A few days ago Starbucks started their new “skinny” drink program. Ordering a drink “skinny” means you’d like sugar-free syrup, non-fat milk, and no whip cream. We didn’t write about it because, um, you can already order that if you want , and we figured you didn’t really care that a basic drink order had a new marketing nickname.
At least one Starbucks barista cares, however, and he/she has written a serious manifesto against the new “skinny” label and is flatly refusing to use it in his/her store. He/She has many reasons, most of which are complaints that the label is confusing and meaningless (what if a customer wants 2% and no whip cream? What then, Starbucks?) and will make the barista’s job harder. On top of that, He/She is offended by the idea of yelling “skinny” all day long.
Here’s part 5:
5) Aside from customers who do not fit societies standards of “skinny,” there are partners that are employed by Starbucks who are “overweight,” and it is ridiculous to think otherwise. Imagine going to work for several hours at a time, and hearing the term “skinny” being called out countless times. It will undoubtedly have a negative affect on a person’s self-esteem that may already be low from living in a society that is generally not accepting of people who do not fit the mold of a “beautiful” person. It creates an environment that people will not want to be in. It will exacerbate self-image issues that partners of ANY size may have. Why would ANYONE want to go into a store where they will hear potentially hurtful terms called out repeatedly with no regard as to how they may affect people?
Do you customers like the new “skinny” label?
A barista tells Starbucks corporate that she refuses to use the “Skinny” lingo [Starbucks Gossip]
(Photo:BILLBINNS)
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well we say “i’d like my coffee black.” should we not say that so we don’t offend those of a darker skin color? I’m chubby and I worked at Starbucks and I really don’t think I’m going to be bothered or have my self esteem lowered because people are using the term “skinny.” i found it more of a pain in the butt to say non-fat, sugar free.. blah blah blah.
point is, cry me a river. that barista sounds whiny and overly pc.
partner is used for sbux employee because they get to own part of a company–they get stocks. and all who own part of a company is called “partner” therefore they use that term.
I work at Potbelly and as one commentor said, we have “skinny” sandwiches (middle of the bread cut out). We are supposed to call out when a sandwich is skinny, so we hear the term yelled out quite a few times a day.
I’m overweight and haven’t even thought about the “negative effects” of hearing “Skinny” called out loud during work during the day. Seriously, get over it and stop finding things to complain about.
@melanie.dawn:
And I’m offended by the people of ANY weight who don’t understand the concepts of “Genetics,” “Evolution,” and “Science” in general!
Just because someone is over or under BMI doesn’t mean they have any control over their weight. You can find plenty of “fat” people who eat like infants, and plenty of “skinny” people who can consume multiple large pizzas at a single sitting.
wait…..I thought that the term for the decaf non-fat sugar-free was called a “pointless.” And now it’s called a “skinny decaf”? I wanna sue just for them taking the more viable, descriptive name away.
Rarely do I read through all the comments in a stream this long, but wow. HILARIOUS. I”m wondering if Starbucks has a sensitivity training course all employees are required to take upon donning the green smock. Perhaps this course burns into young minds the path to hell that awaits all who dare cross any and every imagineable (and imaginary) sensitivity boundary.
If only someone could make my quad grande Americano, extra room, right. EXTRA ROOM. Means a lot less water, not filled to the tippy top. And interestingly, this drink which consists of espresso and WATER … costs more if you order the same number of shots (4) that are in a Venti, but want them in a Grande cup. Quad Grande Americano costs more than a Venti Americano. Perhaps it’s to disuade consumers like myself from going off the reservation when ordering.
yeah I don’t care for it. you can already order things “lite.”
The only thing I’m really offended by is Starbucks’ decision to switch to nonfat milk in all of its coffee drinks unless you specify whole (which I do). Whenever I hear someone order a skinny decaf whatever, I want to poke them in the back of the head. It’s like making a cake with margarine instead of butter. Why bother?
Albanyed
Sing it. When I used to use cream, I used half and half. Creamy, delicious, and worth the extra few calories. And isn’t that calcium you’re adding to your bones??? Though sometimes, when it’s quiet, I can taste and smell the grass that the cows ate to make the milk. Bleccchh.
@fearuncertaintydoubt:
Most people “stupid” people don’t know that they are stupid so they’ll be clueless to any such overtures.
It’s like complaining that McDonalds wanted to call their best burger the Big Mac, who really cares?
That’s asking a lot.
@belisle: You know what? It is.
“No fun latte”
“Why Bother?”
“pointless”
@Snowblind, @Craig, @Sushiwriter: I’ve changed my mind. They should stop calling it skinny because all of yall’s names sound better!
I doubt the person who wrote #5 is even remotely bothered by the word skinny. Just as no one is bothered by “ho ho ho” “merry Christmas” “Black board” “white Board” “FAT32″ “black man” or “mail man.” You see the ruling class (white people and people more fortunate) don’t understand that they’ve committed real transgressions against minorities, and people who are less fortunate). So they’ve convinced themselves that it’s just us. It’s just us and we’re just going to have to watch what we say and what we do. It’s kinda like “they hate us for our freedom.” This person in her reckless sensitivity actually things the overweight people she works with are uncomfortable because people indirectly use words like skinny, chunky, and fat. They’re probably uncomfortable because they work with an insensitive bubble head who’s never for a second talked to them like they were capable adults. Oh, and yes I’m FAT! I know a million fat jokes, and hate beating around the bush about it.
Our grand kids are going to laugh at us. They’re going to laugh at us just we laugh at our grandparents for being offended by Elvis’ dancing.
Starbucks coffee is SO disgusting, and it is almost like a big joke they are playing on the gullible American public…How much will they spend on sludge that tastes like cigarette ashes, just for the perceived “status” of carrying a cup with a symbol that shows you paid 10 times too much for your coffee.
I am a coffee fanatic and there is no coffee better than good old “8 o’clock” COlumbian beans (dark brown bag). If you want to pay way too much for coffee, at least buy overpriced Douwie Egberts, which actually tastes good. For on the run coffee I like Dunkin Donuts (although lately it seems to be going downhill in taste), but Panera’s Hazelnut is a constant very good tasting coffee you can always count on. I do love that Mickey D’s puts the creamer IN for you now, which is good for the quick drive-through experience.
I saw this coming when the word FAT was becoming non PC.
ugh! I for one am tired of it and wish people would reclaim their freedom of speech and not tippy toe around everyones feelings because they are fat/black/short/stupid/etc..
from #2
After spending the time to remember exactly how to order their favorite drink to make things easier for baristas, and maybe even impress us…
Are you fucking kidding me? Obviously the words “barista” and “partner” have gone to his/her head. They are being overused and should be replaced with the phrase “coffee bar worker”.
If people would order normal drinks this wouldn’t be a problem. Coffee has 0 calories by itself. However, many people, especially in the south, want everything to be sweet. Sweet tea, sweet coffee, sweet everything. No wonder there’s such a problem with obesity.
@youbastid: I’m 100% in.
Their high-calorie drinks (there are many) should be called “Lard-*ss”
If you’re fat, having your drink called a Soapdish, a Riverboat Barge or a Skinny isn’t going to change that. Oh yeah, and drinking something that’s mainly sugar, no fat, won’t change the fact that you’re fat, either. You’ll be raging-bitch hungry for a muffin in 20 minutes. Or three in rapid succession, if you make the mistake of eating the low-fat or fat-free ones.
Charbucks coffee is yucky.
I was just talking to a co-worker about the size of 11 year olds these days. We agreed in wondering: whatever happened to the stigma of being overweight? And that was even with kids who were JUST overweight and not medically obese, some even morbidly obese now.
@synergy: Is it that kids are kinder/gentler towards each other now than we were 20+ years ago…?
I’m offended by people who spend $4+ on a crappy coffee / espresso from Starbucks and the like. Find a good non-chain shop or do it yourself for cheap. Get something good like an Aeropress ([www.thinkgeek.com]) and you can make better tasting, inexpensive coffee in about the time you’d wait in line at a Starbucks et al.
Holy Hypersensitivity, Batman! This is beyond ridiculous. But there’s a wonderful irony. Starbucks brought this latest linguistic adulteration down upon themselves with their insistence on ridiculous labels for the various portion sizes. What’s wrong with a Small, Medium, or Large? Not to mention that their coffee is frightfully bad. The first Dunkin’ Donuts that ever to pass that crap off as an actual cup of Joe, without the extensive camouflage of milk, cream, sugar, syrup, and manufactured sweeteners from Exit 9 on the Jersey Turnpike, would be blown up or burned to the ground by an outraged mob of real coffee drinkers.
Oh for fuck’s sake.
@Mercurypdx: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…. oh wait, were you serious?!?
I’ll remember this when I’m waiting in line while three of the four “baristas” on duty are using camel’s hair brushes to clean the espresso maker or wiping counters when they could be actually pouring coffee for customers. I’ll remember this when I’m once again unable to find a seat amid the sea of open iBooks and empty coffee cups guarded by patrons too self-important to actually sit at home while writing their achingly relevant first novels. Actually, I won’t, because the act of grabbing a quick coffee at Starbucks is an excruciating experience.
I was in a Starbucks in Santa Fe and the barista there was deaf but read my lips. It was very impressive. I ordered about 4 complicated drinks and she got everything right.
Aren’t the complaints about “tall, grande, venti” vs. “small, medium, large” getting old by now?
*shrug* on the off-chance I go to Starbucks, I get a 16oz (that way every coffee place will give the same size, you see, without naming it something) breve with an extra shot. If you want fat free and sugar free crap, be my guest. I either want calories with my caffeine, or I’ll get a macchiato or plain coffee (yes, I accidentally ordered a “macchiato” at a Starbucks, once).
If a lot of people want fat free sugar free nasty drinks, let them order them easier. It’s not a big deal. Really.
What irks me most about Starbucks, really, is that they always ask you if you want whipped cream, but they don’t have whipped cream. That also irks me about the local shop that I like, though.
@sir_eccles: that’s ’cause most of them were green. I’ve only actually seen one that was black. Do you want to explain to kids why you are calling a green board that you write on with chalk black?
whatever happened to the stigma of being overweight?
@synergy: You think it went someplace?
It’s a big problem because a lot of people use skinny when they mean skim milk. A lot of them still want the regular syrup. This means we’re going to have to ask people clarifications.
As a former barista (not Starbucks), I can tell you that “skinny” has been a term to refer to coffee drinks made with nonfat milk for many years now (at least since 95). Funny that it was never an issue until these guys got a hold of it.
@Televiper:
You do realize that Australia (If I recall correctly in regards to the country) recently removed “Ho Ho Ho” in favor of “Ha Ha Ha” because they feel that “Ho” offends people.
I’m not joking, take a look!
The back story on this marketing decision is that SBUX held its annual strategic marketing planning offsite in Amsterdam this year and one of the VPs really enjoyed the “Grande Jamaican Blue Mountain Fatty” he ordered one morning at the local coffee shop.
He went on to lead what was widely regarded as the the world’s best brainstorming breakout session, but he forgot to take notes, and that evening all he could remember was “skinny”.
I’m standing in line at Starbucks yesterday and this orange/can-tanned teenager/20-something who looks like she dove face first into a pile of makeup and takes fashion hints from Lindsay Lohan (not because Lindsay is famous, but because Lindsay makes starving children in a 3rd world country look fat) reads the “skinny” sign. She laughs until she sees that the drink is only 90 calories. She comments to her friend, “OMG, only 90 calories. That means I can eat too!!!”… I turn, hoping to see a smile indicating she was joking… she wasn’t.
Serving up coffee all day as a primary means of income sounds like more of a blow to one’s self esteem than yelling skinny all day.
Suck it up and get a different job.
If you have ever worked at Starbucks you would understand. I agree that what the person is proposing is crazy but the Starbucks culture is crazy and slowly brain washes you. I worked their for five years and by the time I left I realized how much I’d grown to hate people and my life. The person is lashing out at that ridiculousness because, in Starbucks, for all their talk of diversity and comfort, if you don’t fit their mold you will find yourself trapped.
So, let’s inject some sanity into this discussion…
* Starbucks did not invent the terms short, tall, and grande. These are standard sizes in Europe for 8 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz. drinks. Sbux invented “Venti” (“20″ in Italian) to assuage Americans’ gluttony. Venti size is not even offered in most Starbucks overseas, the same way people outside the U.S. have more sense than to have “all you can eat” buffets. Americans eschewed rational portion sizes long ago, and our waistlines show it. As witty and smarmy as you feel snickering at the sizes, it is actually ignorance. How odd that a coffee house would use standard coffee house sizes.
* “Skinny” is a term that has been in use on the West Coast forever – East Coasters order “skim”, West Coasters order “skinny”. It has always just meant 0% skim milk. Now it means sugar-free and no whip as well – whatever. It’s just marketing – if you don’t like the term, don’t use it.
* So if overweight people are going to be insulted, shouldn’t Scottish people be up in arms about “McNuggets”? If I am a meek person, does BOLD coffee offend me? Get over it. This society has become centered around crybabies, usually victims of their own lack of willpower.
* In my experience, seriously overweight people that get jobs at Starbucks do one of two things: quit or lose weight. The amount of physical activity will make you lose weight, unless you are a lazy blob who needs to be let go anyway. Maybe using “skinny” will create some subliminal willpower!
* Every January 2nd, people are all full ‘o’ resolutions and order skim, no whip, etc. This lasts about 2-3 weeks, then it’s back to Frappuccinos for breakfast. Can you blame Starbucks for capitalizing on this temporary willpower?
Order your drink however you care to. If that store can’t get it right, go to another. Lowering the sales and transaction counts at bad stores brings on the suits – and changes. And if you really have this much emotional energy to waste on the word “skinny”: Get a hobby and/or a life!!!!
@cde: Absolutely not
@bobblack:
Wow, how superior you are. If only everyone could meet your standards for lucrative employment. Meanwhile, have any of you idiots looked into the benefits offered? People who ridicule others’ livelihood need to look inward and figure out why you feel like crap about yourself…
Working at a non-Starbuck’s coffee shop, we’re used to customers using Starbuck’s lingo to order. It’s usually not a big deal. However, at every coffee shop I’ve EVER been to, the term “skinny” only refers to skim milk, not sugar-free syrup.
I’m afraid that with this new definition, some people will order “small skinny latte with vanilla” and mean “small skinny latte with sugar-free vanilla syrup.” It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but if someone is a diabetic it could get bad.
@ptkdude: Comment of the day!
Grande Caramel Frappacino, extra caramel, extra whip, double shot….FTW.
Bring on my fatty!!!
@cerbie: green boards = chalk boards. Black boards = …. blackboards. Duh.
I don’t frequent Starbucks, but I’m still pretty thrilled at the idea of not having to listen to the person in line ahead of me rattling of a 15-word order only for the barista to misunderstand or forget a detail & send the customer into a frenzy over their COMPLETELY RUINED ORDER OMG IM GONNA DIE OF THE FATNESS BECAUSE YOU USED 2% MILK drink.
I am a big fan of this person. Mostly because he/she chose to use the word exacerbate. That is a fine word. In fact, it is an excellent word, implying an advanced vocabulary. I think the author should, therefore, win their argument with the company and not have to say the word skinny. Instead, they should be assigned to say a word of their choice (Pretty! Tastyyums! Exacerbate! AnythingNotOffensive!), and everyone else there too stupid to use the word exacerbate should be stuck with saying “skinny” until they too can waste hours of company time crafting a worthless letter about how the word skinny hurts fatties’ feelings.
As a former barista myself, I agree with points 1+2. They are SUPER anal about drink calling and learning how to call and being accurate, adding this to the mix will be ridiculous. And I’m sure in many places the managers will want the cashier to translate, for example “tall skinny vanilla latte” into “tall sugar free vanilla non fat latte” which will have the customer freaking out with “That’s not what I ordered!”
Also, SB does a piss poor job of informing people the sugar free syrups are..duh, sugar free and thus chemicals in them. I had many an eye roller when people would ‘inform’ me of this.
Skinny is confusing, but Grande not meaning large isn’t? Methinks the barista is probably not skinny.