With the rise of inflation and increasing prices in Iran, and the decrease of the people’s purchasing power, Iran’s state-run media is constantly suggesting the people eat less and wear less. A few days ago, one of the regime’s showmen named Rambod Javan suggested that people go on diet to confront the high prices on his Instagram page, which faced negative reactions from the public.

Now in another TV show, the regime has collected a few women who explained how they were wearing their children’s worn-out clothes. This show faced the frustration of the people too, and many reacted angrily and negatively on social media.

The state-run daily Aftab-e Yazd wrote about this event: “It seems that the poverty of the people has become a good subject for the (state) TV to allow itself to insult the people and hurt them. Once an actor called them clumsy and the other one said while the costs are high, they should take a diet, and now they are teaching the people how they should patch their clothes so that they could use them a second time.

“The story started when in a TV show they (government) collected some women together which was broadcasted from the Channel 3, and they spoke about how they can wear on their children’s worn-out clothes. In fact, they want to say while the high prices and inflation have decreased the purchasing power of the people they should eat and wear less.

“Those responsible for this situation are officials who did not care about the people and because of their mismanagement, they have created high prices which have led to the poverty of the people.

“As far as you cannot be a cure for the people’s pain, do not insult them and quell them with senseless speeches.”

The reaction of the people on social media spoke volumes:

One said: “The officials should teach people how they should milk a camel so that every family should have a camel in their garden.”

Another one said: “Only the furniture and interior design of the room of this show reached millions. Now they are teaching the people how they should wear worn-out clothes.”

Another one said: “Why everything you say is just for the people, and not for you yourselves?”

Another one said: “Why are they expecting all the time that the people close their eyes on their welfare, but they are not ready to bring the welfare to the people’s houses?”

Another one said: “Some women with aristocratic and expensive clothes are sitting in a TV show and are speaking about the avails of worn-out clothes. This is the level of the thought of the managers of this organization from public opinion.”

Another one said: “That Baklava that they are eating cost 200,000 tomans per kilo. That scarf that the woman is wearing costs 300,000 tomans. This is ugly that you are saying to wear a child’s worn-out sock, and then you are drinking your tea with a Baklava. At least eat Gorgi biscuits. It is shameful that instead of taking the path of progression and wealth they are going the contra way. From religious views, being wealthy is an advantage.”

Another one said: “This is how they are normalizing poverty and indigence; they are saying that if you have no money there is no need to complain, it is enough that you sew the torn parts of your life.”

Another one said: “People are begging on the streets and the officials do not care and are expressing only slogans. One is becoming excited about the prescription that they are giving us.”

Another one said: “The people of other countries are changing every year the cloth mode, buy every year new phones and other gadgets that we cannot even afford, and are using everything until it disjoints, and they will teach us about how to have a primitive life. Do even we have enough money to become a consumerist?”