Wednesday’s “The Daily Show” took a look at one of the more disturbing potential crises looming thanks to the coronavirus pandemic shutdown — the interruption of domestic and international food distribution chains. And in order to combat it, the show cut a public service announcement that urges Americans to save American by, well, being Americans. (We mean, by eating a lot.)
Host Trevor Noah first looked at the situation with U.S. meat producers, particularly Tyson Foods, which has seen a huge spike in COVID-19 infections among workers at its meat processing facilities. Noah talked about how Donald Trump is ordering meat producers to remain in business but not to increase protections for the workers who actually prepare the meat. In fact, Noah noted as one disturbing example how workers at a Texas Tyson facility say they were given hair nets instead of actual protective masks.
Noah also talked about the problem of distribution — or more specifically, waste. Since so many restaurants and schools and other places people might eat have been closed down, food or even craft beers and other consumables that would normally go to those places is instead being thrown out.
But then Noah noted that Belgium is attempting to combat the problem — by urging citizens to eat twice the amount of French fries they normally would in order to bolster the country’s potato farmers. “If Belgium can solve its food chain problems by asking people just to eat more French fries, the surely the United States of American can step up too,” Noah said. That’s when the fake PSA began.
Kicking off with patriotic music playing over footage of an American flag, it then transitions to “The Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood Jr., who said in solemn tones, “America, we’re going through some difficult times. Disease. Lock down. They even delayed the new James Bond movie.”
“But if there’s one thing this crisis has presented to Americans,” Wood continued, “it’s a challenge that we’re uniquely prepared to face: Food waste.”
Wood lamented that so much food is being thrown away “because we can’t eat such huge quantities anymore,” only to stop himself. “Wait, we can’t? The hell we can’t, this is the USA. We’re the country that invented supersizing, hot dog eating contests and fighting to the death over a fried chicken sandwich.”
“We’ve been training for this crisis our entire lives,” Wood added as he shoved a hamburger into his mouth. “So America, I need you to join with me and stuff your faces like your lives and your country depends on it. Because it does.”
Watch the whole clip from Wednesday’s episode of “The Daily Show” above.