Kevin Sorbo — who played the title role in Hercules: The Legendary Adventures twenty-three years ago — appears to have made a very important economic observation today when he joked about the current high cost of eggs on his Twitter feed, offering to auction off three eggs at a starting bid of $10. The “joke” is ample proof that Sorbo — who has a net worth of several million — hasn’t been in a grocery store for a long while and has no idea how market forces work.
Conservatives have lately used the rising price of a dozen eggs to beat the drum against the Biden administration, implying that the increase is due to the mismanagement of the executive branch (which, in actuality, has very little to do with the market fluctuations of staple goods). According to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, the average price of a carton of eggs is pricier than it has been in a while, averaging a wholesale cost of $3.30 per dozen. That’s translating into around $5 retail on average with prices reaching up to $7 in some states. Still, it’s not exactly the $40 per dozen Sorbo believes would make a good entry-level bid.
And the price isn’t really the result of any government interference or executive order either. According to News Observer, the high prices stem from a combination of increased consumer demand coupled with “a pervasive avian flu epidemic impacting the poultry industry.” U.S. egg production dropped from 9.7 billion in Dec. 2021 to 8.9 billion in Nov. 2022 according to USDA data. In addition, egg consumption has increased as Americans, who are eating less red meat, seek out other high-protein sources.
So no, Kevin. Eggs aren’t THAT expensive. But maybe it’s hard to tell when you’re worth a cool $14 million. Maybe you should do your own grocery shopping once in a while. Or keep your hot takes off of social media.