The phrase "Average Americans" was trending on social media after the business analysis website MarketWatch suggested the demographic in question was lamenting over paying $90 for one bottle of wine due to inflation.
On November 12, MarketWatch—which reports on stock market data, financial and business news—posted an article about the growing concern of consumers over the "highest annual U.S. inflation rate in almost 31 years," leaving one strategist saying the proverbial "genie is out of the bottle."
They shared the article on their social media accounts.
The article stated, without citing a source:
"Average Americans are paying as much as $100 to $200 for a single concert ticket, $90 for a bottle of wine, and $5 a gallon for gas."
@MarketWatch/Twitter
MarketWatch later revised the article by modifying the statistic and issuing a correction on Twitter.
But the change was not quick enough for social media users to scoff at the implication "average Americans" were paying the exorbitant amount for a bottle of vino.
Political writer Bob Cesca hinted the average consumer would probably be more discerning when shopping for wine.
"Good job cherrypicking. If average Americans can't find a bottle of wine for less than $90, they should probably stop drinking and Google the correct way to buy things with money."
Writer BrooklynDad_Defiant! commented on MarketWatch's previously out-of-touch statement.
"Average Americans know a bottle of wine is NOT $90, concert tickets have been $100-200 for decades, and this Market Watch headline is hysterically dishonest."
MarketWatch has since corrected their article and informed Twitter users with the following update.
"CORRECTION: MarketWatch deleted an earlier tweet that inaccurately implied that $5-a-gallon gasoline, $90 bottles of wine and $200 concert tickets were typical purchases of late among average Americans. The story has been corrected."
Without going into specifics, the article now states "the average American was lamenting the rising cost of everything from concert tickets to a burrito."