You know something has hit mainstream, national consciousness when it leaves whatever industry vertical it’s associated with and percolates up to the rarefied air of TV celebrities and awards.
And such is the case of EpiPen, the maker of which has been charging obscenely high prices for this life-saving product for people and children with allergies, including to nuts.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who was hosting the Emmy Awards Sunday night, suddenly cut to a shot of his mother making 7,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for anyone who was hungry.
And promptly thereafter, the kids from the hit Netflix original show Stranger Things biked into the arena handing out brown paper bags with peanut butter sandwiches to audience members.
At least one in the audience began eating. Kimmel came down in midst of the audience, handing out snacks himself, and asked if anyone has gluten allergy before adding that now everyone would know who our most-annoying celebrities were.
And then he threw shade on EpiPen.
“Also, if you’re allergic to peanuts, uh, well… I guess this is goodbye, because we can only afford one EpiPen.”
With that one comment, Kimmel brought home the story of high drug-prices to anyone who was watching. And there you have it folks, comedians doing their thing and speaking truth to power.
Photo: Lester Cohen, Getty Images