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.
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.
-
The complaint that could change reality TV for ever
In the Spotlight A labour complaint filed against Love Is Blind has the potential to bolster the rights of reality stars across the US
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Assad's fall upends the Captagon drug empire
Multi-billion-dollar drug network sustained former Syrian regime
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: December 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published