Patrons at a restaurant discovered a shocking message in their fortune cookies, and it had nothing to do with their future.
Taking to the r/LateStageCapitalism Reddit subreddit, the diner shared a photo of the fortune offering some advice, as well as an ad from gambling site Stake. It also includes an additional message “Gamble Responsibly.”
Photo credit: Reddit
“Are there ads on fortune cookie messages now?” they wondered in the post’s caption.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time advertising has crept into fortune cookies, which is an unfortunate sign of how common advertising has become.
People see dozens of ads every day on TV, online and on billboards, and they continue to appear in unexpected places, such as beaches, train stations and dazzling LED screens lining the roads.
Advertising prompts people to consume more stuff and become more materialistic, which can lead to them feeling less happy, engaging in less positive social behavior and having their relationships negatively affected, according to research summarized by The Guardian.
It prompts people to spend money on items they may not really need, leaving a legacy of dissatisfaction that is difficult to remedy.
All this consumption also has an impact on the environment. Items like fast fashion and furniture become disposable, causing landfills to overflow. These items take centuries to naturally decompose and release gases that warm the planet.
The energy required to produce these items (which may come from burning dirty fuel) is also wasted, not to mention the energy and materials required to create and broadcast advertisements. All of this creates pollution, which has negative impacts around the world.
However, we don’t have to succumb to the temptation of advertising. There are many options to save money, such as buying used. Trading items through Buy Nothing groups is also a great way to save cash and build community.
Reddit users in the comments were equally outraged by the ads hidden in the fortune cookies.
“I’d talk to the manager,” one person suggested, noting that it wasn’t necessarily a confrontation, just a discussion of poor ad placement.
“What follows is an ad powered by gamma radiation in our dreams,” another quipped.
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