Fact Check

Did Snickers Remove a 'Dick Vein'?

This isn't the first time a joke has been made about Snickers candy bars' resembling a penis.

Published April 18, 2022

 (Screenshot)
Image Via Screenshot
Claim:
In April 2022, Mars started making Snickers bars without the "vein" after people complained that the chocolate bars too closely resembled a penis.

Fact Check

In April 2022, a photograph of an unusually smooth Snickers bar was circulated on social media along with the claim that the candy company Mars, Inc. had "deveined" the famous chocolate bars after complaints that Snickers too closely resembled a penis.

While the image on the right appears to be genuine (this may have been the result of chocolate melting and then reforming, a manufacturing error, or some other cause), the image on the left is not a genuine news article. Mars has not removed a "dick vein" from candy bars after being pressured by a "woke mob." In fact, we find no calls for this "vein" to be removed.

The origins of this viral rumor trace back to January 2022 when Mars announced it was redesigning the green M&M character. The reason? To better reflect a "more dynamic, progressive world" and to show off the character's "personality, rather than their gender." CBS News reported:

The most notable changes include the green M&M's redesign, which will exchange the white heeled go-go boots she was given in 1997 for "cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence." Mars had received criticism for the green M&M's sexy characterization. The green M&M will also be "better represented to reflect confidence and empowerment, as a strong female, and known for much more than her boots."

In the wake of these changes, many people made jokes about other candies that needed be desexualized, such as the Snickers bar and its "dick vein," which social media users have been poking fun of since at least 2009.

On Jan. 25, the website Mandatory published a tongue-in-cheek article about the vein being removed from a Snickers bar that included a fictitious quote from an imaginary spokesperson:

“Our candy bar continues to evolve to reflect the more dynamic, progressive world that we live in,” the brand said in a statement (that eerily mirrors M&M’s big announcement). “Consumers, particularly those named Karen, have spoken, and they’ve told us that the textured coating on our Snickers bars is suggestive and offensive. We want you to know that we’ve heard you, and we’re making changes. To that end, we have decided to replace the current textured coating on our Snickers bar with a smoother, more visually pleasing chocolate coating.”

In April 2022, a piece of imposter content was published on iFunny.com. While this image appeared to show a news article headline reading "Snickers are officially caving and removing the world renowned dick vein from the candybar," this is not a screenshot of a genuine news article. This is just another joke about sexualized candy, woke mobs, and dick veins on Snickers bars.

In short, Mars has not made any announcements about "deveining" Snickers bars. Furthermore, it doesn't appear anyone is actually calling for these changes. The vast majority of posts regarding the "dick vein" on a Snickers bar appear to be in jest.


Sources

Sources:

M&M Characters Redesigned for a “More Dynamic, Progressive World,” Mars Announces. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/m-ms-characters-redesigned-modern-inclusive-progressive/. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022.

Popik, Barry. Entry from March 06, 2020 “The Dick Vein on a Snickers Really Makes It.” https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/the_dick_vein_on_a_snickers. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022.

“Snickers Are Officially Caving and Removing the World Renowned Dick Vein from the Candybar - ).” IFunny, https://ifunny.co/picture/snickers-are-officially-caving-and-removing-the-world-renowned-dick-rP9rcgxT9. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022.

“Snickers to Remove Big Dick Vein Energy From Chocolate Bars Following Green M&M Called Out For Her Promiscuity.” Mandatory, 25 Jan. 2022, https://www.mandatory.com/living/1585440-snickers-to-remove-big-dick-vein-energy-from-chocolate-bars-following-green-mm-called-out-for-her-promiscuity.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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