Starbucks Red Cup Debate

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“So guess what Starbucks? I tricked you into putting merry Christmas on you cup!” states Joshua Feuerstein, creator of the now viral Starbucks red cup rant video with over 15 million views. Feuerstein then continues to describe how Starbucks purposefully “took Christ out of Christmas” in response to this year’s plain, cranberry red cup. His video led many Christians to believe that there is a war on Christmas in the business world. They argue that Starbucks is becoming too politically correct because the baristas cannot say “merry Christmas” to their customers, but Starbucks still sells Christmas-themed merchandise. Celebrities and politicians, such as Steven Colbert and Donald Trump, have even responded to Feuerstein’s video. This trivial …show more content…

“Yes they got rid of the Christian symbols like snowflakes and snowmen,” famous comedian, Stephen Colbert mocked. Demi Lovato chimed in with her opinion on Twitter saying, “Also, why do we care this much about a cup…?” Countless news stations, including Today, CNN, Fox, and MSNBC have all produced articles explain the red cup controversy. Even a major politician, Republican Party presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has even called for a boycott of all Starbucks products in a recent speech in Springfield, Illinois (CNN). In this speech, Trump declares, “No more ‘merry Christmas’ on Starbucks,” followed by the crowd booing, “but I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks? I don’t know, seriously. I don’t …show more content…

Vox Magazine states, “While the world rages on and problems like starvation, a massive refugee crisis, and homelessness remain unfixed, people in America — including an American presidential candidate — are arguing over a red beverage container.” Also, this debate has drawn focus away from the November 13th massacre in France. Instead of arguing over a cup, these celebrities should be trying to educate their audiences about worldwide issues. But at the end of the day, Starbucks probably did not intend this major response to its holiday cup. Instead, Starbucks intended that the cup be treated as a blank canvas, according to an article on Today. “Over the past few years, our customers have been showcasing their work on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, and we even held a contest to support this creativity. This year 's design is another way we are inviting our customers to create their own stories on our