It turns out not everyone is happy about Chance The Rapper’s plan to bring back Wendy’s spicy nuggets. Comedian Amy Schumer called out both the rapper and the brand over purported worker conditions at Wendy’s’ produce vendors.
Over the weekend, Chance tweeted a series of affirmations to his followers including one about bringing back the popular menu item, which the Wendy’s account responded to with a challenge of its own — Wendy’s promised to bring back the spicy nuggets if the tweet met a goal number of retweets. To be fair, the decision had probably already been made, with the real goal being free person-to-person promotion, but it was still a cleverly executed marketing campaign if it was preplanned.
Y’all keep asking, so here’s your chance.
The people in charge say if you guys can get our tweet (this one right here) to 2 Million likes, they will bring SPICY CHICKEN NUGGETS BACK.
Let’s freakin’ do this! https://t.co/qrtvWXjj9V— Wendy’s (@Wendys) May 4, 2019
However, it appears no one foresaw Schumer chiming in via Instagram to urge Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program, a workers’ advocacy initiative that pushes for stricter standards on tomato growers. According to the New York Times, only 20 to 25 percent of tomatoes in the United States are purchased from growers that take part in the program. Some of the program’s organizers attribute this to larger brands’ refusal to join, which in turn may prompt smaller brands to follow their lead. While McDonald’s and Walmart have both joined, Wendy’s has faced campus protests over its refusal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxF097vFyr1/
Schumer took it on herself to point out the discrepancy to Chance on Instagram, writing:
Hey! We love @chancetherapper and hate to be the ones to tell him that Wendys is the only fast food chain refusing to protect farmworker women from sexual assault and rape in the fields. This is true. Please read that sentence again. Message for the people in charge: Instead of spicy nuggets, we want food that is harvested with dignity NOT violence. Please join the @fairfoodprogram and #BoycottWendys.
The Times piece about the Wendy’s campus protests does make it clear that Wendy’s is far from the only brand refusing to join the Fair Food Program, however, it also notes that the produce industry has been rife with worker abuse prior to worker initiatives like the Fair Food Program. While Chance likely doesn’t have the power to make Wendy’s sign up on his own, the power of social media is pretty evident here. If a Chance tweet could “bring back” spicy nuggets, it’s clear Schumer believes he could also use his platform to affect a greater push back against the brand as well.
