Pokimane called a viewer 'broke boy' for complaining about her overpriced snacks, and now the internet is mad about miniature cookies
Influencer Pokimane recently launched her own line of branded cookies: the Myna cookies (with added vitamin D!) are miniature cookies in bags, which are sold in batches of four bags for $28. If you're thinking «that's a lot of money to spend on biscuits» you're not alone, though of course Pokimane is only one of many influencers who've caught on to the profitability of branded snacks (most notably, MrBeast and his Feastables).
On a November 18 stream one of Pokimane's viewers complained about the price of the cookies, and here's where the drama started. The influencer responded:
«When people are like 'oh my god $28 for cookies,' it’s four bags. That’s $7 per bag. I know, I know, math is hard when you’re an idiot. But, if you’re a broke boy just say so.»
Well. An out-of-touch millionaire is one thing, but when your whole brand is being a relatable and non-toxic personality (in a space that let's be fair is full of jerks) then calling one of your viewers an «idiot» and «broke boy» seems a little off-piste. Sure enough the backlash was pretty instant, and kept on rolling after the stream, to the extent that Pokimane subsequently issued an apology.
«While what I said was 100% intended to be a joke, I see why it came off as insensitive and I apologize for that,» said Pokimane in a tweet on November 19, adding «I also understand the current price of the cookies may be expensive for some, and promise we’ll continue to consider pricing to keep Myna as affordable as possible.»
The thing with influencers is that nothing is ever just about The Thing itself, because The Thing becomes a pretext for everyone else to jump on-board and get their shots in. The name of the game is relevancy and, if you're not extrapolating wildly about
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