A Philadelphia comedian thought it would be funny to post signs around area stores that read, “We are no longer accepting EBT. Please use cash or credit. If you do not have cash or credit then maybe it's time to get a job. Thank you." The entertainer has gone viral with this controversial prank in the past, but this time when Jay Jay McGuire, who posts his antics on Facebook under the moniker "The Philly Offensive,” reported that the manager at a local Wawa came expressed his agreement with the comedians stance on welfare, the post garnered both criticism and praise.

One Facebooker commented, “A lot of working people with jobs get assistance. And some people fall on hard times through no fault of their own. You're not funny, you're uniformed & this is beyond ignorant.” Another sarcastically commented, “Every time someone comes into my store and asks "do y'all take food stamps?" with their 5 kids running around screaming and a toddler on their hip, I just think to myself "why sure I'll pay for you and your kids food. Noooooo problem.” Although there is absolutely no evidence to substantiate McGuire’s claim that a manager at WaWa agreed with the sentiment expressed in his sign, some commenters called for a protest of the convenience store chain.

Even with opinions as varied and as polarized as the current social and political climate, the truth is, welfare shaming is nothing new. Despite the fact that the wealthiest one percent of the population accepts billions of dollars in handouts in the form of tax breaks and government subsidies, strategic and often racialized propaganda campaigns have been very successful at shifting public resentment toward the working poor, unemployed, and needy families on welfare.