"I would love to pour this whole box in my mouth right now, but the memo clearly states that 'we can't show overconsumption'. That is a 'brand don't'. You see the serving size for Wheat Thins is 16 crackers, so as delicious as they are, I shouldn't eat more than 16."
The serving size for Wheat Thins is 16 crackers. This has now been drilled into our head, thanks to Stephen Colbert.
"If they are shown out of the box (like in a bowl), there should only be a max of 16," — from the memo.
"While Wheat Thins is 'a snack for anyone who is actively seeking experiences,' those experiences do not include the experience of eating 17 crackers," Colbert said.
When reading the label on processed food, you have to pay attention to the serving size to get a true impact of what you are about to eat. If you tend to eat twice the serving size, you should take the numbers and double them.
Colbert poured out the box and magically only 16 crackers came out … into the big giant bowl. The visual was as startling as it was hilarious. He then proceeded to put all 16 crackers in his mouth at once. As he dared to actually put the 17th cracker in his mouth, the show cut away (in its usual style). Colbert then reappeared sans crackers in his mouth, reading an apology from a "suit" standing behind the sheepish Colbert.
What a wonderful way to mock the limitations of the serving size and marketing-ese that flooded the memo. Attention food companies: send a memo to the "Colbert Report" at your own risk.
Having a sense of how much you should eat is a serious and noble thing. Mindlessly eating crackers or other snack foods can add up over time. But stopping at an arbitrary amount set by a corporation? Well, that sounds as silly as the way Colbert presented it to be.
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