Starbucks' red cup of woes

Tis the season to get angry at every little thing and turn it into an even bigger controversy.

I consider myself a Christian.

Not extremely devout, not the model example of what one should be, but I believe in God. I know that the big man upstairs has definitely helped me through some of the worst times in my life

But my lord and savior is not symbolized in a red cup, unless it’s a chalice.

The controversy has done one thing: created more buzz about Starbucks than a new Starbucks coming into town would do.

Basically, the new cup is just a version of Starbucks rebranding itself. Not once have the cups they push out during the holiday season denoted anything geared at a certain religion. The cups have seen snowflakes, pine trees and snowman, to name a few.

It’s not like they have been touting Jesus on each cup, saying their coffee is a drop of heaven in each sip.

According to Starbucks, the new cup offers a space for customers to create their own designs.

“We have anchored the design with the classic Starbucks holiday red that is bright and exciting,” said Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of Design & Content, in a release. “The ombré creates a distinctive dimension, fluidity and weightedness.”

According to the press release, starting in 1997, Starbucks has served its holiday beverages in a unique cup. The first one being a jazz-themed design in jewel tones of deeper reds, greens and blues. Every year since, the cup has told a story of the holidays by featuring symbols of the season from vintage ornaments and hand-drawn reindeer to modern vector-illustrated characters.

Taking a cue from customers who have been doodling designs on cups for years (Starbucks held a contest to support this creativity), this year’s design is another way Starbucks is inviting customers to create their own stories with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas, the release said.

Now, there is more controversy centered around another company — Target. A new sweater the company has put out reads, “O.C.D. Obsessive Christmas Disorder.”

Some have taken to social media to voice their outrage on the topic saying that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not a disease to make light of.

Although, those who claim to have the disease are also lashing out on social media, saying it’s not a big deal.