Krispy Kreme’s Free Donuts for Vaccinated People Sparks Blue-Check Twitter Duel to the Death
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Krispy Kreme’s offer of a free donut a day for anyone who gets the Covid-19 vaccination sparked a heated debate between scolds who accused the company of trying to “poison” people and people who thought it was a nice way to encourage people to get vaccinated.
On Monday morning, the legendary donut company announced the offer on Twitter, writing “We’d like to show sweet support to those who have received the COVID-19 Vaccine. Starting today, bring your Vaccine Card to a Krispy Kreme shop and get 1 FREE Original Glazed doughnut. No chance to get your Vaccine? This will run thru end of 2021,” later noting “Available in US shops only.”
We’d like to show sweet support to those who have received the COVID-19 Vaccine. Starting today, bring your Vaccine Card to a Krispy Kreme shop and get 1 FREE Original Glazed doughnut. No chance to get your Vaccine? This will run thru end of 2021. Info at https://t.co/gWnWhXOKKq pic.twitter.com/UqmDLne5E9
— Krispy Kreme (@krispykreme) March 22, 2021
What ensued was a whiplash-inducing social media frenzy in which backlash was met with backlash, as scolds warned of mass death from obesity and others told them to shut up and let people have one free donut. It got pretty bloody.
Obesity is one of the primary factors that affects your response to COVID and these fuckers are giving away a donut a day if you’re vaccinated. Everything is so dumb. https://t.co/4j6i50VNFH
— Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) March 22, 2021
Krispy Kreme is offering free donuts to anyone who’s been vaccinated. Which is great news for anyone who got the shot but still has a death wish.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) March 23, 2021
If a free glazed donut can serve as the extra incentive for someone to get their vaccine and save lives, that’s really good, actually. Don’t overthink this. Krispy Kreme is doing a good thing.
— Charlotte Clymer ?️? (@cmclymer) March 22, 2021
Get vaccinated and eat healthy is the message we need amplified in the media. Not get vaccinated and get a free doughnut that promotes diabetes, obesity, and so many other health issues that is destroying our country. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in America.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
Kudos to Krispy Kreme for making #Obesity trend. It probably sounded better when Marketing pitched it. https://t.co/hSZTWf9Ygh
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) March 22, 2021
Hey kids, here’s a news flash: you can eat a donut every day and not be obese. Up to you how you manage your nutrition, calories, and exertion.
So take it down a notch here.
And, yes, you should keep your BMI in the normal range and favor protein and healthy fat over carbs. https://t.co/FQf800agmy
— Nan Hayworth, M.D. (@NanHayworth) March 22, 2021
Free donuts are a volatile concept on this website.
— Dennis DiClaudio (@dennisdiclaudio) March 22, 2021
I see people on this website actually getting mad at Krispy Kreme for offering free donuts, like people have no agency and responsibility in their own decisions. Twitter is so dumb.
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) March 22, 2021
I don’t know who needs to hear this but it’s not unhealthy to have a donut every once in a while.
And ::pulls you in closer for this deeply kept secret:: if you put a donut in the microwave for a few seconds it is pure bliss.
— Ryan Marino (@RyanMarino) March 23, 2021
in 2 years Tom Hanks is gonna win an Oscar for playing the guy at Krispy Kreme whose idea to give out a free donut every day for a year to anyone getting vaccinated ultimately saved our nation, isn’t he?
— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) March 22, 2021
Donuts are not like cigarettes. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk https://t.co/vx4bGMgjDd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 22, 2021
“Not being vaccinated is better for public health than eating one doughnut” is… a take, I guess. https://t.co/e3VYzIU3Pk
— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) March 22, 2021
Let people get their free f***ing donut.
Can we have a fleeting moment of joy after a year of hell without a sermon? https://t.co/o8lG6VXear
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) March 23, 2021
yes, the difference between health and terrible death–an extra 190 calories https://t.co/XabkLYY7Ps pic.twitter.com/LDUCxJ5ees
— Julie Muncy (@juliemuncy23) March 22, 2021
One of the scolds, Dr. Eugene Gu, became a particular focus of the backlash, and he vigorously defended himself — at length.
I hate doughnuts, candy, cigarettes, cakes, wine, beer, alcohol, and all the foods and beverages that are killing Americans everyday. I hate obesity, diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, and so many other devastating chronic conditions. If that means you hate me too, so be it.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
As I look at the social media mob straight in the eye, I would just like to say, “fuck your doughnuts.”
What can you even do about it?
Nothing.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
An interesting observation of how ratio’ing works is that it just takes one big influencer to quote your tweet with a hateful message. Then all their followers swarm the tweet which is amplified by their followers and then algorithms pick it up. This is how Twitter promotes mobs.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
We as influencers do the same things the media does. We all want that dopamine rush of likes and retweets just like how the media loves clicks and views for advertising money. But we cannot lose sight of our basic humanity. We can’t just tear each other apart for social approval.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
If fighting against junk food gets me cancelled on social media so be it. Won’t stop me from speaking out for what I believe in. We have an obesity epidemic that is killing so many poor, vulnerable patients. This is a hill I’m willing to die on because too many are dying already.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
If you’re taking comfort from junk food during the pandemic rather than finding healthy ways to cope like exercising and eating healthy, then you’re only hurting yourself. If I have to be the unpopular messenger here that’s ok. I’d rather save lives by telling the truth not lies.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
Guys, I have been spelling donuts wrong.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 22, 2021
Let’s be honest, the universe of people who will literally get vaccinated and then go to Krispy Kreme every day for a free donut is probably not very large. There are probably even fewer people who will go to Krispy Kreme and get only one donut. Giving people an incentive to help end a pandemic that’s cost over half a million Americans their lives isn’t an act of evil, but it’s not the worst thing in the world for people to be reminded not to gorge themselves into a sugar coma along the way.
One glazed, please.
