Today’s Most Worthwhile Coronavirus Commentary is By… Steak-Umm?
In a sign of our wild times, the hot piece of thoughtful coronavirus commentary burning up social media right now was authored by a sentient brand of wafer-thin frozen meat rectangles, otherwise known as Steak-Umm.
On Monday night, the ersatz Philly Cheesesteak brand published a lengthy Twitter thread that delved into the nuances of media consumption during the coronavirus pandemic, warning people to sharpen their critical thinking skills, while indulging in some self-awareness, and signing off with the now-portentous catchphrase “Steak-umm bless.”
friendly reminder in times of uncertainty and misinformation: anecdotes are not data. (good) data is carefully measured and collected information based on a range of subject-dependent factors, including, but not limited to, controlled variables, meta-analysis, and randomization
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 7, 2020
it can be difficult to know what to believe in a time when institutional trust is diminished and the gatekeepers of information have been dismantled, but it’s more crucial now than ever before to follow a range of credentialed sources for both breaking news and data collection
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 7, 2020
breaking news and storytelling will always be spun with interpretive bias from different media perspectives, but data is a science that can’t be replaced by one-off anecdotes. try to remember this to avoid fear-based sensationalism or conspiracy theories taking over your mind
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 7, 2020
we’re a frozen meat brand posting ads inevitably made to misdirect people and generate sales, so this is peak irony, but hey we live in a society so please make informed decisions to the best of your ability and don’t let anecdotes dictate your worldview ok
steak-umm bless
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) April 7, 2020
The thread caught fire on social media, with many users taking it as an opportunity to contrast the brand’s canny observations with the thought leadership being provided by President Donald Trump, while others just expressed the familiar sentiment that they never knew Steak-umm could be this good.
This is far and away more sustenance than I ever expected to get from Steak-umm. Consume in good health. https://t.co/4g2egSlyht
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) April 7, 2020
Never thought I’d say “listen to Steak-umm” but fuck it, 2020 is the weirdest timeline. https://t.co/Ndd4pyfWbI
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) April 7, 2020
Steak-umm 2020 https://t.co/qVDk4mZokB
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 7, 2020
Steak-umm is now more helpful than the president of the United States https://t.co/HTEOOQKKIZ
— Thor Benson (@thor_benson) April 7, 2020
Steak-umm became Presidential yesterday and got damnit, I missed the whole inauguration ceremony.
Umm…read all of this.?? https://t.co/WmrZJe7JH6
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) April 7, 2020
My grandkids, someday: Gigi, what was it like living through the pandemic?
Me: Well, anthropomorphic meat was smarter & more compassionate that government leaders. https://t.co/z9zr0CjeGJ
— Kelly Wickham Hurst (@mochamomma) April 7, 2020
Steak thing moving in rather philosophical, logical principles direction https://t.co/KcCYUr24pd
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 7, 2020
steak-umm, thank you https://t.co/EUZ3KiwcMZ
— Jared Rizzi (@JaredRizzi) April 7, 2020
“The year is 2020, and a brand of thin-sliced frozen steaks is exercising a more sober and calming voice than the sitting President of the United States.”
This would be a killer opening line to a vicious social satire if we weren’t living it. https://t.co/QyasvPpfNP
— Dennis DiClaudio (@dennisdiclaudio) April 7, 2020
The brand also earned praise for another thread from last week that people are discovering now thanks to its inclusion at the end of this one.
This is a wonderful thread, and exactly the sort of thing we should be reading right now. But it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the subtle genius of Steak-umm misspelling “mistake” as “misteak.” https://t.co/oc6sDbDOTU
— Greg Olear (@gregolear) April 7, 2020
I’m not even sure what a steak_umm is exactly, but this thread is one of the best pandemic response threads on the internet. So, I guess now I follow steak_umms??♀️#2020iguess https://t.co/fu0dzmb3NP
— Ellie Murray (@EpiEllie) April 7, 2020
When a frozen meat vendor is wiser than our president in times of crisis. #wtf #coronavirus #UpsideDown @steak_umm #meattreats https://t.co/HBzWOJqpdS
— Wes Nichols (@wesnichols) April 7, 2020
In these trying times, it appears people will take wisdom wherever they can get it. It’s your move, Toaster Strudel.
