Lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart has found herself at the centre of an unexpected culinary controversy after revealing her personal method for eating a bagel, a technique that has been branded "unhinged" by her own followers.
The Step-by-Step Guide That Caused Uproar
On Friday, the 84-year-old entrepreneur posted a carousel of images to her Instagram account, detailing a bagel-eating technique taught to her by her daughter, Alexis Stewart. The post began with a photo of a poppy-seed bagel alongside a tub of cream cheese and a lemon wedge.
In the caption, Stewart laid out her instructions: "1. choose a @popupbagels bagel. I love poppyseed 2. Cut in half 3. Take a half of a half and break into sweet little pieces 4. Sweet little pieces can be topped with flavored or unflavored cream cheese." She concluded by stating, "It's very satisfying to eat a bagel like this."
Fans Accuse Stewart of Promoting 'Boomer Diet Culture'
The reaction from her audience was swift and largely critical. Many commenters interpreted the method as a relic of restrictive eating habits, directly accusing the TV personality of promoting outdated diet culture.
"Love you, Martha, but it’s 2025, we can eat whole bagels now," wrote one follower. Another agreed, simply stating, "This is unhinged, Martha." A third comment read, "I love you but this is straight up boomer diet culture. Eat the bagel girl." The sentiment was echoed by a fourth who pleaded, "Martha, I love you more than my own family, but this is utterly unacceptable, and I implore you to repent for your sins."
Stewart's Fiery Response and Other Ventures
Facing the backlash, Stewart appeared to edit the post's caption to address her critics head-on. She retorted, "CAN'T ANYONE TAKE A JOKE?????? YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!!!!" This defiant response only added fuel to the online discussion.
The bagel debacle comes as Stewart continues her high-profile commercial work. She recently became the face of American Eagle's new holiday campaign, a move that follows the brand's own period of controversy earlier in the year over an advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.
In one campaign image, Stewart is seen in a kitchen where appliances are wrapped in denim towels, herself wearing a dark blue denim jacket and jeans. Speaking to People magazine about the collaboration, she said, "I have spent decades helping people create beautiful holidays... So when American Eagle approached me about being part of their holiday gifting campaign, I was immediately intrigued." She described the denim-themed concept as "playful, smart and whimsical."
