Starbucks Stupid Holiday Cups Brewing Up Controversy

Every year just before the holidays, Starbucks becomes steeped in controversy over a piece of limited-time material; their festive holiday cups. This year is no exception. Featuring art by Shogo Ota, some staunch right-wingers are claiming the new green cups are promoting the liberal agenda, even being moved enough to take to social media to voice their opposition and declare a boycott. Twitter wars have erupted between haters and supporters, each side spitting venom hotter than a Cafe Americano at each other. If it's not the liberal agenda that's gotten some people's knickers in a twist, there's another camp that has taken exception to the cup not having an explicit holiday message and are claiming an attack on Christian values.

If it is possible to pull an ocular muscle from an eye-roll, I must have come pretty damn close.  It's a cup.  It's a stupid paper cup. There are actually real problems in this world that aren't getting half of the attention as the outrage over a stupid paper cup. There's scandal, propaganda, religious persecution, racial tension, mass murder, and people are crying to the internet that their stupid paper cup is offending them. Wow... that's one powerful paper cup.  We should give it a Che beret and make t-shirts.

I've got news for you cup haters out there; you don't get a vote.  That's right.  Just because you were/are a customer of Starbucks doesn't mean you get a say in how a company runs their operation, much less get to weigh in on art for their stupid paper cups. The only thing that Starbucks is required to do, by law, is make sure their stupid paper cups say "Caution: Contents May Be Hot."  That's it.  They're not required to run prototypes by you for your approval. There's no mandate regarding cultural, political, or religious sensitivity.

One last thought... If you are really moved to pitchfork-and-torch rage over a stupid paper cup, then stop giving Starbucks your business. It really is that simple. If you assume a company has an agenda that doesn't gel with yours, that's okay.  You can take your money elsewhere; maybe consider local options.  Sure, Starbucks isn't going to suddenly close up shop over night because the price of your twice-weekly Venti Caramel Macchiato is no longer being added to their coffers.  Sure, Starbucks is THE giant in the coffee game, so losing a handful of patrons isn't going to make a dent in their annual profits.  But you will feel better not carrying around a cup you don't believe in.