A Woman Asked a Waiter ‘Do I Look Like I Eat Carbs?’ at Cannes — the Video Went Viral, She Says It Was Satire, and Now X Is Debating Both Things at Once

A video of Canadian television personality and businesswoman Ann Kaplan Mulholland, filmed at the Cannes Film Festival, has resurfaced on X and reignited debate about how people treat hospitality workers. The footage, which was taken at the Cannes Film Festival, shows Mulholland sitting at an outdoor restaurant when a waiter comes over with a slice of pizza.

As he moved the slice toward her plate, she asked, "Do I look like I eat carbs?" The waiter then swerves and takes the pizza away.

Mulholland first posted the video on Instagram with the caption “#SoClose.” It was then shared by fitness influencer Joey Swoll, who criticized what he called the disrespectful treatment of the server.

Swoll thought that Mulholland could have just told the waiter, "No, thank you." He went on to say that "You can tell a lot about somebody by the way they treat the waitstaff in a restaurant."

Swoll suggested that Mulholland's public profile may have contributed to an attitude that she was "better than people." He advised her to "learn how to respect people, including the waitstaff in restaurants."

One X user said that the incident revealed her "arrogance", while another thought that Mulholland must have been brought up to think she was "above others." However, a third commenter remembered Mulholland having said before that the incident had been staged.

A different user raised a question about why the clip was still being circulated, saying to Swoll, "You've done one like this before."

The discussion also included the wider issue of how people in the hospitality industry are treated. According to one user, there is a hiring practice in which job applicants are taken to restaurants so that the employers can see how they get on with the staff. "If they’re rude or unfriendly or show lack of manners, they get struck, no matter how suitable their skills were for the job," the user stated.

Mulholland said in an Instagram post that the video was a staged, satirical self-parody. She said the waiter knew that he was taking part in the video and that the people at her table were aware that it was being filmed. She also explained that the carbs comment was related to her diet and that she had allergies and intolerances that affect what she eats.

Mulholland added that the backlash had become severe enough that her family received threats.

The details above reflect accounts shared on X and Mulholland's Instagram.