“Me love eating cookies,” Cookie Monster wrote on Twitter. Just like everyone else Cookie Monster is being affected by “shrinkflation” and that means fewer cookies to eat. Cookie Monster decided to take to Twitter to raise the issue and found support from the White House and a few other politicians as well. The muppet wrote, “Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller.” The post was viewed by over 4 million people in just a day.
Shrinkflation refers to the practice of reducing a product’s amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price. Even though Cookie Monster was upset by shrinkflation, it wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying his one true passion. He shrugged it off by writing in a follow-up tweet that he will just manage it by eating more cookies, “Guess me going to have to eat double da cookies!”
With this tweet, the “Sesame Street” character caught the attention of some of the most high-profile and influential personalities including politicians on Capitol Hill and even the White House. Cookie Monster inspired President Joe Biden to share his views on shrinkflation, “Give me a break. The American public is tired of being played for suckers,” he wrote on Twitter, “I’m calling on companies to put a stop to this. Let’s make sure businesses do the right thing now.” In addition to the President, the tweet attracted the attention of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who retweeted Cookie Monster’s post, adding, “Me too, Cookie Monster… People in my state of Ohio are fed up – They should get all the cookies they pay for.”
Daniel Zhao, the lead economist and senior manager on Glassdoor’s economic research team, also responded to Cookie Monster’s concern. Zhao tweeted, “Cookie Monster may be upset given cookie inflation spiked in ’22, peaking at +19% in Nov ’22.” He then offered some good news by writing, “Cookie inflation is down to a placid +0.5% (year-over-year) as of Jan 2024, but prices are still up +28% vs pre-Covid.”
According to The New York Times, Girl Scout Cookies also increased their prices in February 2024, raising the price to $7 a box for favorites like Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs, up from $5. “While prices have remained steady in many areas for years, some councils have made the tough decision to shift prices,” the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. told The New York Times. Not only the Girl Scout Cookies, but OREO Double Stuf Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are also suffering from shrinkflation. Oreos shrank by 6% in size by weight from January 2019 to October 2023, according to a report based on Labor Department numbers. The tweet of the Cookie Monster also drew the attention of U.S. Senator for Maryland, Chris Van Hollen who wrote, “We’re working to stop them — no one should be getting richer off smaller cookies!”
This is not the first time that the Cookie Monster has stirred an uproar over a social issue. Cookie Monster has often touched upon various contemporary issues on his social media, including Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, therapy and self-care among other things. The muppet is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating catchphrase “Me want cookie!”
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