Why TikTok Is Grossed Out By A Food Network Brownie Recipe

There's no denying that foodie TikTok provides game-changing hacks and can be a wonderful place to learn exciting new recipes. But every so often a video leaves us a bit confused, queasy, or perhaps even mortified, as some might recall the infamous mustard Oreo TikTok trend popularized by Lizzo.

This week, it seems the Food Network is responsible for making everyone on the platform a little grossed out. In a video posted to the channel's TikTok, a pair of hands with long, neon yellow acrylic nails can be seen handling various ingredients like sugar, flour, and butter. "Pov: billie eilish is craving brownies" reads the overlay text on the video, seemingly poking fun at the "Happier than Ever" singer's signature claw-like nails. 

Though at first, the video seems lighthearted, it quickly descends into absurdity, with one user perfectly summing up the majority of the feedback with one simple remark, "I did not like this."

The person in the TikTok clip uses their bare hands and nails as tools for every step of food prep. From mixing the eggs to swirling the batter and concluding with them cheekily donning a pair of oven mitts that have been adorned with their own neon tips to remove the brownies from the oven.

Of course, the issue TikTokers have isn't with the brownie recipe itself, but rather the unsanitary prep methods exhibited in the video. "Those nails bothered me so much," remarked one user. "That is really bad food safe practices," pointed out another, and a third claimed, "made my stomach turn."

According to the CDC, long nails are a place where germs can easily congregate. It's one of the many reasons why most states require food service workers to have trimmed, clean nails. While it seems the Food Network posted the video as a joke, many viewers were still not having it, writing comments like "nope" and "this was a traumatic experience."

Nevertheless, some people couldn't help but find the video hilarious. "Alright but the claws on the [mitt] was pretty funny" admitted one viewer. Another user noted, "It's even funnier cause this is food network." The fact that the video is set to a mash-up of Eilish's hit villain anthem "bad guy," with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" might be an indication that the Network has posted this for sake of satire, but, of course, we're simply speculating.