Starbucks releases a Christmas Tree Frappuccino for THE HOLIDAYS
Starbucks is releasing a Christmas Tree Frappuccino, and don't you dare say it isn't Christmas-y enough. DON'T YOU DARE!
The festive drink starts with a Peppermint Mocha Crème Frappuccino, and is then topped with Matcha whipped cream, which is supposed to look like a Christmas tree. The tree is "decorated" with caramel drizzle for garland, candied cranberries as ornaments, and is topped with a strawberry.
The limited-edition drink will only be available for a few days, starting Dec. 7 through Dec. 11 at participating stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Starbucks has been the center of a faux "war on Christmas" in recent years, which started through a series of trolls and digital pitchforks on social media, was later fueled by a call for boycott from then candidate Donald Trump, and highlighted by the viral media, Mashable included.
People said that Stabrucks' new holiday cups were not "Christmas-y" enough in 2015. This controversy followed into 2016, and finally, this year, people alleged that its cup pushed the "gay agenda" thanks to a BuzzFeed post that included a handful of tweets.
While the whole Starbucks Christmas controversy can seem silly and troll-y to some, it comes at a time of extreme media scrutiny, and puts a spotlight on a major issue that can sometimes go overlooked in viral media.
Rounding up a handful of tweets from a few trolls and extremists can shift public perception, and create a dialogue that is not only inaccurate, but incredibly irresponsible. Additionally, sarcasm isn't always translated well through text, and readers often look at a headline and do not commit to the reading the entire piece.
Starbucks' war on Christmas is a perfect example of how the media can pick out a snappy headline, creating an entirely new story for years to come.
While the cups controversy may seem like a small issue, situations like this can escalate quickly, and can ruin people's lives or careers. Earlier this week MSNBC fired contributor Sam Seder for a sarcastic tweet from years earlier after pressure from a few alt-right trolls.
