts its menu internationally to suit regional tastes, and there are over three hundred KFC menu items worldwide.[48] Some locations, such as the UK and the US, sell grilled chicken.[150][151] In predominantly Islamic countries, the chicken served is halal.[52] In Asia there is a preference for spicy foods, such as the Zinger chicken burger.[152] Some locations in the US sell fried chicken livers and gizzards.[153] A small number of US outlets offer an all-you-can-eat buffet option with a limited menu.[154]

text: In multiracial Malaysian markets, KFC also has different limited-time products to cater to different festive seasons such as Ayam Kicap Meletup for Eid al-Fitr seasons and Golden Treasures for Chinese New Year in 2015.

text: A number of territories, such as Japan, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Ecuador and Singapore sell fried seafood products under the "Colonel's Catch" banner.[155] In Jamaica, what was originally a seasonal offering for the Lent period was expanded to a year-round offering from 2010.[156]

text: Value menu items are sold under the "Streetwise" name in locations such as Canada.[157] Side dishes often include French fries, coleslaw, barbecue baked beans, corn on the cob, mashed potato, bread rolls and American biscuits.[158][159] Salads include the bean salad, the Caesar salad and the garden salad.[160] In a number of territories, KFC sell onion rings.[161] In Asia, rice based side dishes such as congee are often sold.[67] In Malaysia, chicken meatball soup is sold. In the US and Greece, potato wedges are sold instead of French fries.[162]

text: McCormick & Company is KFC's largest supplier of sauces, seasonings and marinades, and is a long-term partner in new product development.[137]

text: Due to the company's previous relationship with PepsiCo, most territories supply PepsiCo products, but exceptional territories include Barbados, Greece, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, and Turkey, which stock drinks supplied by The Coca-Cola Company, and Aruba, which stocks RC Cola from the Cott Corporation.[163][164][165][166] In Peru, the locally popular Inca Kola is sold.[167] In a number of Eastern European locations and Portugal, beer is offered, in addition to soft drinks.[168][169][170]

text: Launched in 2009, the Krusher/Krushem range of frozen beverages containing "real bits" such as Kit Kat, Oreo and strawberry shortcake, is available in over 2,000 outlets.[171] Egg custard tart is a popular dessert worldwide, but other items include ice cream sundaes and tres leches cake in Peru.[172]

text: In 2012, the "KFC am" breakfast menu began to be rolled out internationally, including such items as pancakes, waffles and porridge, as well as fried chicken.[173][174]

text: 11 herbs and spices

text: Sanders' Original Recipe of "11 herbs and spices" is one of the most famous trade secrets in the catering industry.[175][176] The recipe is not patented, because patent law requires public disclosure of an invention and provides protection only for a strictly limited term, whereas trade secrets can remain the intellectual property of their holders in perpetuity.[177]

text: A copy of the recipe, signed by Sanders, is held inside a safe inside a vault in KFC's Louisville headquarters, along with eleven vials containing the herbs and spices.[135][178] To maintain the secrecy of the recipe, half of it is produced by Griffith Laboratories before it is given to McCormick, who add the second half.[179]

text: In 1999, a couple who bought the house formerly occupied by Colonel Sanders found scribbled notes of purportedly the secret recipe. Initially KFC wanted to file a lawsuit against the couple to stop an auction of the notes, but by early 2001, it dropped the lawsuit, claiming the scribbled notes are "nowhere close" to the original recipe.[180]

text: Joe Ledington of Kentucky, a nephew by marriage of Colonel Sanders, claimed to have found a copy of the original KFC fried chicken recipe on a handwritten piece of paper in an envelope in a scrapbook. In August 2016, Chicago Tribune staffers conducted a cooking test of this recipe and claimed after a few attempts that, with the addition of MSG flavor-enhancer, Ac'cent, they produced fried chicken which tasted "indistinguishable" from the chicken they purchased at KFC.[181]

text: Equipment

text: KFC initially used stove-top covered cooking pots to fry its chicken.[182] In the 1960s, the officially recommended model was the L S Hartzog developed "KFC 20-Head Cooker", a large device that cost $16,000.[183] The Hartzog model had no oil filtration system, meaning that filtering had to be done manually, and the pressure fryers occasionally exploded, often causing harm to employees.[182] In 1969, inventor and engineer Winston L. Shelton developed the "Collectramatic" pressurized fryer to overcome the problems KFC faced in quickly frying chicken to meet growing customer demand. The Collectramatic used precision time and temperature controls and self-filtered the cooking oil – all while meeting Colonel Sanders’ legendary high quality standards.[182] Fred Jeffries, then vice president of purchasing at KFC, claimed that the invention helped fuel the company's rapid expansion and success:

text: There's no way it (KFC) could have grown like it did without the Collectramatic. Stores were doing about $200,000 a year in sales on average with the pots . . . but they could never have done the $900,000 a year it became without Win's fryer. He (Shelton) helped set the stage for that with true engineering thinking.[182]

text: Although a number of franchisees bought the Collectramatic, which had the support of Colonel Sanders from 1970 onwards, John Y. Brown had given tacit approval to franchisees to exclusively use the older L S Hartzog fryer, saying "Though those old pots were damn dangerous, at least we knew they worked! I was mostly afraid these new fryers would break down in the middle of business."[182] Brown warned franchisees that they were in violation of their contract if they used the Collectramatic.[182] Brown held his ground on the issue until he learned that his father, John Y. Brown Sr., who owned multiple KFC franchises, was successfully using the Collectramatic in every franchise he owned.[182] The issue was eventually resolved after Heublein purchased KFC, acquired Hartzog and nullified the contract.[183] The Collectramatic has been an approved pressure fryer for KFC from 1972 onwards.[183]

text: Advertising

text: Colonel Sanders was a key component of KFC advertising until his death in 1980. Despite his death, Sanders remains a key icon of the company as an "international symbol of hospitality".[184] Early official slogans for the company included "North America's Hospitality Dish" (from 1956) and "We fix Sunday dinner seven nights a week".[185][186] The "finger lickin' good" slogan was used from 1956, and went on to become one of the best-known slogans of the 20th century.[187] The trademark expired in the US in 2006.[188] The first KFC logo was introduced in 1952 and featured a "Kentucky Fried Chicken" typeface and a logo of the Colonel.[189]

text: Advertising played a key role at KFC after it was sold by Sanders, and the company began to advertise on US television with a budget of US$4 million in 1966.[190] In order to fund nationwide advertising campaigns, the Kentucky Fried Chicken Advertising Co-Op was established, giving franchisees ten votes and the company three when deciding on budgets and campaigns. In 1969, KFC hired its first national advertising agency, Leo Burnett.[22] A notable Burnett campaign in 1972 was the "Get a bucket of chicken, have a barrel of fun" jingle, performed by Barry Manilow.[22] By 1976 KFC was one of the largest advertisers in the US.[191]

text: Controversies and criticism

text: Since the beginning of the 21st century, fast food has been criticized for its animal welfare record, its links to obesity and its environmental impact.[192] Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation (2002) and Morgan Spurlock's film Super Size Me (2004) reflected these concerns.[21] Since 2003, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has protested KFC's choice of poultry suppliers worldwide.[193] The exception is KFC Canada, which signed an agreement pledging to only use "animal friendly" suppliers.[194] PETA have held thousands of demonstrations, sometimes in the home towns of KFC executives, and CEO David Novak was notably soaked in fake blood by a protester.[194] President of KFC's US division Gregg Dedrick said PETA mischaracterized KFC as a poultry producer rather than a purchaser of chickens.[195] In 2008, Yum! stated: "[As] a major purchaser of food products, [Yum!] has the opportunity and responsibility to influence the way animals supplied to us are treated. We take that responsibility very seriously, and we are monitoring our suppliers on an ongoing basis."[196]

text: In 2006, Greenpeace accused KFC Europe of sourcing the soya bean for its chicken feed from Cargill, which had been accused of clearing large swathes of the Amazon rainforest in order to grow the crop.[197]

text: In 2010, the Australian arm of KFC was accused of racial insensitivity over a television commercial showing an outnumbered white cricket fan handing out pieces of fried chicken to appease a dancing, drumming and singing group of black West Indies supporters. The clip found its way around the world on the internet, prompting stinging criticism in the United States where fried chicken remains closely associated with long-standing racist stereotypes about black people in the once segregated south.[198]

text: In May 2012, Greenpeace accused KFC of sourcing paper pulp for its food packaging from Indonesian rainforest wood.[199] Independent forensic tests showed that some packaging contained more than 50 percent mixed tropical hardwood fiber, sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP).[200][201] APP said such fiber can be found in recycled paper, or: "It can also come from tree residues that are cleared, after a forest area has become degraded, logged-over or burned, as part of a sustainable development plan. APP has strict policies and practices in place to ensure that only residues from legal plantation development on degraded or logged-over forest areas and sustainable wood fiber enters the production supply chain."[200] KFC said: "From a global perspective, 60 percent of the paper products that Yum! (our parent company) sources are from sustainable sources. Our suppliers are working towards making it 100 percent."[199]

text: In December 2012, the chain was criticized in China when it was discovered that a number of KFC suppliers had been using growth hormones and an excessive amount of antibiotics on its poultry in ways that violated Chinese law.[202] In February 2013, Yum! CEO David Novak admitted that the scandal had been "longer lasting and more impactful than we ever imagined."[202] The issue is of major concern to Yum!, which earns almost half of its profits from China, largely through the KFC brand. In March 2013, Yum! reported that sales had rebounded in February, but that lower sales in December and January would result in a decline in same-store sales of 20 percent in the first quarter.[203]

text: In 2017 KFC was fined £950,000 after two workers were scalded by boiling hot gravy. The company admitted to charges of failing in a duty of care to employees, and was ordered by Teesside Crown Court to pay fines of £800,000 and £150,000.[204]

text: In 2017 KFC paid 500,000 HUF (~1900 USD) to a charity chosen by a journalist, who was beaten by the security guard of a KFC in Budapest, Hungary [205]. KFC reacted professionally, fired the security guard and paid the requested amount, that the journalist offered to charities. Protests broke out in front of this Hungarian KFC and the bad publicity pressured KFC to act.


document_title: Pretty Little Liars

question_text: who is a is on pretty little liars

question_tokens: who is a is on pretty little liars

root

text: Pretty Little Liars

text: Premise[edit]

text: Set in the small suburban town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania , the series follows the lives of five girls: Spencer Hastings, Alison DiLaurentis, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin and Emily Fields, whose clique falls apart after the leader of the group, Alison, goes missing. One year later, the remaining estranged friends are reunited as they begin receiving messages from a mysterious villain named "A" and later from "A.D.", who threatens and tortures them for the mistakes they have made before and after Alison's death. At first, they think it is Alison herself, but after her body is found, the girls come to a realization that it is someone else who is sending threatening messages to them.

tag: p

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings

First aired
Last aired
Viewers
(in millions)
Adults
(18-49)

1
22
June 8, 2010 (2010-06-08)
March 21, 2011 (2011-03-21)
2.87
1.0

2
25
June 14, 2011 (2011-06-14)
March 19, 2012 (2012-03-19)
2.68
1.0

3
24
June 5, 2012 (2012-06-05)
March 19, 2013 (2013-03-19)
2.59[6]
1.1[6]

4
24
June 11, 2013 (2013-06-11)
March 18, 2014 (2014-03-18)
2.53[7]
1.1[7]

5
25
June 10, 2014 (2014-06-10)
March 24, 2015 (2015-03-24)
2.01[8]
0.9[8]

6
20
June 2, 2015 (2015-06-02)
March 15, 2016 (2016-03-15)
1.72[9]
0.8[9]

7
20
June 21, 2016 (2016-06-21)
June 27, 2017 (2017-06-27)
1.11[10]
0.6[10]

tag: table

text: Production[edit]

text: Originally developed as a television series by book packaging company Alloy Entertainment, the idea was described as "Desperate Housewives for teens."[11] Alloy met with author Shepard and gave her the property to develop into a book series.[11] With Alloy and Warner Horizon Television interested in producing Pretty Little Liars as a television series for years, it was first planned for The WB in 2005 with a different writer until the network shut down in early 2006 and reestablished as The CW later that year.[12] The first novel was published by HarperTeen in October 2006.[13] In June 2008, Alloy noted that it was developing a Pretty Little Liars television pilot for ABC Family,[11] with the novels adapted for television.[12] After the pilot was shot in Vancouver in December 2009, filming for the rest of the series moved to Los Angeles.[14][15] The series was primarily filmed at the Warner Bros. studio and backlot in the city of Burbank, near Los Angeles.[16] In June 2012, the series was selected by lottery for a California film and TV tax credit.[17]

text: Casting[edit]

text: ABC Family began casting for a Pretty Little Liars television pilot in October 2009.[12] Lucy Hale was cast as Aria Montgomery in the project, followed by Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings and Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz in November 2009.[18] In December 2009, The Futon Critic confirmed the casting of Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin and Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields, as well as the addition of Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin, Nia Peeples as Pam Fields, Roark Critchlow as Tom Marin, and Bianca Lawson as Maya.[19][20] Mitchell had initially auditioned for the role of Spencer and then tried for Emily.[21] The Hollywood Reporter also noted that Torrey DeVitto and Sasha Pieterse landed recurring roles in the pilot.[20] The Alloy website later confirmed that Pieterse would be playing Alison DiLaurentis and DeVitto would be Melissa Hastings, also mentioning the casting of Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal.[22] On January 27, 2010, ABC Family picked up the series for 10 episodes, set to premiere in June 2010.[23] In April 2010, the role of Aria's father Byron was recast with Chad Lowe,[24] and Holly Marie Combs was cast as Aria's mother Ella. Jenna Marshall is played by Tammin Sursok.[25]

text: On January 7, 2011, Tilky Jones was cast as Logan Reed.[26] On April 8, 2011, Annabeth Gish was cast for the role of Anne Sullivan, a therapist who tries to find out the characters' secrets.[27] On May 23, 2011, Andrea Parker signed up to appear as Jessica DiLaurentis, Alison's mother.[28] On June 29, 2011, it was announced that Natalie Hall would be replacing Natalie Floyd as Hanna's soon-to-be stepsister, Kate.[29] On January 30, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Tyler Blackburn had been promoted to series regular for the third season.[30] In March 2012, Janel Parrish was also promoted from recurring to series regular for the third season.[31] On March 16, 2016, TVLine reported that Andrea Parker was added as a series regular for the seventh season.[32]

text: Promotion[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars was called one of the most spectacular new shows of summer 2010 thanks to heavy promotion by ABC Family, including "spicy promos and hot posters".[33] ABC Family encouraged fans to host a "Pretty Little Premiere Party" for the show by sending the first respondents a fan kit,[34] and selected applicants to become part of an interactive "Secret Keeper Game" played with iPhones provided by the network.[35] The show's official Facebook and Twitter accounts also promoted special fan features, including a "Pretty Little Lie Detector".[36] Los Angeles department store Kitson showcased the show in their shop window.[37]

text: A tie-in edition featuring the Season 1 poster and logo of the 2006 first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series was released on the date of the show's premiere,[38] as was the final book of the original book series, "Wanted".[39] "Wanted" later decidedly became the eighth book of the series, as Shepard later confirmed she would extend the series. A TV tie-in of the second book "Flawless" featuring an altered Season 3 poster was released on December 28, 2012.

text: Music[edit]

text: The theme song for Pretty Little Liars is "Secret" by The Pierces, which was suggested by one of the show's stars, Ashley Benson.[40] The pilot episode featured music from artists such as The Fray, Ben's Brother, MoZella, Orelia, and Colbie Caillat.[41] The show has also featured music from Passion Pit, Lady Gaga, Pink, Florence and the Machine, Lykke Li, Selena Gomez & the Scene, McFly and Rachel Platten. Music from Katie Herzig can be heard multiple times throughout the show. A few songs being "Hey Na Na" and "Where the Road Meets the Sun". Madi Diaz has been heard on the show with her song "Heavy Heart", as well as Joy Williams with "Charmed Life" and Foreign Slippers with "What Are You Waiting For?". The last episode of season one featured a song by Alexz Johnson that she originally recorded for the soundtrack of the Canadian hit TV show Instant Star. On June 14, 2011, "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri was featured in the first episode of the second season. The song "Follow Suit" by Trent Dabbs has also been featured on the show. In the episode "The Perfect Storm", Lucy Hale sings a cover of the song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" by British band Fairport Convention. The official soundtrack was released on February 15, 2011.

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text:
Troian Bellisario portrays Spencer Hastings / Alex Drake, one of the five Liars. Bellisario also portrays Alex Drake in the final season, Spencer's identical twin sister, which is not truly revealed until the series finale. Spencer is an extreme perfectionist who likes to please her wealthy family and her friends. She is very competitive and an overachiever. Spencer is strong willed, smart, and kind towards everyone around her, but isn't afraid to take down someone who is a threat to something she cares about. She was in a relationship with Toby Cavanaugh (Keegan Allen) for most of the first six and a half seasons. Toby later joins the Rosewood Police Force to protect Spencer. Tired of being the victim, Spencer was a brief member of the "A" team after she thinks that she finds Toby in the woods killed by "A", but finds out from Mona that he is still alive and the only way to get to him is to become part of the team. She then learns that the only reason Toby joined the "A" team was to protect her. After the five year jump, Spencer dates Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn) and lives in Washington, D.C. She returns home after the death of Charlotte Drake but ends up staying due to her mother running for the state senate. In the season 7 mid-season finale, it is revealed that she is the biological child of Mary Drake. After the five year time jump, it is shown she has continued with politics and is a paralegal at her mothers law firm. It is revealed that she had a twin sister, Alex Drake, who grew up in London, that became A.D to avenge Charlotte's death.
Ashley Benson portrays Hanna Marin, one of the five Liars. Hanna used to have an eating disorder. She was overweight, with the nickname 'Hefty Hanna'. After Alison DiLaurentis disappeared, Hanna lost weight and changed her style, which seemed similar to Ali's, with the help of her new best friend Mona Vanderwaal. Over the course of the series, Hanna cares more about the people around her and tries to protect herself and her friends. She is loyal and strong. She has had few love affairs through the series and was in a relationship with Caleb Rivers. After the time jump, Hanna was engaged to Jordan and working in the fashion industry, but has moved back to Rosewood and is married to Caleb. In the series finale, it is revealed that she is pregnant.
Holly Marie Combs portrays Ella Montgomery, the mother of Aria and Mike, as well as the wife of Byron.
Lucy Hale portrays Aria Montgomery, one of the five Liars. Aria is the artsy chameleon who is very intelligent, caring, and has a good sense of style. She's the one who keeps her family together. Aria spent some time as a "goth". She wore black, punk-like clothing and had pink highlights in her hair. After Alison disappeared, Aria and her family moved to Iceland for a year (because of Alison's disappearance), before returning to Rosewood. When Aria and her family moved back to Rosewood, she was no longer a "goth" as she used to be, she was a girly-girl. Aria had a relationship with her English teacher, Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding) from the very first episode of the entire show, but they decided to end their relationship before Aria went to college. After the time jump, Aria dates her co-worker, Liam, and then breaks up with him after she and Ezra start dating again. Ezra then proposes to her and they get engaged. Later, Aria joins the A-Team, after being blackmailed by Uber A. In the season finale, it is revealed that she is infertile which leads her to believe that she would never be able to marry Ezra; however, at the end of the episode she and Ezra are married. Aria finds out that she is unable to have children shortly before the wedding and tells Ezra the day before their marriage. He still wants to marry her.
Ian Harding portrays Ezra Fitz, a former English teacher at Rosewood High who begins a relationship with Aria which causes a lot of tension due to her being his student. However they keep a steady relationship until season 4 when it is revealed that he is writing a book about the disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis which causes Aria to break up with him. It is also revealed that he had a very brief relationship with Alison before she disappeared after she met him in bar near Hollis with Charlotte Drake. After the time jump, Ezra is in a very bad place due to his girlfriend Nicole being kidnapped and killed in Nicaragua while they were there doing charity work. He is writing a book about his experience which is being published through the company Aria is currently working at which causes them to rekindle their old friendship. In the season 6 finale, they have sex which causes them to talk about their relationship and Ezra proposes to Aria which after some hesitation and a confession about the death of Archer Dunhill, she accepts. They are married in the series finale.
Bianca Lawson portrays Maya St. Germain, a new girl who moves into Rosewood and develops a relationship with Emily, becoming her first girlfriend. She moves into Alison's old house which causes tension with the girls at first but they quickly begin to like her. She is killed in the season 2 finale by Lyndon James who was her stalker from a rehabilitation camp which she was sent to when Pam discovers weed in her bag. Lyndon disguises himself as her cousin who tries to get close to Emily so that he can kill her out of jealousy however, he is killed by Emily stabbing him in mid-season 3.
Laura Leighton portrays Ashley Marin, the mother of Hanna. In the first season she is working as a member of the bank until she is arrested as the suspected murderer of Darren Wilden. She is released when Mona takes the blame for murder and Pastor Ted posts her bail. She then begins working for Mrs DiLaurentis until her death when she chooses to leave as Jason takes over which causes tension due to their past relationship. After the 5 year time jump, she has now turned Radley into a fancy hotel and is working as the manager.
Chad Lowe portrays Byron Montgomery, the father of Aria and Mike, as well as the husband of Ella. He is the center of one of the first story lines due to him having an affair with one of his students at Hollis causing all sorts of issues with his family. Due to this, him and Ella get a divorced but later remarry in season 6 with Aria as their officiator. Chad Lowe was the first cast member to direct an episode of Pretty Little Liars, followed by Troian Bellisario.
Shay Mitchell portrays Emily Fields, one of the five Liars. Emily is the sporty one in the group. She is the best swimmer on the high school swim team, and eventually becomes a coach of the team. Emily's demeanor is kindhearted and very loyal to those she loves. Emily is a shy closeted lesbian in the beginning of the series, in love with Alison DiLaurentis. Over the course of the series, Emily came out to her parents that she was in a relationship with Maya St. Germain. After Maya's murder, Emily develops a relationship with Paige McCullers in season 3. They're together for a while, until Paige betrays Emily's trust. After the time jump, Emily has dropped out of the university she attended in California after the death of her father and she came back to Rosewood with a secret. She ends up donating her eggs in season 6 to help to start a family. As of The Darkest Knight she is now working at Rosewood High School as the swim coach. In Season 7, it is revealed that Alison is pregnant with Emily's baby after A.D stole Emily's eggs after she donated them and impregnated Alison while she was in Welby. Emily confronts Ali about the baby and she agrees to have it for her. Soon after, Alison confesses her feelings for Emily and the 2 enter a relationship. In the series finale, Emily and Ali are raising twin girls, Lily and Grace. Alison proposes to Emily who accepts.
Nia Peeples portrays Pam Fields, the mother of Emily as well as being the wife of Wayne.
Sasha Pieterse portrays Alison DiLaurentis, one of the five Liars and the former "Queen Bee" of her clique, and the most popular girl in school before her disappearance. She enjoys using people's deepest secrets against them to keep them in line. Charming and manipulative, Alison managed to manipulate all four of her friends in one way or another and is skilled at finding ways to blackmail others. It was later revealed that Alison is alive and was on the run from "A". After the five-year time jump, Alison marries a man posing as Dr. Elliott Rollins, who was her sister Charlotte's psychiatrist. In the beginning of Season 7, Alison finds out that he is not the "good" man that she thought she married and with the help of the other girls, they manage to kill him before he kills them. Alison is now an English teacher at Rosewood High. It is also revealed in season 7 that she is pregnant with Emily's baby. Shortly after, she admits to being in love with Emily and enters a relationship with her and intends to raise the baby with her.In the series finale, she is raising twin girls, Lily and Grace, later on in the episode she proposes to Emily.
Tyler Blackburn portrays Caleb Rivers, the high school boyfriend and later husband of Hanna Marin, and a professional hacker. It is revealed in season 1 that he was in the foster care system and slept in school or public places the majority of the time to avoid staying with his foster family. For a brief time he moves into Hanna's basement before moving in with Lucas. He also reconnects with his biological parents. He departs the show mid-season 4 to go to Ravenswood, which was a sister spin-off show of Pretty Little Liars. He returns in the 100th episode with a haunting secret which causes tension between him and Hanna. They both begin drinking, him to forget Ravenswood, her coping with Alison's return to Rosewood. After the time jump, it is revealed that he and Hanna broke up due to them working too much and he begins dating Spencer causing a love triangle between the three of them. In the mid-season 7 finale, he confesses his feeling for Hanna leading to them having sex prompting them to get back together. In "Choose or Loose", they elope in the courthouse and in the finale, Hanna announces she's pregnant.
Janel Parrish portrays Mona Vanderwaal, the original and first "A". She is the person who stalked Alison before her disappearance, and did this as revenge for Alison crowning her "Rosewood's biggest loser". After Alison disappeared she became best friends with Hanna Marin and they transformed themselves into the most popular girls at school, taking Alison's place. In the season two finale she is exposed as "A" and sent to Radley Sanitarium, where she is visited by CeCe Drake (Charlotte), who takes Mona's place in the "A" game. In Season 3, she continues working as "A" and by the end of the season is kicked off the "A" team and becomes a victim of "A" along with the other girls. In Season 4 she helps the girls out with their investigations of the new "A". In season 5 she creates an army so as not to be intimidated by Alison's return. Later in the season, she fakes her own death to ferret out "A" but is kidnapped by "A" and imprisoned in "A"'s dollhouse. After the time jump, Mona is working for Veronica Hastings' rival for State Senator, and is revealed to be Charlotte Drake's killer.
Andrea Parker portrays Jessica DiLaurentis / Mary Drake, twin sisters. Jessica is the mother to Alison and Jason, while Mary is revealed to be the mother of Charlotte and Spencer. Mary was admitted to Radley Sanitarium for most of her life, but has now returned to Rosewood. During the fourth season, Mary kills Jessica and attempts to frame Peter Hastings for it. However, this is not revealed until season 7. She comes back to Rosewood later, now allied with Archer Dunhill. In the nineteenth episode of season 7, she takes the blame for the death of Archer Dunhill so the Liars won't have to go to prison. In the season finale, it revealed that she escaped prison with the help of Mona so that she could ally with Alex Drake, her other biological daughter, Spencer's twin sister who is revealed as "A.D.".

tag: ul

text: Setting[edit]

text: Rosewood[edit]

text: Rosewood is a fictional town in the state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal setting of the series and the books. The Liars live in this town along with most of the other characters. It contains many principal locations: the police station, the Rosewood High School, the church, the Rosewood Shopping Center, Hollis College, the Rosewood Community Hospital, the Rosewood movie theater, the mausoleum, the dental office, the Ophthalmology Cabinet, and the Rosewood Court.

text: Virtually all these locations are actually exteriors on the backlot of the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank. Interior scenes are filmed separately on nearby soundstages. For example, different sides of the same building on the backlot are used for the entrances of the Rosewood police station and high school.

text: Secondary locations[edit]

text: Real towns: New York City, Cape May, Philadelphia, London, Hilton Head Island and Brookhaven.

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars premiered on June 8, 2010 in the United States, becoming ABC Family's highest-rated series debut on record across the network's target demographics.[42] It ranked number one in key 12–34 demos and teens, becoming the number-one scripted show in Women 18–34, and Women 18–49. The premiere was number two in the hour for total viewers, which generated 2.47 million unique viewers, and was ABC Family's best delivery in the time slot since the premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

text: The second episode retained 100% of its premiere audience with 2.48 million viewers, despite the usual downward trend following a premiere of a show, and built on its premiere audience. It was the dominant number one of its time slot in Adults 18–49, and the number one show in female teens.[43] Subsequent episodes fluctuated between 2.09 and 2.74 million viewers.[44][45] The August 10, 2010 "Summer Finale" episode drew an impressive 3.07 million viewers.

text: On June 28, 2010, ABC Family ordered 12 more episodes of the show, bringing its total first-season order to 22.[46] On January 10, 2011, ABC Family picked the show up for a second season that premiered on June 14, 2011. During the summer of 2011, Pretty Little Liars was basic cable's top scripted series in women aged 18–34 and viewers 12–34.[47][48] The second half of season 2 aired on Mondays at 8/7c, beginning on January 2, 2012.[49]

text: On November 29, 2011, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season, which consisted of 24 episodes.[50][51] On October 4, 2012, ABC Family announced that the show was renewed for a fourth season, again comprising 24 episodes. The second half of the third season began airing on January 8, 2013 and finished March 19, 2013. Pretty Little Liars returned for Season 4 on June 11, 2013. On March 25, 2013, it was again announced that Pretty Little Liars had been renewed for a fifth season scheduled for a 2014 air date and a new spin off show entitled Ravenswood would begin airing after the season four annual Halloween special in October 2013.[52] The second half of season four premiered on January 7, 2014.[53] It was announced on June 10, 2014 that Pretty Little Liars was renewed for two seasons, making the show ABC Family's longest running original hit series.[54] On August 29, 2016, I.Marlene King announced that Pretty Little Liars would be ending after the seventh season had aired. The second half of the seventh season will begin airing later than previous season, in April instead of January.[55]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars opened with mixed reviews. Metacritic gave the pilot episode 52 out of 100, based upon 14 critical reviews.[56] The New York Daily News gave the show a positive review, commenting that it "makes most popular vampire romances look anemic", while concluding, "Pretty Little Liars could go in several directions, including mundane teen clichés. It's got an equally good shot at making us care about these imperfect pretty girls."[57] A writer on Terror Hook has stated that " 'Pretty Little Liars' gets off to a very promising start. Great production all around, the writing keeps the viewer on their toes, and the acting just reinforces it. The overall mystery of the show in the end is dark and unpredictable, even stepping into the slasher film realm."[58] The New York Post gave the show three out of five stars, stating, "OK, so we've established that there is no socially redeeming value in this series and that your kids shouldn't watch it if they are too young and impressionable. But if you can distract them enough to miss the first 15 minutes, the show isn't half-bad. Actually, it is half-good, if that makes sense."[59] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the series is "one of those shows that manages to mildly, and perhaps unintentionally, spoof its genre while fully participating in it, and that's not a bad thing at all."[60]

text: Entertainment Weekly had a less favorable review, giving the show a letter grade of "D−", saying, "Imagine the pitch for Liars: It's I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Gossip Girl, but like not so subtle." It went on to say that the plot "hits every racy teen entertainment mark so hard (everyone's hair is so full—of secrets!) that it feels like the only thing missing is a visit from the ghosts of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr."[61] The Hollywood Reporter compared the show to those on The CW and noted, "Sure, there's a lot here that sustains more eye-rolling than interested stares, but a little patience might be warranted."[62]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: Since the series premiere, Pretty Little Liars has remained popular. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that the show's "popularity is tilted toward women more than any other show in the data — over 94 percent of 'likes' come from women".[63]

text: The series earned its highest rated episode with 4.20 million total viewers, ranking among ABC Family's top 5 telecasts in adult viewers 18–34, total viewers and women viewers.[64] The highest rated episodes include season one's finale, with 3.64 million, and season two's premiere and finale episodes, each yielding nearly 3.7 million viewers.[65][66][67] The show stands as the most watched series on ABC Family, maintaining a steady viewership of over 2.5 million and currently standing as the only show to yield an average of over 2 million viewers.

text:
Season
Network
Episodes
Timeslot
Season premiere
Season finale
TV season
Viewers
(in millions)

Premiere date
Viewers
(million)
Finale date
Viewers
(million)

1
ABC Family
22
Tuesdays 8:00 pm (first set)
Mondays 8:00 pm (second set)
June 8, 2010
2.47[68]
March 21, 2011
3.64[65]
2010–11
2.87

2
25
June 14, 2011
3.68[66]
March 19, 2012
3.69[67]
2011–12
2.68

3
24
Tuesdays 8:00 p.m.
June 5, 2012
2.93[69]
March 19, 2013
2.87[70]
2012–13
2.59[71]

4
24
June 11, 2013
2.97[72]
March 18, 2014
3.12[73]
2013–14
2.53[74]

5
25
June 10, 2014
2.72[75]
March 24, 2015
2.65[76]
2014–15
2.01[77]

6
ABC Family (2015)

Freeform (2016)
20
June 2, 2015
2.38[78]
March 15, 2016
1.19[79]
2015–16
1.72[80]

7
Freeform
20
June 21, 2016
1.43[81]
June 27, 2017
1.41[82]
2016–17
1.11[10]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient(s)
Result

2010

Teen Choice Awards[88]
Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Ian Harding
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

2011

NewNowNext Awards[89]
TV You Betta Watch
Pretty Little Liars
Won

People's Choice Awards[90]
Favorite TV Obsession
Nominated

GLAAD Media Awards[91]
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

Young Hollywood Awards[92]
Cast To Watch
Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell
Won

Teen Choice Awards[93]
Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Ian Harding
Won

Keegan Allen
Nominated

Banff Television Festival
Best Continuing Series
I. Marlene King, Lesli Linka Glatter and Lisa Cochran-Neilan
Won

Capricho Awards (pt)[94]
Best TV Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Best International Actress
Lucy Hale
Nominated

Best International Actor
Ian Harding
Nominated

2012
People's Choice Awards[95]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

GLAAD Media Awards[96]
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

TV Guide Awards[97]
Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Nominated

Capricho Awards (pt)[98]
Best TV Series
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[99]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Won

Choice TV Actor
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Troian Bellisario
Won

2013
People's Choice Awards[100]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite TV Fan Following
Little Liars
Nominated

Gracie Awards[101]
Outstanding Performance by a Female Rising Star
Lucy Hale
Won

TV Guide Awards[102]
Favorite Ensemble
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite Villain
Janel Parrish and Keegan Allen
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[103]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Keegan Allen
Won

Capricho Awards (pt)[104]
Best TV Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Best International Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

2014
People's Choice Awards[105][106]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Won

GLAAD Media Awards[107]
Outstanding Drama Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

40th Saturn Awards[108]
Best Youth-Oriented Television Series
Nominated

Young Hollywood Awards
Bingeworthy TV series
Nominated

Best Cast Chemistry — TV
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[109]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Ashley Benson
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice TV Breakout Star: Female
Sasha Pieterse
Won

2015
People's Choice Awards[110]
Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

GLAAD Media Awards
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

41st Saturn Awards[111]
Best Youth-Oriented Television Series
Nominated

MTV Fandom Awards
Feels Freak Out Of The Year
Won

Ship Of The Year
Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards
Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Lucy Hale
Won

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Won

Choice TV Scene Stealer
Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
"A" (Vanessa Ray)
Won

2016

People's Choice Awards[112]

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards

Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Tyler Blackburn
Nominated

Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice TV Scene Stealer
Sasha Pieterse
Won

Choice TV Chemistry
Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice Summer TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Nominated

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

2017
People's Choice Awards[113]
Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

MTV Movie & TV Awards

Show Of The Year
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards

Choice TV Show: Drama
Nominated

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Won

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice TV Ship
Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

text: DVD releases[edit]

text:
DVD release dates for Pretty Little Liars

Name
Release dates
Ep #
Additional information

Region 1
Region 2
Region 4

Season 1: The Complete First Season
June 7, 2011
September 24, 2012[114]
November 2, 2011[115]
22

Pretty Little Liars: Two Truths and a Lie—Discover some fun facts and fictional fallacies about the cast of Pretty Little Liars.
It All Started with a Little Lie: Making Pretty Little Liars—Discover how the pages and characters of Sara Shepard's novel became this can't miss TV series
Little Secrets from the Set—Catch up with the cast and crew of summer's hottest show as they bring us several juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from the Pretty Little Liars set
Deleted Scenes and extras

Season 2: The Complete Second Season
June 5, 2012[116]
November 11, 2013[117]
September 5, 2012[118]
25

Fashion's Guilty Pleasure: Check out Aria's edgy bohemian looks, Hanna's rock 'n' roll glamour, Emily's laid back sporty style and Spencer's prepster perfection
Men of Mystery: Brooding brows, soulful smiles and mysterious minds... get ready for the heart-melting guys of Rosewood
Deleted scenes and extras

Season 3: The Complete Third Season
June 4, 2013
April 21, 2014[119]
June 19, 2013[120]
24

Featurette: "The 'A' Network"
The Lady Killer episode alternate endings
Bonus Webisodes
Deleted Scenes

Season 4: The Complete Fourth Season
June 3, 2014
September 29, 2014[121]
July 9, 2014[122]
24

Featurette: "Unhooding Red Coat: Alison Is Alive!"
Featurette: "Confessions of 'A' Liar"
Featurette: "Pretty Little Scenes"
Bonus Recap Episode
Deleted Scenes

Season 5: The Complete Fifth Season
June 2, 2015
July 15, 2015[123]
June 19, 2015
25

Featurette: "Good Girls, Bad Lies: The Stronger PLLs"
Featurette: "Pretty Little Liars: The Guys Are Back!"
Featurette: "Celebrating a Pretty 100th"
Featurette: "Christmas in Rosewood: Designing the Ice Ball"
We Love You to Death: Fan Appreciation Episode
Deleted Scenes

Season 6: The Complete Sixth Season
April 19, 2016[124]
April 18, 2016[125]
April 22, 2016
20

Featurette: "We Heart the PLL Ships"
Featurette: "A PLL Prom"
Featurette: "Inside the 5 Years"
Featurette: "A Homecoming: The PLLs Return"
Pretty Little Liars: 5 Years Forward
Deleted Scenes

Season 7: The Seventh and Final Season
July 25, 2017[126]
TBA
TBA
20

Featurette: "Inside the PLL Sheets"
Featurette: "That PLL Boy Is Mine"
Featurette: "A PLL Proposal"
Featurette: "A Surprising Mary Drake"
Featurette: "Hot for Haleb"
Featurette: "Say I Do"
Featurette: "The Final Sendoff from Rosewood"
Featurette: "A.D.: The Ultimate Suspect"
Featurette: "Thank You to Fans"
Pretty Little Liars: A-List Wrap Party (Special Episode)
Deleted Scenes

The Complete Series
July 25, 2017[126]
TBA
TBA
160

All previously released special features on all seven seasons.


document_title: Cuticle (hair)

question_text: the outer layer of the hair is the

question_tokens: the outer layer of the hair is the

text: Cuticle (hair)

text: This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Magic links bot (talk | contribs) at 19:11, 3 June 2017 (Replace magic links with templates per local RfC and MediaWiki RfC). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.

text: The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft.[1] It is formed from dead cells, overlapping in layers, which form scales that gives the hair shaft strength and provide protection for it.[2][3] Although the cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, it does not give the hair its color because it has no melanin, which is the pigment responsible; the color of a person's hair depends on what type of melanin they have, which is found in the cortex.[4]


document_title: Memoirs of a Geisha

question_text: who was memoirs of a geisha based on

question_tokens: who was memoirs of a geisha based on

text: Memoirs of a Geisha

text: Plot summary[edit]

text: At the age of nine, Chiyo Sakamoto (坂本千代) is taken from her poverty-stricken fishing village of Yoroido (鎧戸) on the coast of the Sea of Japan with her older sister Satsu (坂本薩) and sold to an okiya (geisha boarding house) in Gion, the most prominent geisha district in Kyoto. Perceived as less attractive in looks and demeanor, Satsu is not sold into the okiya and is instead forced into becoming a prostitute in Kyoto's pleasure district. Chiyo lives in the Nitta Okiya (新田置屋) alongside another young girl named Pumpkin, the elderly and grumbling Granny, money-obsessed Mother, and Auntie, a failed geisha. Also living in the okiya is the famous and ill-mannered geisha, Hatsumomo (初桃), renowned for her wickedness and dazzling beauty. She promptly takes to disliking Chiyo, whom she sees as a potential future rival who may threaten her place in the okiya and Gion, as well as Mother's financial dependence upon her earnings. Hatsumomo begins to go out of her way to get rid of Chiyo, even withholding the knowledge of Satsu's whereabouts in the pleasure district to make her do her dirty work and get blamed for it. This includes having Chiyo ruin an expensive kimono belonging to her more successful rival, Mameha (豆波), if she wants Hatsumomo to tell her where Satsu is. Auntie warns Chiyo against both angering and trusting Hatsumomo, knowing the ill-mannered geisha's true nature very well.

text: When Chiyo finds Satsu in the pleasure district, she conspires with her to escape from their new lives. Returning to the okiya, she happens upon Hatsumomo engaged in intimate relations with her plebeian boyfriend, Koichi (幸一). This proves to be against the rules of the geisha lifestyle as it's a livelihood-threatening situation for a geisha whose air of unattainability is crucial to their allure. A furious Hatsumomo attempts to twist the situation and falsely blames Chiyo for stealing. Although she is punished, Hatsumomo is also banned from seeing Koichi again and increasing her hatred for Chiyo. Mother then orders the gates to be locked and bans everyone from leaving, except for nightly attendance with clients. Despite Pumpkin and Auntie's warning not to run away, Chiyo plans to leave the okiya and escape the city with Satsu. She is caught when she falls off the roof and breaks her arm. Enraged at her for dishonoring the okiya and incurring further medical costs, Mother stops investing in Chiyo and forces her pay off her increasing debts as a personal maid for Mother, rather than a geisha in training. She also learns of her parents' death and also that Satsu had returned to Yoroido, only to runaway with the son of a fisherman. Overjoyed by Chiyo's demotion to being a slave under Mother and wanting revenge for being banned from Koichi, Hatsumomo takes advantage of the situation by continuing to be cruel to her.

text: A few years later, a downtrodden Chiyo is given money and a handkerchief in the street by a strange but kind man known to Chiyo as the Chairman. She donates the money to the Yasaka shrine in Gion, praying to become a geisha in the hopes of entering an exclusive social sphere where she may have a chance of seeing him again, keeping the handkerchief as a memento. Chiyo becomes envious of Pumpkin, who is on her way to becoming a geisha under Hatsumomo's tutelage, while Chiyo still remains a maid under Mother. Pumpkin advances and is given her geisha name as Hatsumiyo (初美代), though Hatsumomo is dismayed that everyone still refers to her as Pumpkin. Soon afterward, at Granny's funeral, Chiyo is startled when Mameha takes an interest in her. Mameha persuades a reluctant Mother to reinvest in Chiyo's training, with Mameha acting as Chiyo's mentor and "older sister".

text: Mameha reveals that the source of Hatsumomo's hatred towards Chiyo comes from fear of Chiyo's beauty and cleverness, which contrasts with the simple-minded Pumpkin, who can be used by Hatsumomo to secure her position at the okiya. Because she cannot stand to have rivals, Hatsumomo has successfully ruined other geisha, including Hatsuoki (初沖) (an old friend of Mameha's), a geisha who shared the same older sister as Hatsumomo and was driven out of Gion. However, despite her popularity, Hatsumomo is regarded as a failed geisha because she cannot obtain a danna (旦那) to sponsor her independence after she angered the mistress of her principal teahouse, and has stayed in the okiya under Mother. Mameha also reveals that despite her financial contributions, Mother had refused to name Hatsumomo as the heiress of the okiya because she was afraid of the trouble she would bring if named. Everyone believes Hatsumomo would likely throw Mother out, sell off the okiya's kimono collection, retire and live on the money. Through Mameha's tutelage, Chiyo becomes an apprentice geisha with a new name: Sayuri (小百合).

text: As Sayuri gains popularity, a desperate Hatsumomo goes out of her way to ruin Sayuri by tarnishing her reputation in Gion to increase Pumpkin's popularity. This forced Mameha and Sayuri to devise a plan to push Hatsumomo out of the Nitta okiya lest Sayuri's career ultimately die. They arrange for Sayuri's mizuage (水揚げ) (portrayed as a deflowering "ceremony" for maiko as a step to becoming full-fledged geisha) to be bidden upon by several influential men, namely Nobu Toshikazu (敏和信), the president of Iwamura Electric as well as a close friend Ken Iwamura (岩村健), who is revealed to be the Chairman; and reputed mizuage specialist "Dr. Crab", dubbed so by Sayuri due to his appearance. The plan is nearly ruined when Hatsumomo catches on to the plan and tells Dr. Crab that Sayuri has been deflowered, causing him to stop patronizing her. Mameha successfully convinces him that Hatsumomo has a reputation as a known liar and her words are too risky to trust. Dr. Crab ultimately wins the bid for Sayuri's mizuage and she uses his record-breaking payment to cover all of her debts. This leads Mother, who had originally planned to adopt Pumpkin as her heiress, to choose Sayuri instead, ultimately destroying the two girls' friendship forever. This turn of events enrages both Pumpkin and Hatsumomo for different reasons: Pumpkin was looking forward to the adoption so that she could have some form of security in her old age. While Hatsumomo was eagerly anticipating to Pumpkin's adoption so she could secure her own position as head geisha and drive the up-and-coming Sayuri out of Gion. Hatsumomo begins a downward spiral fueled by alcoholism and her behavior worsens past all excuse. After starting a brutal fight at a teahouse with a prominent homosexual Kabuki actor in a drunken rage, Hatsumomo's future as a geisha and reputation in Gion is tarnished for good. She is immediately thrown out of the okiya permanently, never to be seen nor heard from again. However, Sayuri does hear rumors that Hatsumomo became a prostitute and eventually drank herself to death. Soon after, Mother decides to throw Pumpkin out for unknown reasons.

text: Shortly after Hatsumomo's demise it is revealed Dr. Crab was actually bidding against the Baron, Mameha's danna, for Sayuri's mizuage. The Baron had previously tried to sexually assault Sayuri, undressing her against consent at a blossom viewing party, which Mameha had warned against. Nobu instead bids to become Sayuri's danna, but loses out to General Tottori. With Japan on the brink of entering World War II, many geisha are evacuated to other cities to work in factories, which requires hard labor and are primary bomb targets. The General is demoted and is unable to use any influence to send Sayuri somewhere safer. Despite losing respect for Sayuri, Nobu is able to send Sayuri far north to live with his old friend, Arashino (嵐野), a kimono maker. At the end of the war, Nobu visits Sayuri and asks that she return to Gion to help entertain the new Deputy Minister Sato (佐藤次官), whose aid can be instrumental in rebuilding Iwamura Electric, the company which the Chairman and Nobu run. Once returning to Gion, Sayuri helps Mother and Auntie clean up the okiya and shows kindness to the new girl Etsuko (悦子) they have taken in to train under her. When she learns that Pumpkin had not been invited back, Sayuri asks Auntie about it. She revealed that before she went to retrieve Sayuri from Arashino, Pumpkin came begging both her and Mother to let her return to the okiya because she's homeless and needs their help. Auntie was willing to let Pumpkin back in to work as a maid, but Mother refused having decided that she was a failure. Sayuri approaches an unhappy and homeless Pumpkin to help her entertain the Minister. She only agrees to help out because she knew Minister Sato and had entertained him in the past.

text: Sayuri, Mameha and Pumpkin entertain the Minister together regularly and within time, Nobu formally begins proposals to become Sayuri's danna. Sayuri still maintains strong feelings for the Chairman and doesn't want Nobu to become her danna, so on a weekend trip to the Amami Islands with Iwamura Electric, she plans to seduce the Minister and be caught in humiliation by Nobu. Upon catching on to Sayuri's plan and fearing that she would behave similar to Hatsumomo, Mameha warns against it because it would disrespect him and tells her to accept him as her danna. Sayuri refuses and asks Pumpkin for one last favor to bring Nobu to a theater while she makes love to the Minister, which Pumpkin agrees to. Harboring animosity for Sayuri, Pumpkin deliberately brings the Chairman instead of Nobu to catch her with the Minister. Enraged, Sayuri confronts her for humiliating her in front of the Chairman. In return, Pumpkin coldly reveals how she grown to resent Sayuri over the years: for destroying her chances of being adopted by Mother, being forced to become a prostitute to survive during the war and for never realizing how she made herself look bad to embarrass Hatsumomo to help Sayuri. Having noticed her feelings for the Chairman, Pumpkin hoped that when he catches Sayuri with the Minister, he would be disgusted by her behavior. In despising her, Pumpkin mentions that Sayuri will never see the Chairman again and she would be forced to accept Nobu as her danna. In that moment after she leaves, Sayuri realizes that a part of Hatsumomo resided in Pumpkin and finally sought her revenge.

text: A few days later, Sayuri is to meet a client at a teahouse. Believing it's Nobu coming over to meet her to discuss the arrangement of being her danna, Sayuri prepares to see him thinking the Chairman now hates her for humiliating him at Amami by catching her with the Minister. When she arrives at the teahouse, Sayuri is taken by surprise to see the Chairman and confesses that her acts in Amami were for personal reasons. Chairman admits that he had feelings for her as well, but felt he owed Nobu, his best friend who had also saved his company, the chance to be with the woman that he had expressed a sincere interest in. He admitted that he asked Mameha to train her in order to help her live her dreams as a geisha. The Chairman found out the truth after confronting an angry Pumpkin for Sayuri's humiliation and told Nobu afterwards, Nobu refused to continue his pursuit of becoming her danna. Sayuri and the Chairman kiss, which she feels is her first kiss expressing true love.

text: Sayuri peacefully retires from being a geisha when the Chairman becomes her danna. It is heavily implied that they have an illegitimate son together. Foreseeing the consequences this could have regarding the inheritance of Iwamura Electric, she relocates to New York City and opens her own small tea house for entertaining Japanese men on business in the United States. Sayuri severs her links to the Nitta okiya and in effect, Japan. The Chairman remains her danna until his death and the story concludes with a reflection on Sayuri and her life.

text: References to actual locations[edit]

text: Much of the novel is set in the popular geisha district of Gion in Kyoto, and contains references to actual places frequented by geisha and their patrons, such as the Ichiriki Ochaya. Part of the story is also set in the Amami Islands, and Sayuri narrates the story from her suite in the Waldorf towers in New York City.

text: Lawsuit[edit]

text: After the Japanese edition of the novel was published, Arthur Golden was sued for breach of contract and defamation of character by Mineko Iwasaki, a retired geisha he had interviewed for background information while writing the novel. The plaintiff asserted that Golden had agreed to protect her anonymity if she told him about her life as a geisha, due to the traditional code of silence about their clients. However, Golden listed Iwasaki as a source in his acknowledgments for the novel, causing her to face a serious backlash, to the point of death threats.[1] In his defense, Arthur Golden countered that he had tapes of his conversations with Iwasaki.[2][clarification needed] Eventually, in 2003, Golden's publisher settled with Iwasaki out of court for an undisclosed sum of money.

text: Iwasaki later went on to write an autobiography, which shows a very different picture of twentieth-century geisha life than the one shown in Golden's novel. The book was published as Geisha, a Life[3] in the U.S. and Geisha of Gion in the U.K.

text: Film version[edit]

text: In 2005, film director Rob Marshall made a film version of the novel. It stars the Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi as Sayuri, Gong Li as Hatsumomo, and Michelle Yeoh as Mameha; and Japanese actors Ken Watanabe as the Chairman, Suzuka Ohgo as Sayuri's childhood incarnation Chiyo, and Youki Kudoh as the adult Pumpkin.

text: Filming was primarily done in California, and in some locations in Kyoto, including Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari-taisha. It was nominated for and won numerous awards, including nominations for six Academy Awards, three of which – Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design – were won.

text: Criticism[edit]

text: Kimiko Akita, in "Orientalism and the Binary of Fact and Fiction in Memoirs of a Geisha", argues that Memoirs of a Geisha contains orientalist tropes and deep "cultural misrepresentations".[4] She states that "Golden treated geisha as an object to be sexualized, exoticized, and romanticized by the West".

text: For the film, Marshall was criticized in Japan and the West for casting Chinese actors to play Japanese characters in roles firmly entwined with Japanese culture. Additionally, Kimiko argues that the movie instead helped perpetuate views of "Japanese culture and geisha as exotic, backward, irrational, dirty, profane, promiscuous, bizarre, and enigmatic". In the special features of the DVD, it is noted that few Japanese actresses showed interest in being a part of the production.