The Carolina Reaper Pepper is the hottest pepper on earth. Clocking in at Guinness World Record-incinerating 1,569,300 heat units on the Scoville Scale—the scientific measurement of pepper heat based on science and stuff—the Carolina Reaper is practically chemical warfare. Spicy snack purveyors Pacqui aren’t afraid, however, weaponizing the pepper in their new Carolina Reaper Madness, an individually packaged publicity stunt-cum-torture device now infamously known as the hottest chip on earth.
To celebrate the relaunch of this edible welding torch, Pacqui created something they call the #OneChipChallenge, and as you might expect, the rules are simple: Film yourself eating one full Carolina Reaper Madness—which comes fittingly packaged in a casket-shaped container—post it online with the hashtag included, and hope that your pain and idiocy are enough to earn you a free year’s worth of non-Carolina Reaper Madness Pacqui chips.
Enter poor Natalie Tysdal, co-anchor of Denver’s Channel 2 Daybreak team, who, along with her fellow network buffoons co-hosts, decided to try the One Chip Challenge on live TV. Mistake #1. With their producer goading them on, the five unsuspecting saps mock the mighty Carolina Reaper, laughing as they peel open their fates. Poor Natalie even leans over and snaps a selfie as she takes her first bite. Mistake #2. Then her mood suddenly begins to change. Her smile melts into a grimace. She coughs. She leans over for a sip of lukewarm coffee. Mistake #3.
And that was Natalie Tysdal’s Wednesday morning, spent on all fours vomiting in front of the Denver metro area as a simple chip tore through her insides like a backdraft. Needless to say, if you mess with the Reaper, you get the scythe. Just ask Natalie. When the swelling finally goes down on her tongue, she’ll tell you.
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