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As Starbucks Is Dogged By Controversy This Christmas, Find Out About Their ‘Free Starbucks For Life’ Campaign

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 05:08 PST, Dec 21, 2015

Starbucks is a well-loved coffee company that has gained international recognition over the past few years. Most recently, the coffee company has been a target for a couple of social media freak-outs that have been centered on the holiday season. In November, the social media rampage was all about the new Starbucks holiday cups. The Red & Black reports that Joshua Feuerstein, an evangelist and internet personality, was the instigator of the red cup controversy when he posted his disgust online.

“Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new cups.”

Even now, people do not understand what all the fuss was about. In an Athens Starbucks, staff and customers expressed their honest opinion on the whole red cup issue. The manager of the Starbucks on East Broad Street, Jason Corrigan, said he doesn’t care about the cup.

“I could care less. I think there are far more things to be concerned about than cups.”

True, indeed! Corrigan also said this is a time that should be about family and happiness.

“I mean why are we being so negative? It’s supposed to be a time of being family-oriented and happy anyways. It’s baffling to me.”

A customer at Starbucks, Kara Mailman, also put in her two cents worth, saying it is cool that Starbucks is a diversified company.

“I think it’s really cool that instead of just promoting Christianity like I think some companies in the United States tend to do, they have let themselves be open to all of them.”

Just when it looked as if all the Starbucks controversy was settling down, though, something new popped up on social media. Fox News reports that last week a photo was posted on social media that depicted Starbucks polar bear holiday cookies. Originally posted on imgur, the caption said what was on the poster’s mind.

“These polar bear cookies at Starbucks look like they’ve all had their throats slit.”

The post went viral.

A user on Reddit responded with a completely different attitude about the cookies.

“I am both jealous and amazed that one’s brain can think of using that reference when looking at this picture. I could look at this for a week and not think of anything half as clever. Does this person read every day? Maybe they have been waiting their entire life to use that line and this was the perfect opportunity?”

Perhaps the most amusing part of the polar bear cookie issue is that these cookies were last sold by the coffee company back in 2010. They aren’t even this year’s cookies!

Fortunately, for those level-headed folks who still love their Starbucks, the coffee company has kept right on going with their red cups and diversified holiday cheer. Time Money reports that Starbucks now has a contest that can result in customers winning free coffee for life. Starbucks for Life was introduced last year and this year is open to U.S. and Canadian residents.

Starbucks for Life actually means receiving one free food or beverage item from Starbucks everyday for 30 years, but that is just fine. Any Starbucks lover would take that. There are two ways to enter the contest: by entering a code received when purchasing a product in store or by registering online.

[Image via Leena Robinson/Shutterstock]

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