A longtime writer for The New Yorker, known for her critical views on capitalism, recently admitted on a New York Times podcast that she has shoplifted from her local Whole Foods “several times.”
Gia Tolentino, 37, made this surprising revelation during a discussion with left-leaning streamer Hasan Piker and Times opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman. They delved into the concept of “micro-looting” from large corporations.
When Spiegelman raised the idea of casually taking produce from Whole Foods, Tolentino acknowledged she had done just that “a few times.”
She mentioned that one of her responsibilities within a mutual aid group in an affluent Brooklyn neighborhood was to shop for her neighbor, Miss Nancy.
“I bought all the groceries for Miss Nancy, and then I thought, oh my god, I forgot four lemons. There were times I considered just grabbing them and rushing out,” Tolentino explained.
Recalling her past experiences, she noted that she used to feel more particular about where her money went, and felt guilty about her shopping habits at Whole Foods. “In a practical sense, it didn’t feel like a big deal,” she added.
According to the store’s website, organic lemons at Whole Foods sell for $1.29 before tax.
Piker joked about potentially facing jail time for such minor thefts.
Interestingly, when Tolentino began shoplifting from Whole Foods, she was already working for Condé Nast, which is regarded as one of the most prestigious media companies in the country.
Piker further downplayed the act, suggesting that large retailers like Whole Foods account for such losses in their pricing strategies to maintain profitability.
Piker identifies as a communist and even advocated for “total chaos,” where shoppers would steal illegally, avoiding self-checkout lines.
However, both Tolentino and Piker seemed uneasy about the notion of stealing from government-operated grocery stores, as proposed by New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.
“I wouldn’t do that. It feels different because it’s taxpayer-funded and the prices are adjusted accordingly,” Piker stated.
On the contrary, Tolentino suggested that when large corporations exploit customers, it should provoke public anger. She posed a thought-provoking question about the consequences if major grocery chains were to rob their workers and consumers. “Oddly enough, the harmful acts of individuals draw more outrage than structural harms,” she concluded, encouraging people to experiment with this idea and observe the outcomes.
