Right on the heels of Hurricane Harvey wreaking havoc in Texas, Hurricane Irma is currently on a trajectory toward the south of Florida, where hundreds of thousands of residents are struggling to prepare or evacuate. While the magnitude of the storm's potential danger cannot be stressed enough — it is projected to be the second-worst recorded storm in history, with "life-threatening wind impacts," according to the National Hurricane Center — people are still managing to find the bright side of a bad situation. Well, at least some people are; the Hurricane Irma cakes at Publix, unsurprisingly, have people pretty divided. (Bustle has reached out to Publix for comment, and will update this post upon reply.)
On Friday, Sept. 8, two days before Hurricane Irma's expected landfall in Florida on Sunday morning, people started tweeting images of Publix's unique cakes, adorned with rainbow frosting reminiscent of a doppler radar or with hurricane-esque paraphernalia and text that says "Go Away Irma" and "Weather It Out". While the cakes are certainly unconventional, they have certainly brought some humor into what is obviously a stressful time for residents stockpiling supplies before either leaving or hunkering down for the weekend; some, however, are less than impressed by the display, and think that the cakes are insensitive given the magnitude of the storm.
As someone who once gave their friend a "Sorry You Got Hit By A Truck" cake after she, uh, got hit by a truck (SHE WAS FINE, miraculously, but I feel I must clear that up), I'm pretty firmly of the belief that this kind of thing is harmless and in good fun; if the last year of nonstop, aggressive political meme-ing on Twitter has proven anything, it's that we all need a little humor to cope with grim circumstances.
It seems that a lot of the people sharing images of the cakes in their local Publix stores agree that these unconventional cakes are representative of the state's unique sense of humor and the resilience of the residents, who are no strangers to weather-related threats.
Some People Are Taking A Separate Trip To Get Them
Once you've got all your essentials and safety plans in check, let them eat cake.
"The Most Florida Thing Ever"
This account reiterates what many are saying: that these cakes are Florida AF.
Some Are Actually Kinda Classy
The oddly polite way to tell a hurricane to GTFO.
The FOMO Is Real
The fact that it's already become a meme just proves that this internet moves fast.
Of course, some people think that the cakes are a little tone-deaf, given the projected severity of the storm, and in the bleak aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
The cakes, though, are no accident or baker gone rogue; although Publix hasn't officially commented on them, their corporate Twitter account has been responding to people's tweets, seeming to indicate that the cakes were approved.
Anyone who follows Cake Internet knows that this is far from the first time people have used cakes to make light of a bad situation; recently, a company that puts internet trolls' words on cake went viral, and one of the weird trends of the last few years has been, of all things, divorce cakes. A popular Instagram for Protest Cakes also launched in the wake of the 2016 election, bringing some delicious social justice. It seems a lot of people appreciate the juxtaposition of a sweet cake in a sour situation.
If you're not in the path of Hurricane Irma (or these sassy cakes), then you donate your cake money (and whatever money you can spare) to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. In the meantime, everyone, stay as safe as you can.
