In 1993, actor Michael Douglas embodied a character who went absolutely crazy inside a fast-food restaurant, and toward the end of the scene, the burger he ultimately gets doesn’t look anything like the one advertised.
And while this TikTok posted by Mosheh (@og_mosheh) doesn’t have a semi-automatic pistol firing off, he embodies the same dissatisfaction with the Quest protein brownies he received as Douglas did in Falling Down.
“Why are they allowed to do this to us?” Mosheh begins in his clip. “They gonna advertise this luscious brownie and don’t act like I’m dumb, I know it’s not gonna look like that.”
He says while he understands the product will not look the same as its photo on the box, he expected at least some similarities.
@og_mosheh It was 4 for $8 yall 😭 #scam #theygotme ♬ original sound – Mosheh
He takes out a brown, shiny rectangular prism to show off on camera—his words intoning the disappointment he felt upon unwrapping the item from its packaging.
“But they give us a dookie log. A dookie log,” he says, gripping the bare Quest protein brownie and wagging it at the box. “Like come on man, and this sh*t small as hell. Bruh. Come on man! A Lincoln dookie log.”
In a caption for the video, he penned that he was seemingly unhappy with the price of the box of Quest protein brownies as well, writing, “It was 4 for $8 yall.”
A disappointing purchase felt by many
Some commenters responded that they, too, were shocked at the final reveal he made in his clip.
“I didn’t think it would be THAT bad,” one person said.
Another wrote, “I audibly gasped. This is so crazy.”
“Quest been scamming the public,” a third penned.
Dietitians seem to be unanimous when it comes to supplements like protein bars and drinks, stating that it’s almost always best for folks to get their nutrients through actual food first.
Are protein bars actually good for you?
Yahoo! spoke to Whitney Linsenmeyer, a Ph.D professor at Saint Louis University who is also a “spokesperson for the Academy of of Nutrition and Dietetics.” Linsenmeyer said protein bars aren’t her first choice for a meal and said they’re good to use when you’re in a pinch and need some type of immediate sustenance.
“I think about protein bars as a hangry hero. I’ll use them if I really need something to eat and I have no other options, but they’re not meant to be a meal replacement. So we’re not using them to replace whole foods,” she added.
However, here are instances where they can come in handy, Caroline Susie, an R.D from Dallas, Texas stated. One example is scarfing one down (or a protein shake) right after a workout. It’s at these moments that are muscles are craving protein the most: “There’s that 45-to-60-minute window after someone does strength training where your muscles are like a sponge. Getting a high-quality protein in to help your muscles repair, rebuild and recover faster is just a huge opportunity.”
UC Health also spoke to experts on this issue, and they seemed to agree that protein bars and shakes are in no way a replacement for actual protein you can get from foods: “Bars and shakes are considered nutritional supplements, meaning they should be used to supplement something that’s missing from your diet, Egerdahl said. According to a recent study, most Americans are getting their fill of protein. So, chances are if you’re not a semi-professional athlete needing to repair or rebuild muscles after a challenging workout, you don’t need a 20-gram protein shake.”
While the question of protein supplements may naturally arise from watching a video like Mosheh’s, there’s another query worth pondering: What’s an acceptable level of “misleading” advertising?
On the box of Quest Brownie Protein Bars that the TikToker shows in the video, a label on the box clearly reads, “For illustration only.” It seems to indicate that the company acknowledges the brownies inside of the box probably don’t look anything like the images they’re using.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Quest via email and Mosheh via TikTok comment.
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