NBC Tries To Gaslight Americans Into Believing That A 10-Person Thanksgiving Dinner Costs $58 This Year, & The Backlash Was Glorious

Wes Langeler·
CULTURE
·
Thanksgiving
NBC/RDNE Stock Project

Great news everybody, Thanksgiving is apparently super affordable this year!

According to a recent Farm Bureau survey of nationwide grocery prices, it will only cost you $58 to cook up a 10-person Thanksgiving Day meal this year, which is 5% drop compared to last year, and the lowest since 2021. That being said, that $58 price tag is still 19% higher than 2019. And if you don’t want to dig through the survey to find out what delusional leprechaun came up with these prices, check out this convenient little infographic detailing the cost of each menu item.

Apparently 10 people are going to split 1 can of green peas and 1 14-oz box of stove top stuffing…

I’m over here laughing out loud looking at the cover image CNBC used in the damn article… that sure as hell isn’t a $58 Thanksgiving dinner. NBC used a photo of a shopping cart with 3 dozen eggs inside… pretty sure that wasn’t on the list.

It’s not a secret that the cost of groceries, and many other everyday items, feels insanely expensive. Hell, I went to Five Guys (in Wisconsin) the other day and it was nearly 50 dollars to feed me and my wife and my three-year-old daughter. Two cheeseburgers, one little burger, a pair of small fries and one soft drink was nearly $48 dollars and change… for FAST FOOD! While the talking heads in the mainstream news media were focused on abortion and immigration, which are big important issues as well, it was inflation, rising prices, and the overall economy that got people out and into the voting booths to elect Donald Trump in landslide fashion.

People are hurting… across the country, people are struggling to get by, struggling to put food on the table, and NBC shows up with an article titled “Thanksgiving Dinner Is Historically Affordable This Year!” where they have the audacity to gaslight you with this survey, claiming that:

“If your dollar had the same overall purchasing power as a consumer in 1984 … this would be the least expensive Thanksgiving meal in the 39-year history of the AFBF Thanksgiving survey.”

Ummm, read the room you bozos…

They also add that due to the overall raise in wages, “the average American also has to work fewer hours to buy the same meal than in previous years.”

Yeah, tell that to the blue-collar folks, the teachers and nurses, the first responders, everyone who is putting in 40+ every week and still not making ends meet. And one final point they want to hammer home is that stores are trying to be more competitive with prices, so they encourage you to look around for the best deals. Robin Wenzel, head of Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute, says:

“I would just advise consumers to take a look at what those meals are comprised of. Don’t be afraid to check out multiple retailers.”

Sure, I’ll just spend all day driving to 5 different stores so I can save 30 cents on green beans… do these people actually live in the real world? Who does your grocery shopping, Robin?

It’s just so infuriating to open up the news and to be greeted with this astronomical level of bullsh*t. The election is over, who are you trying to kid? And sure, maybe certain items are technically cheaper than they were last year. That’s great. I can receive that honest data as a little victory, but don’t try to spin it into some ridiculous puff piece when you know damn well that’s not gonna cut it. Could you be more tone deaf and out of touch? This is why you LOST, do you seriously not understand that?

Let me calm down for a second… and then let’s just take this infographic and break it down right quick…

First of all, 10 people sharing one can of peas, one can of cranberries, 14-oz of stuffing, zero mashed potatoes, no mention of butter for any of it, no mention of any other products that it takes to make a dish? What about spices? What about drinks? No appetizers? On what planet is that an acceptable grocery list for 10 PEOPLE? And don’t even get me started on the prices… I pulled up the local Metro Market website (a Kroger-owned, relatively affordable grocery store near me) and my subtotal, while picking the cheapest, simplest options was still around 70 bucks. Granted, I think I could’ve input my saving card to bring it close to that $58 number they’re touting, but ‘cmon… it’s just absurd.

And look… I’m not ignorant of the fact there are millions of people here in the United States, and probably many in your own town, who can’t even afford the 60 bucks to put together this Thanksgiving meal. I know that, and you can come to my house in Southern Wisconsin and get a plate. There’s a lot of people out here doing the best they can, and that’s all you can really do. I’m not trying to shame anybody about the kind of meal you can afford.

Because that’s not who this article is for, and that’s not why NBC is pushing it. They want to gaslight you into believing that life is great, that things are getting better, and that this current administration has done its part to alleviate the burden on struggling Americans. They love to lie right to your face…

As they say, you don’t hate the media enough…

Of course, there’s a reason why the tweet garnered 20 THOUSAND comments. I believe that’s what we in the internet business call getting ratioed?

The backlash was swift and it was fierce… let’s bask in the glory:

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