Chicago-based comedian Kim Quindlen had social media users in stitches after she posted a video mocking Ohio born New Jersey Republican millionaire and Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz and his now-infamous video in which he cluelessly attempted to buy groceries for his wife.
The video, first posted in April, featured Oz shopping in a supermarket for ingredients for crudité and complaining the $20 total for those ingredients was too high.
You can see that original video here:
\u201cThe ridiculous performance artist that is Mehmet Oz pretends he is grocery shopping for his wife. With someone filming.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649283885
The video went viral at the time but has taken on new life.
Part of that resurgence is thanks to Quindlen's video, in which she pretends to be a clerk at Redner’s, a real-life Pennsylvania grocery chain Oz misidentifies as “Wegner’s” in his video. Wegman’s and Redner’s are well known grocery chains in the region.
You can see her video below.
\u201cPOV you\u2019re the grocery store employee helping Dr. Oz\u201d— Kim Quindlen (@Kim Quindlen) 1660683692
Quindlen's video was a hit on social media.
Quindlen's character, attempting to identify crudité, wondered if it's a "medicinal thing" before attempting to let Oz know he can simply mash his own avocados instead of purchasing premade guacamole at a premium.
After asking Oz if he's putting together some kind of "veggie tray," Quindlen's character wondered why he thinks tequila is one of the ingredients before suggesting one of her coworkers would be better suited to assist him.
Many prasied her while taking the opportunity to roast Oz themselves.
\u201cWhat's that...? #Crudite Is that some bougie appetizer? #OzIsOutOfTouch\u201d— Cynthia Dixon (@Cynthia Dixon) 1660925382
\u201cso good. @kimquindlen is employee of the month as she handles an overwrought dr. oz\u201d— Warren Leight (@Warren Leight) 1660798494
\u201c@DrOz we are all laughing at you not with you\u201d— Yup Still National Champs (@Yup Still National Champs) 1660740269
\u201cOz trying to relate. He has servants doing this kind of work for him. And cooking his meals. And he has zero idea of what things costs. Or even how to shop.\n\n"His net worth is between $76 million and $500 million" https://t.co/bC0RjuzEpM\u201d— NIK VENTURE (@NIK VENTURE) 1660761360
\u201cWe are pleased to introduce you to our Employee of the Month!\u201d— Wegner\u2019s Groceries (@Wegner\u2019s Groceries) 1660775150
\u201cI don't know she is from Philly or not but 10/10 nailed it.\u201d— Maureen Johnson (@Maureen Johnson) 1660694659
\u201cOh man HOME RUN. Love how she does the classic move, beloved to all of us veteran retail employees \u2014 passing off the idiot customer to a co-worker. \ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\u201d— Patton Oswalt (@Patton Oswalt) 1660684810
\u201c\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23 This has me dying!\u201d— FatBoy J (@FatBoy J) 1660698630
The original video turned Oz—whose recent financial disclosure puts his wealth at over $400 million—into even more of a punchline after he blamed Democratic President Joe Biden for the price of groceries and complained a $6 jar of salsa was too expensive.
Oz's video came as many Americans continue to feel the impacts of inflation at the grocery store and at the gas pump. With inflation running high, the Federal Reserve announced plans to raise interest rates in an effort to "pump the brakes" on the economy.
Democrats also introduced and passed the Inflation Reduction Act which Biden signed on August 16, 2022. The law aims to curb inflation by "reducing the deficit, lowering prescription drug prices and investing into domestic energy production while promoting clean energy."
Though presidential reputations tend to, as The New York Times once observed, "rise or fall with gross domestic product," a President's economic record is mostly up to chance—"highly dependent on the dumb luck of where the nation is in the economic cycle."
