"First world problems"

[med_cat]

(I need an "eyeroll" icon...)

This is one of the pieces of news currently trending on FB:
~~

It's more than just a cup. These people are taking Twitter by storm with ‪#‎MerryChristmasStarbucks‬ to show their displeasure.

What do you think about Starbucks' holiday cups?

Comments

[elenbarathi]

Haha, I'm going to be a Pacific Northwest Eco-Coffee Snob about this, and say, first, Starbucks sucks - nasty burnt beans! - second, bring yer OWN damn cups; think paper grows on trees or something?

[med_cat]

I mean--yeah, I understand opinions about Starbucks are very divided--I'm not a big coffee connoisseur m'self, and a lot of their drinks have far too much sugar, and I know your area has other, independent coffee shops, that are reputed to be better--

--and yes, y'know? Bring your own reusable festive travel mug--lots of them sold, by Starbucks and many other companies, you can pick the one you like--

--and also, to posts like the one I linked, I'm always tempted to comment, "ya wanna know what _real_ problems look like?! Come, work with me for a shift, I'll show you!" and "if you have nothing better to do, then go help others--volunteer at a food bank, animal shelter, etc. It'll put things in perspective..."

[elenbarathi]

*grins* I'm not actually a coffee snob at all; I'll drink gas-station coffee with Swiss Miss in, and like it just fine. Starbucks is fine too - yeah, they roast their beans too hard, but what of it? TRUE coffee snobs grind their own beans at home; all these people who complain about Starbucks are just being pretentious.

For sure, the only sensible answer to all the 'War on Christmas' nonsense is "Get a life!" This kerfuffle over the Starbucks cups is just the next level of idiocy, and serves very well to point up how idiotic the whole thing has been from the start. It's also totally hypocritical: if these alleged 'Christians' are so offended by the lack of seasonal decorations on a paper coffee cup, howzabout they stop buying take-out coffee at all, and donate the money saved to some good cause, as Christ and the Apostles told them to do? There are a lot of hungry people in the world; whole families struggling to survive on less per day than the price of a 12-oz. Americano

[med_cat]

Quite so re: coffee snobbery

And yes, exactly re: donations. I also like your stickers idea.

Also, have you heard that now Donald Trump has stepped into this "debate"?

And I think you might find this article interesting; supergee posted it: http://alisonleighlilly.com/blog/2015/war-on-yule-starbucks-cups-are-christian-propaganda/

[duathir]

"Now we suffer the evils of a long peace; luxury more cruel than war broods over us and avenges a conquered world."
-Juvenal

[med_cat]

Indeed...

[elenbarathi]

"Juvenal, thou should'st be living at this hour..."

[med_cat]

I know, right? Looked festive enough to me, I actually often like minimalist designs.

And quite, lots of problems in the first world, too, that one could more usefully spend one's time on, as I was saying to elenbarathi above...

Remember Who Starbuck Was

[john_m_burthotm]

Coffee snobs who rag on Starbucks for being such a big chain should lighten up. They called their first coffee shop "Starbuck's" because, like the character in *Moby Dick*, they loved coffee a whole lot. It's not their fault that they were really successful.
As for the cups, I agree that people should bring their own anyway. I almost always do, wherever I get a cuppa (and in descending order that's home, an independent or small chain, a big chain like Starbucks or Dutch Brothers).
As for the tempest in a coffee cup, hey, 'tis the season for Republicans to wax wroth about some manufactured crisis. Allow the heathen to have their peculiar Winter holidays.

Re: Remember Who Starbuck Was

[med_cat]

How interesting; I didn't know who Starbuck was; never did get around to reading "Moby Dick", although I'd read a few of Melville's other works.

Agreed re: cups and hoo-ha.

Re: Remember Who Starbuck Was

[john_m_burthotm]

One of these days, I am going to write a scene in which some people get coffee drinks at Starbucks and then go around the corner to have lunch at Queequeg's Fajitas.

Re: Remember Who Starbuck Was

[med_cat]

Sounds like an interesting scene :)