Food is an important part of life. We need to eat to live. It's a necessary part of survival for most living things. But humans have made eating into something of an affair. Somewhere between when we were hunter-gatherers and when we started obsessively Instagramming our meals before eating them, food surpassed its purpose as sustenance. These days, preparing or eating food is a ritual. It's a form of celebration, a way to show love. It's trendy and it's sometimes seen as a status symbol. People seek food out, food creates destinations and, unfortunately, influences diets and even disorders.
While food can be a source of joy (hello, late-night drunk meals), it can also be a source of disgust or incredulity. This is especially true on social media, where everyone fancies themselves the next big food influencer or Gordon Ramsay. Social media has also inspired people to make foods that should never, ever, ever have existed. Today we're introducing a weekly feature of the worst possible foods and food posts we were forced to witness over the past week. From TikTok screenshots to unforgivable food decisions, we're pleased (or displeased) to show you the food crimes that our generations are capable of. Bon appetit.