New York City Influencer Drew Online Flak Over Tops Friendly Markets Grocery Store Haul: ‘I Feel Like I’m in a Simulation Right Now’
Many influencers have been accused of being out of touch with their audience. Catherine Ebs (@cadyebs) recently drew the ire of the internet over her reactions during a grocery store trip at Tops Friendly Markets.
Ebs, in her video, said that they went to “a small grocery store” in the mountains to prepare for the Fourth of July. She had to go to a local Tops Friendly Markets because her Sam’s Club grocery order got canceled. Upon entering the store, Ebs commented on the flooring of the place.
“This is so small-town vibes; it’s not even funny,” she said upon describing the place. When she got inside the grocery, Ebs said that she didn’t have a good feeling about shopping in the place. But she still continued filming with a Louis Vuitton purse on her shoulder. She started looking for a cart.
She survived and made it to the counter
“This is a simulation,” she said, looking around the room, seemingly disoriented by the scene. One of the people she was with was filmed jokingly running out of the exit. There didn’t appear to be anything unusual in the clip.
“Their fruit does not look good. Like, all their fruit looks bad,” she commented as she perused the fruit and fridge section. She looked over at her friend, Lauren, and said that even her friend looks “stressed out.”
Despite expressing that she did not want to shop at Tops Friendly Markets, Ebs continued to fill her cart with groceries. She also added more fresh produce despite her initial complaints.
“I feel like we should just order out. This is crazy,” she commented. Upon checking the frozen section, she said she couldn’t locate any 100% beef hotdogs—even though there were still a few at the bottom, clearly indicating ‘beef franks.’
Ebs continued to complain about the shopping experience even as she grabbed more items. She even got Goldfish Cheddar Crackers for her children.
“I feel like I’m in a simulation right now,” Ebs repeated to her viewers. It’s unclear what she meant by the comment. Nevertheless, Ebs continued to make comments about the food in the grocery. She started laughing at the bread rolls, for some reason, and then said that she couldn’t find any “normal” eggs.
“I don’t think I could have ever gotten Lauren drunk enough or high enough to be in this place right now,” Ebs said. Even her friend, Lauren, “hated” going through the store.
“A crazy experience. An absolutely insane experience.” Ebs checked out and was already packing her trunk with the groceries she purchased. Then, it started raining, which Ebs also bemoaned.
“Literally, what is happening?” she laughed. But her video went viral online not because social media commenters were laughing along. Ebs deleted the clip from TikTok, but social media users are still talking about the grocery trip.
Tops Friendly Markets clapped back
“There are literally people getting arrested, currently, for stealing groceries at the grocery store because they can’t feed their families right now,” one creator reacted.
“You having 1.6 million followers doesn’t make you any better than the people shopping in that grocery store. A blue check does not make you more important than the person using coupons,” another influencer said.
“Watch out there’s a grocery store behind you!” Another person joked in another one of Ebs’ videos. Other commenters on social media sarcastically wrote about how “brave” Ebs was for surviving her grocery store trip.
Interestingly enough, Tops Friendly Markets responded to Ebs’ video with a post of their own. They wrote on their official Instagram page, “You’re entering the grocery store simulation.”
“The good news? We have over 150 stores across New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, and we’re proud to serve communities of every size. Whether you’re shopping close to home or stocking up for a mountain getaway, we’ve got everything you need—from fresh produce and quality meats to seafood, pantry staples, and all the Best Deals in Town,” Tops Friendly Markets said. The social media team made light of the controversy for their own ad.
At the moment, Ebs has not posted a TikTok to address the situation.
(featured images: Image by amerune, CC BY 2.0)
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