Some Starbucks customers are offended by their plain red holiday cups
What are the holidays for, if not intensely scrutinizing every brand's themed message for unwanted signs of political correctness? An early 2015 target is Starbucks' new holiday cup design, which is literally just a plain red cup with the company logo:
In a Facebook video that's already surpassed 10 million views since being posted Nov. 5, Joshua Feuerstein, who describes himself as a former TV and radio evangelist, claimed Starbucks released cups devoid of Christmas-specific symbols because they "hate Jesus." He also called on Christians and all Americans to tell baristas their names are "Merry Christmas," so employees have to write the message on the cups.
If Instagram and Twitter searches for the #MerryChristmasStarbucks hashtag are any indications, Feuerstein isn't totally alone in his mission.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
For Starbucks' part, an October news release explained the designs on the cups have varied from year to year, sometimes including ornaments, reindeer, and holiday-themed characters (but not more outright Christian symbols).
"This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories," Jeffrey Fields, the company's vice president of design and content, said in the statement.
Cups aside, the suggestion that Starbucks is anti-Christmas doesn't actually carry a lot of weight, as Snopes pointed out. After all, the chain still sells "Christmas Blend" coffee and Advent calendars.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published