Storm in a coffee cup?

ceadaoin. · 09-11-2015 5:25pm #1

Watching the news this morning and saw this story. People are mad because Starbucks are having plain red cups instead of the usual festively decorated ones. I don't go to Starbucks that often but I do like the Christmas cups at this time of year. Did people of other religions really feel excluded? I've never heard anything like that. Bah humbug Starbucks!

For millions of coffee-drinkers, the arrival of Starbucks' holiday-themed cups means Christmas is on the way.

"It's huge. People who don't even go to Starbucks regularly, they come during the holidays because we have the red cups," Starbucks employee Skylar Shelley said.

But some critics say the image of this year's holiday cup was like waking up to a lump of coal Christmas morning, reports CBS News correspondent Don Dahler. Unlike previous years when the cups came adorned with holiday-inspired images ranging from snowmen to ornaments, this year's design is just a plain red cup.

The topic percolated on social media, where Evangelical groups accused the company of waging a "war on Christmas."

"Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new holiday cups? That's why they're just plain red," former pastor Josh Feuerstein said.

On Thursday, Feuerstein posted a video to his Facebook page that has now been viewed 12 million times.

"When I went in, I asked for my coffee, they asked for my name and I told them, 'My name is Merry Christmas.' So guess what, Starbucks? I tricked you into putting 'Merry Christmas' on your cup," Feuerstein said in the video.

In a statement to CBS News, Starbucks responded, saying: "Our core values as a company is to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity..." and "...we will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world."

A Shaved Duck? · 09-11-2015 5:26pm

Biggest non issue ever...

Kimbot · 09-11-2015 5:27pm

people will always complain about something.

corner of hells · 09-11-2015 5:27pm

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Watching the news this morning and saw this story. People are mad because Starbucks are having plain red cups instead of the usual festively decorated ones. I don't go to Starbucks that often but I do like the Christmas cups at this time of year. Did people of other religions really feel excluded? I've never heard anything like that. Bah humbug Starbucks!

I've never been in Starbucks, am I missing something ?

My name is URL · 09-11-2015 5:28pm

The topic percolated on social media

The entire story was concocted just so somebody could make that pun

readyletsgo · 09-11-2015 5:29pm

Why the hell do people go to Starbucks? There are loads of better coffee places in Dublin, or wherever you may be, that serves really nice fresh coffee much cheaper.

Starbucks is diarrhea in a festive red cup.

I just don't get it.

Edit: also, this is such a non-issue/above first world problem, ugh

Gordon · 09-11-2015 5:30pm

At least people aren't seeing red.

PunditryByDave · 09-11-2015 5:31pm

I happen to think it's there best looking cup..its plain, it's red, it's simple!

Peppa Pig · 09-11-2015 5:32pm

Ah it's only Christmas, it could have been worse.

It could have been a fleg.

Pinch Flat · 09-11-2015 5:33pm

Some free publicity for them I guess.

It will have zero impact on me - I don't drink their coffee, mainly because it's sh!te

ceadaoin. · 09-11-2015 5:34pm

readyletsgo wrote: »

Why the hell do people go to Starbucks? There are loads of better coffee places in Dublin, or wherever you may be, that serves really coffee much cheaper.

Starbucks is diarrhea in a festive red cup.

I just don't get it.

Convenience. It seems like no matter where you are there's always a Starbucks within seeing distance. The filter stuff is ok. I find their espresso based drinks very bitter tbh.

Where I live they really are ubiquitous. The next biggest competitor is another chain with even worse coffee and there aren't many independent coffee shops.

kneemos · 09-11-2015 5:35pm

corner of hells wrote: »

I've never been in Starbucks, am I missing something ?

Starbucks.

PunditryByDave · 09-11-2015 5:35pm

readyletsgo wrote: »

Why the hell do people go to Starbucks? There are loads of better coffee places in Dublin, or wherever you may be, that serves really nice fresh coffee much cheaper.

Starbucks is diarrhea in a festive red cup.

I just don't get it.

Edit: also, this is such a non-issue/above first world problem, ugh

Starbucks has took over in Dublin, there's virtually one on every street in
The city centre. I personally would rank their coffee among the best but there is some really good smaller chains & independent cafes..Costa coffe tastes like an unwiped arse

Yakult · 09-11-2015 5:40pm

A cup is a ****ing cup. They all do the same thing.

Fred Swanson · 09-11-2015 5:41pm

This post has been deleted.

Links234 · 09-11-2015 5:42pm

More Fox News style manufactured "War on Christmas" fake outrage.

"Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new holiday cups? That's why they're just plain red,"

This is utter twaddle when you consider that Christ was never on their mugs in the first place, for example.

LeTickler · 09-11-2015 5:47pm

Anti-religious socialists promoting their commie red cause. Literally forcing it down the consumers throat.
Im offended.

The Backwards Man · 09-11-2015 5:48pm

Where I come from, we drink our coffee from a mug.

sonny.knowles · 09-11-2015 5:49pm

PC gone mad again.

Junkyard Tom · 09-11-2015 5:50pm

The PC, atheist, elf-and-safety, liberal, pinko brigade won't stop until they've destroyed everything.

ceadaoin. · 09-11-2015 5:50pm

Links234 wrote: »

More Fox News style manufactured "War on Christmas" fake outrage.

This is utter twaddle when you consider that Christ was never on their mugs in the first place, for example.

Yeah. I'm not even sure they ever use the word 'Christmas' even. Probably just the American standard of 'Holidays'.

Christmas nowadays is primarily a cultural thing and not about religion so I think there is no harm in decorated cups. Someone could always ask for a plain one if it offends them that much.

readyletsgo · 09-11-2015 6:01pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Hipsters.

Tbf, a real hipster wouldn't be seen dead in a Starbucks, too mainstream. And muck.

Links234 · 09-11-2015 6:01pm

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Yeah. I'm not even sure they ever use the word 'Christmas' even. Probably just the American standard of 'Holidays'.

Oh no, they do use the word Christmas, they have they annual Christmas blend coffee, Christmas is plastered all over Starbucks. This site listed Christmas themed products from Starbucks, which shows up the manufactured outrage for what it is; completely fake. They had a somewhat minimalist mug this year, that's it.

diomed · 09-11-2015 6:01pm

If I owned a dog I would train him to cock a leg at the people sitting at tables outside Starbucks.
I would reward him handsomely (possibly there and then, saying "good boy").

kneemos · 09-11-2015 6:12pm

Well that's just grande.

Frank Bullitt · 09-11-2015 8:10pm

This movement to get them to write "Merry Christmas" on your cup instead of your name is the biggest load of want I have ever heard of.

You're still paying Starbucks for the coffee you morons, the joke is on you for buying their coffee in the first place.

Liam McPoyle · 09-11-2015 8:16pm

I like Starbucks coffee.

It seems like nowadays it's one of those things thats cool to bash.

The_Valeyard · 09-11-2015 8:18pm

To be fair,

new cup looks sh*te, an auld snowflake or christmas tree would be nice.

But if this is the worse thing in your life right now, you are a very, very lucky person indeed.

Links234 · 09-11-2015 8:55pm

Business Cat wrote: »

I like Starbucks coffee.

It seems like nowadays it's one of those things thats cool to bash.

I like Starbucks too. They're not the best coffee I've ever had (That's reserved for Philz Coffee), but they are good, and you know exactly what you're getting and that it's gonna be the same the world round. Starbucks in Dublin tastes the same as it does in Tokyo, or Seattle or wherever else. It's convenient.

biko · 09-11-2015 9:03pm

It grieves me that I won't get to experience this as I never go to starbucks, nor do I intend to.
I'm sure some hipsters will rage on my behalf too.

meeeeh · 09-11-2015 9:04pm

The outrage should be about christmas stuff at the beginning of November.

Banjo String · 09-11-2015 9:10pm

Fcuks sake.

Haven't even thrown out my pumpkin and you fcukers are going on about Christmas cups in a feckcin coffee shop

09-11-2015 9:11pm

I never tried the pumpkin spice yoke is it any good?

strelok · 09-11-2015 9:12pm

bluewolf wrote: »

I never tried the pumpkin spice yoke is it any good?

do you even white girl?

etoughguy · 09-11-2015 9:13pm

Had a starbucks in a red cup yesterday in Amsterdam

I am one of those annoying types who always takes an opportunity to mouth off about places I have been to
Amsterdam is in Holland and there's a weird smell from the coffee shops, they might need to change the beans

Links234 · 09-11-2015 9:14pm

bluewolf wrote: »

I never tried the pumpkin spice yoke is it any good?

Me neither, I prefer my coffee black and bitter, like my soul.

Banjo String · 09-11-2015 9:14pm

etoughguy wrote: »

Had a starbucks in a red cup yesterday in Amsterdam

I am one of those annoying types who always takes an opportunity to mouth off about places I have been to
Amsterdam is in Holland and there's a weird smell from the coffee shops, they might need to change the beans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRt2_OLY3Ho

Samaris · 09-11-2015 9:14pm

I really don't see the point of giving out about this. It's a friggin' coffee cup. If it holds coffee, grand. If the lid actually closes on it without popping off and spilling, brilliant.

After that, I really don't care what's on it.

Micky Dolenz · 09-11-2015 9:15pm

Business Cat wrote: »

I like Starbucks coffee.

It seems like nowadays it's one of those things thats cool to bash.

You are so '00's.

*swishes scarf in disgust*

Samaris · 09-11-2015 9:17pm

Also, their mulled grape and mulled apple are lovely.

strelok · 09-11-2015 9:18pm

Links234 wrote: »

I like Starbucks too. They're not the best coffee I've ever had (That's reserved for Philz Coffee), but they are good, and you know exactly what you're getting and that it's gonna be the same the world round. Starbucks in Dublin tastes the same as it does in Tokyo, or Seattle or wherever else. It's convenient.

the thing about starbucks is they roast the snot out of their coffee so that it still tastes strong in their frappacinos and frappes and 90% milk, 5% chocolate shavings 5% coffee drinks.
this is grand if you love real dark roast coffee (quite fond of it myself), but if you actually "like coffee" then starbucks and some of your other chain cafes are more or less the 100% opposite of what you should be doing with coffee

DivingDuck · 09-11-2015 9:24pm

Don't the cups have things like snowflakes and snowmen on them? All the pics in the campaign to bring back the original cups look more generally wintery than Christmas-specific.

I don't see anything specifically Christian on them, so I don't see how their absence is an attack on Christians. Equally, though, it seems really stupid to change their branding because images of snowflakes may make some people feel excluded.

Maybe it was just cheaper to get all-red cups?

Nonsense from all quarters here. I'm disappointed in myself for even commenting on this thread, frankly.

kneemos · 09-11-2015 9:27pm

etoughguy wrote: »

Had a starbucks in a red cup yesterday in Amsterdam

I am one of those annoying types who always takes an opportunity to mouth off about places I have been to
Amsterdam is in Holland and there's a weird smell from the coffee shops, they might need to change the beans

Did ya pick up the package?

Fred Swanson · 09-11-2015 9:31pm

This post has been deleted.

entropi · 09-11-2015 9:40pm

Had coffee from there once, but never again. Horrible stuff, would rather walk a longer distance to somewhere else. Not sure how they brew it, but it's not nice at all.

Azalea · 09-11-2015 9:48pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

biko wrote: »

It grieves me that I won't get to experience this as I never go to starbucks, nor do I intend to.
I'm sure some hipsters will rage on my behalf too.

The expression "hipster" in "incorrectly used" shocker.

Canterelle · 09-11-2015 9:57pm

More like flutter in an espresso cup

Aongus Von Bismarck · 09-11-2015 10:01pm

I don't spend that much time in Dublin, but I have enjoyed the coffee from both Coffee Angel and Café Sol when I've been back. Nothing compares to grinding your own favourite beans and having a Jura deliver a stunning cup of coffee.

etoughguy · 09-11-2015 10:03pm

kneemos wrote: »

Did ya pick up the package?

A guy asked me to bring back some stuff for some other guy I never heard of. He seemed to laugh and giggle alot and his eyes were very blood shot, poor fella must have had a cold so I said no problem. I have it with me so if you're the chap who needs it send me a PM.

etoughguy · 09-11-2015 10:05pm

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I don't spend that much time in Dublin, but I have enjoyed the coffee from both Coffee Angel and Café Sol when I've been back. Nothing compares to grinding your own favourite beans and having a Jura deliver a stunning cup of coffee.

I love grinding my own beans, especially when the wife is away

Plryty · 09-11-2015 11:58pm

Business Cat wrote: »

I like Starbucks coffee.

It seems like nowadays it's one of those things thats cool to bash.

I thought the same, usually I skipped Starbucks in Favor of other cafes with a cosier layout. But one evening I found myself in one with a friend for a catch up.

It really isn't good stuff. It's appeal to people who largely enjoy their coffee tasting more like a dessert in a plastic cup should be telling of its standard.

Storm in a coffee cup?

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