Fall has finally arrived, and that means pumpkin spice everything is here. This includes pumpkin spice bread mix, seasoning, pasta, and even eyeshadow palettes! Some other pumpkin spice items are Oreos, cinnamon rolls, butter, and Cup Noodles. But most importantly, the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte. Obviously, there are going to be different opinions on this drink, but the question is, why do so many people hate it with such extreme passion?
Whether you are a fan of coffee or not, you have probably heard of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Starbucks has been selling its signature fall beverage since 2003, and it’s created quite the name for itself. It is released every year in late August, and some would even consider it to have grown to become a classic symbol for the start of autumn.
Although there are many lovers of the classic beverage, there tends to be a lot of avid haters as well, especially online. There are many jokes and memes against Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and many connect it to the annoying white girl stereotype.
Even in the show “Scream Queens,” the main antagonist is portrayed as very annoying, bossy, and rude. She orders a very complicated Pumpkin Spice Latte and throws a fit when she doesn’t get what she wants. In the next scene, the calmer, funnier, and more likable protagonist is shown mocking the previous girl, and says, “Those white girl Pumpkin Spice Lattes annoy me,” and the male love interest replies with, “I’m in love.”
This is a perfect example of how Pumpkin Spice Lattes are represented in the media, and how they also contribute to the harsh stereotype that only annoying, over-complicated people buy them, and cute, funny, likable people don’t take part in the craze and are better than them. But how did this stereotype come to be?
The Pumpkin Spice Latte hate comes from the fact that it is a very popular, overly-marketed drink and that the fans that tend to express their love for the drink are mainly women. The stereotype that follows the Pumpkin Spice Latte came to be from these two factors, because people get tired of seeing so many pumpkin spice themed items everywhere they go, and people have a tendency to hate on things that women enjoy and express love for.
When fall begins, every store seems to throw pumpkin spice seasoning on an item of theirs and sell it as a specialized autumn treat. The marketing around these items, especially the Pumpkin Spice Latte, can be overwhelming, and it is understandable that people grow weary of seeing it everywhere, especially if they do not like pumpkin spice.
The dislike of Pumpkin Spice Lattes because of their taste or overdone marketing is understandable. The real problem is when people hate the Pumpkin Spice Latte because they connect the drink to the stereotype of annoying white girls who buy it. This leads to them associating the drink with being overrated. People commonly tend to hate on girls when they enjoy something, and it seems to be deeper than just the quality of the item. This can be seen in popular things like Taylor Swift, My Little Pony, and even the color pink.
There are going to be people who don’t enjoy Taylor Swift’s music or sugary holiday-themed drinks and that’s fine. People who have genuine reasons behind their dislike are not the problem. A real problem arises when people hate a topic with no real rhyme or reason.
The issue is when people openly spread hate on something for the stereotypes it is associated with. People will hate on typical girly things because of the idea that has been carried with us throughout time that girls are weaker than boys, and that liking something that is commonly enjoyed by girls makes you weak by association. This is a very harmful stereotype that connects back to the Pumpkin Spice Latte and explains the unreasonable hate for them.
The change that needs to be made is being more intentional with what we as a society choose to express our dislike for. If someone doesn’t like romcoms because they find action movies more exciting to watch, then they should explain that and be honest with their reasoning. If someone can only give the reasoning that they don’t like romcoms because they are “too girly,” then they are unnecessarily spreading hate and need to confront their internalized sexism.
One way that we as a society could improve this issue would be to encourage men to openly express their enjoyment of fun, typically more feminine interests, in order to combat these negative stereotypes and make such things more normalized.
Our world has made progress in accepting that popular, stereotypical girly things can be loved by anyone, but we still have a long way to go. We all need to stop hating other people for liking something, no matter if it’s very popular or very niche. Instead of judging others and partaking in stereotypes, people should focus on what they like, not what they find overrated or bothersome.
If you like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, then get a Pumpkin Spice Latte. If you aren’t a big fan of pumpkin, coffee, or sugary drinks, then don’t get one. It’s that simple, and once you stop judging other people’s choices, you can better focus on the things you enjoy, and live more freely without thinking of other people’s judgment too.
