The Starbucks-Slutbucks Logo Controversy

Long before Starbucks was a household brand name, they had one store in Seattle and they also had a logo featuring a mermaid. A mermaid that was, shall we say, scantily clad. As Starbucks grew and the operation became more corporate, a new less revealing logo was adopted. However, much in the same way that the Toronto Blue Jays have 'Flashback Fridays' where they bring back heritage-style uniforms, Starbucks has decided to go retro as well. That means the scantily clad mermaid has returned. Only this time, there are groups of people who seem to feel the mermaid needs some clothes.

A San Diego-based Christian group, The Resistance, has already called on its 3,000 members to boycott the chain, whose mass expansion has threatened to turn its once hip coffee lounges into McDonald's-style fast-food outlets.

“The Starbucks logo has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,” said Mark Dice, the group's founder. “Need I say more? The company might as well call itself Slutbucks.”

Slutbucks? Are you kidding me? That's a bit out of line. Despite the protest, Starbucks doesn't intend on stopping its usage, and truth be told, their retro logo is actually somewhat toned-down from their original 1971 logo.

I think 'The Resistance' needs a Grande Frappuccino to cool off. But the best commentary I've seen on the Slutbucks controversy comes from the United Kingdom of all places. Richard Rogers, a columnist from the Guardian had this to say about the ongoing logo controversy...

The reaction at a move to return to the economically innocent original may be a keen marketing strategy to re-hoist Starbucks into the national spotlight. It is also however a reminder of the irony, nay hypocrisy, of the American Dream. A mantra that claims a small town ideology but holds world-swallowing greed. The truly innocent mermaid is the one whose breasts might be on show, but whose image remains true to her home, the isolated market of Pikes Place. The message to this mermaid from her green, conservatively presented, celebrity cousin is simple; "to be accepted in America as a whole, honey, you have to be prepared to lose your roots and brighten your colours."

via Guardian.co.uk

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The Starbucks-Slutbucks Logo Controversy

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