During a recent virtual press conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio touted a new partnership with Shake Shack to encourage New Yorkers to get vaccinated. He even snacked on some food while talking and tried to taunt New Yorkers with free fries in exchange for a vaccination…like little kids. New York has bribed residents with free tickets to a Yankees or Mets game, complimentary beer and doughnuts, a museum pass, and even a $100 savings bond. Ohio has even started giving five lucky vaccinated residents $1 million in a special weekly drawing. Democrats have been dangling treats in front of residents for a vaccine “so safe and so necessary.” Why the hard sell?
“Free fries when you get vaccinated? I got vaccinated. You’re saying I could get these delicious fries? Wait a minute, that there’s also a burger element to this? I want you to look at this and think about it — again, some people love hamburgers, some don’t, and we want to respect all ways of life — but if this is appealing to you, just think of this when you think of vaccinations. Mmm, vaccinations. Mmm. I’m getting a very good feeling about vaccinations right at this moment,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
New York facilities have given more than 7 million shots to city residents, with nearly 3.1 million of the city’s population fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated their recommendations for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12-15 and what fully vaccinated people can do, including not wearing a mask in outdoor and indoor situations.
Mayor De Blasio discussed New York’s partnership with Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti, insisting on giving those who have been vaccinated at one of the city’s mobile clinics a voucher for a free burger or sandwich. They would have to show proof of vaccination at one of the chain’s locations to get free fries through June 12.
Many critics pointing out that eating food on a live stream doesn’t sit well with many. The Daily Beast director of photography tweeted “I am both pro-vaccination and pro-shake shack but eating while talking – NAY, EATING WHILE HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE – is a fireable offense. what’s the opposite of liking ASMR.”
Another Twitter user pointed out that De Blasio’s mother didn’t teach the Mayor not to chew with his mouth open or talk while eating.
But the vaccine bribe with food isn’t anything new. Krispy Kreme began offering a free glazed doughnut and medium coffee every Monday through May 24th with proof of vaccination. They want to combine the element of staying healthy with some unhealthy eating. It didn’t sit well with many to create a paradox of offering unhealthy food as a reward for public health. Some users wrote that “obesity kills far more people than Covid ever will” and that Krispy Kreme should hope to work on a vaccine for diabetes soon. Comedian Stephen Colbert even poked fun at the notion, adding that it is “great news for anyone who got the shot but still has a death wish.”
Offering greasy fries and a burger isn’t the first un-ironic attempt to convince New Yorkers to get the jab, but it’s certainly not the last. Politicians are seeing a lower-than-expected turnout as infections continue to rise in the Democrat-run cities and don’t know any other way to convince New Yorkers to get the jab other than treating them like toddlers.
The state that limits the size of soft drinks available to the public now wants to promote burgers and fries for breakfast.
