Bernie Sanders supporters 'feel the Bern' by drinking hot sauce
CBC News | Posted: January 1, 2016 9:27 PM | Last Updated: January 1, 2016
Some are also eating hot peppers before they explain their support
Some supporters of U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders have decided they need to "feel the Bern" by either donating $3 to his campaign or swallowing a teaspoon of hot sauce in front of a camera.
Writer Wayne Gladstone spawned the #FeeltheBernChallenge earlier this week by posting a YouTube video in which he did both. He announced he would donate $3 US and drink a teaspoon of Frank's Red Hot sauce.
"Because he's not accepting huge contributions from SuperPACs, it falls on all of us to help spread the word online," Gladstone says in the video.
He then asks comedian Maura Quint to do the same and then nominate more supporters. You can see her literally feel the burn when she recorded herself squirming in response to eating a spoonful of Sriracha hot sauce.
Quint's video starts with a political statement like Gladstone's, on how the Democrat is a "candidate who cares about campaign finance reform and the middle class."
Once she takes the plunge, however, she adds "That's okay. I didn't need to use my tongue for two days. Or three."
With those two videos out of the way, others joined in and downed various "berning" substances with the intent of showing their support by appearing to immediately regret their decision.
This isn't the first time that people have attempted to support Sanders with a spicy substance challenge.
An earlier attempt popped up on Twitter in September, and then again in November. There's a Feel the Bern Challenge website, which has similar aims but asks you to eat a hot pepper before you explain your support.
For instance, this woman ate a whole habanero pepper on Dec. 2 and then attempted to explain her support for Sanders without gagging.