Faux Pas: Red Dawn

Nov 2, 2010

 

This morning, my Facebook was bombarded with status updates proclaiming the arrival of the red holiday cups at Starbucks.  Then, when I stepped onto the street, the patrons of the neighborhood Starbucks were clutching their red cups full of caffeine like they’d found Wonka’s Golden Ticket.

“Oh my God, I love the red cups,” one patron proclaimed.  Her friend was equally enthusiastic.  “I know! It’s not Christmas until there are red cups.”

I’ll be honest.  I’ve never understood America’s Starbucks obsession.  Unlike my best friend B, who was one of the first recipients of a Starbucks gold card, I find paying $4 for a cup of coffee a waste of money.  Plus, not having to wait in line every morning for coffee prepared by disgruntled automatons starts off my day on a more pleasant note.

But even if you enjoy the java served at Starbucks, what is the obsession with the red cups?

They’re just cups.  So please stop with the fawning Twitter and Facebook updates.  I’m not going to run out and buy and overpriced cup of coffee just because it comes in a red cup.

Also, to those of you who say this is about the arrival of the Christmas spirit, I should probably mention that I subscribe to the Nordstrom holiday policy.  No Christmas decor until the day after Thanksgiving.  Holidays are best celebrated one at a time.

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  1. R says:

    “No Christmas decor until the day after Thanksgiving. Holidays are best celebrated one at a time”- Thank you!!!! Next year, I'm boycotting stores that put up Christmas decorations a few weeks after Labor Day…

  2. Jessica says:

    There's nothing wrong w/ a little holiday cheer. 😉 I used to work at Starbucks and this was a super fun day for all the employees because corporate releases a bunch of new holiday drinks, new coffees and we used to have a big party to change out the cups. It was a great way to start November. 😀

  3. Stacey says:

    I was actually annoyed my coffee came in a red cup this morning. It's all too much too soon.

  4. Meg says:

    I disagree with your Starbucks comment and admit to being one of the many excited people holding my grasping my red cup this morning while dreaming of candy canes and Santa Claus . And I order black coffee, so really my red cup only cost $1.59, charged to my gold card of course : )

  5. ms. b says:

    While it might be early, as you well know…starbucks red is the perfect red.

  6. Ash says:

    I'm with you and Nordstrom on the decor (including cups), but I LOVE the holiday drinks in a big crazy way. That eggnog latte is to die for.

  7. CapitolBites says:

    Thank you for subscribing to the “nordstrom” policy. I just want to enjoy fall for a few more weeks (even if Hanuakkah starts on Dec 1st this year…)

  8. Hear, hear!! The red cup is not the most exciting thing in the world, it does not make the world a better place, and it is far too soon to be thinking about any sort of December holiday. As someone who does not celebrate Christmas, I find this whole Christmas starting November 1st (or mid-October, according to Target) exceptionally annoying, and making me very anti-Christmas. But starting after Thanksgiving? That never bothered me in the least!

  9. KLo says:

    I love Christmas. I start decorating for Thanksgiving in fall, and Christmas bleeds right into it. But for me, Christmas doesn't start until Santa comes across the star in front of Macy's on Thanksgiving day … but the spirit is here much earlier.

    But hear hear on Starbucks!

  10. Ameline says:

    disgruntled automatons? I've always found Starbucks employees to be very pleasant, some bordering on the creepy Trader Joes-ian side of the happy scale. Or maybe they're just nice to me because I order plain old coffee.

  11. lulu says:

    “the creepy Trader Joes-ian side of the happy scale…”

    this made me laugh, so true! Last time I brough my own shopping bags (as always), and the Trader Joe cashier thanked me profusely, like I was doing her a personal favor!

  12. Ana says:

    I love the red cups! It gives me the warm and fuzzies. Hot starbucks latte…while walking through the snow, with christmas just around the corner. Can't beat that! But yes, I do wish it waited until after Thanksgiving.

  13. TA says:

    This is another prime example of the commercialization of the holiday season. It's sad to see that companies and retailers do this just to make extra cash. Don't get me wrong, I'm for Christmas but we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet!! I hate it when stores decorate for holidays too early. I like to celebrate any occasion at my pace and not be forced into it so hastily.

  14. Lou says:

    No opinion on red cups, but I really hate the holidays being rushed. I just about have an anxiety attack (as a mom of 4) when I hear Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Talk about stress.

  15. Emily says:

    More than anything, I love the title of this post.

  16. Susan says:

    AMEN!!! I could not agree with your post more–I mean, hello, anyone ever heard of Illy and a good french press?!

  17. CatG says:

    I love your ranty posts. 🙂 (b/c I usually agree with them! Ha)

  18. LL says:

    THANK YOU! As a non coffee drinker it's never been my top stop (but if I drank it I still wouldn't understand, the one across the street is perpetually packed, the service is terrible, and the prices…) but I inevitably end up going with friends and get the overpriced baked goods. Honestly, the wave of red cup love that took over facebook rivaled the one of election night boasting/misery statuses.

  19. District Cut says:

    Macy's at Pentagon City has started their Christmas decor.

  20. jes says:

    i've worked for starbucks while doing other hill jobs and i'm not one of those “disgruntled automatons”. i'm sorry your barista experiences sucked!

  21. Belle says:

    The PQ ones are terrible. I once went in for a water, grabbed it from the case, walked to the register. The barista then walked to the opposite register which I could not see from where I was standing. And instead of saying, “Over here” or “This register please,” she hollers out “Lady do you expect me to move just for you. I already walked all the way over here to serve you, you can at least come to me.”

    I handed her my bottle of water and left.

    Never been back.

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