I'll Have An Obese Latte, Please
As a follow up to our post about Starbucks and their new “skinny” drinks, one barista refuses to use the new terminology, in part because it is not PC.
It is politically incorrect. Should we start calling drinks with 2% or whole milk and regular syrups “Fat” or “Obese?” Consider what customers on line waiting for their turn to order their drink will think if they hear the drink before them being called out as “Skinny.” It leaves the door open for the next person on line to be offended. Additionally, the word “skinny” itself can have many different interpretations, not all of which are positive. In today’s society, the term “skinny” often refers to a person who is considered TOO thin or unhealthy looking. People will not want to order a drink with a name that they associate with an unhealthy appearance.
Overreaction or one giant leap for barista-kind? What do you think?
Posted by mo pie
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I’m gonna go for over-reaction.
The skinny latte being a one word order meaning skim milk’ no whipped cream is fine by me.
SOMEONE is bound to be offended. No matter what you say, someone, somewhere will be offended. I’m going to go with over-reaction as well.
I personally love the name they use for my favorite – most places it’s a purple eye. Venti black coffee with three espresso shots.
I’ve ordered a lot of fluffy coffee drinks in my day, and it seems to me that people have been calling non-fat coffee beverages “skinny” for a while, albeit in a non-company-sanctioned sort of way.
I guess I don’t really like the use of the term ‘skinny’ but it doesn’t make me worry about the fate of human-kind or anything. I think we should just come up with a better alternative and start using it. Eventually it will work its way into the general lexicon and we will be victorious!!
Well, if you read the whole letter, that’s the #3 point the barista is making. I don’t think it’s an over reaction. I think what you’ve quoted, in addition to the rest of the letter, is a well thought out response to corporate with item points that will help them reconsider a stupid policy change.
When you’ve got a good system in place there’s no reason to change it if it isn’t broken. And you know in this litigious society someone will feign offense and try sue Starbucks. But her other points of how confused the customers will be as well as long term employees, the above point is yet another reason not to change things into her letter. All of her points together make for a good argument.
I forgot my morning coffee on my kitchen counter this morning on my way out the door, so I stopped at starbucks instead of trudging back up the 3 flights of stairs. I read here about the new term “skinny” for ordering latte’s so I decided to use it. I ordered a “skinny hazlenut latte”. I’m sure it was just a mix-up or a mistake, but when I got to work and started drinking it and though it tasted not so sugar free, I looked at the label on the cup and it was actually the 500+ calorie white mocha latte.
So much for watching the calories.
I have been a barista at 3 different shops in a very small town, and it’s always been “skinny” to refer to skim milk drinks. Having said that, I don’t think that she’s overreacting. If that’s an overreaction, how can anyone in the FA movement expect to be taken seriously? If we point out how there are only fat men, no women, on tv, we pay more for health insurance, we fear being penalized for being too fat or having our kids taken away if they’re too fat… My point is that so many people think that we’re being irrational for saying those things. I think it’s great that someone is voicing that opinion, whether I agree with it or not. Technically, skim milk IS skinny – as in it is fat-free, but that still does not take away the potentially loaded nomenclature.
Normally I would see this as an overreaction, considering it is just a drink in a coffeehouse, after all.
But keep in mind, Starbucks is also using the term “skinny” as a double entendre, implying that by drinking the non-fat, low-cal drink, one might actually become skinny. They’re also touting the drink as healthier for consumers, thus perpetuating the correlation that “skinny = healthy.”
I ordered a latte at Starbucks the other day, and the barista asked if I wanted it made with skim milk. “Sure,” I said, never knowing how to order in complicated Star-lingo. When I picked up the drink, the woman behind me said, “Weren’t you insulted when they asked if you wanted skim milk–as if you need it or something?” (I’m visibly overweight.)
No. I forgot to say skim milk and I’m happy they asked. It’s that simple. I don’t want to see a fat chaser behind every shadow. I’m comfortable with my weight.
I’ve heard people refer to non-diet Coke as “fat Coke”. No objections, it’s sort of cute :)
Skinny latte? Bah. Skinny always sounds like an unflattering word for slim. But then I don’t really like Starbucks anyway. Apart from their carrot passion cake. Yum!
Verbal uplift is not the revolution.
I personally never associated skinny and fat (for drinks) with people. Skimmed milk looks “skinny” to me and fat Coke? Like Helen it just struck me as amusing, as though someone confused it with full fat milk ;)
I love it. Words are powerful, even if they’re describing an overpriced drink at Starbucks. I’d tip that barista big time.
Ok, while on the one hand, I love the barista for doing this, on the other hand, I kind of think it’s an overreaction. Personally, I will never order a “skinny” anything, and that’s as far as I will take my protest. Nothing says you have to use that term when you order your coffee.
Frankly, I’d like to call my drink (venti breve triple-shot mocha) by the name “Myocardial Infarction Special.” Not many people can regularly drink a mocha made with steamed half-and-half without Myocardial Infarction. I have no idea how many calories are in it – the Starbucks website doesn’t give you the option of calculating breve drinks.
Personally, I wouldn’t think ANYTHING if I heard a barista call out “skinny latte” and I’m quite offendable. I managed to be mildly offended by an episode of “Shaun the Sheep” the other day (a children’s animation. It had a fat sheep in it who was bribed to run with food…)
People will not want to order a drink with a name that they associate with an unhealthy appearance.
This is the only part I object to. I’m not saying the statement is untrue, I’m saying it’s ridiculous and shouldn’t be so…and that it’s exactly the kind of marketing they use against women and fat people and all people, really, to urge us to consume-to-be-better-look-better-wev.
I don’t drink Starbucks, so I really don’t care what they choose to call their products.
Using the word skinny to describe non-fat sugar-free drinks has been going on for a long time. Doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do, but I’m don’t see the harm. It’d be a different story if they wanted to call it an “annorexic latte” or call drink with whole milk a “latte with lard.” It’s all about balance.
If I consider that the word “skinny” actually means:
1. very lean or thin; emaciated: a skinny little kitten.
2. of or like skin.
3. unusually low or reduced; meager; minimal: skinny profits.
I would prefer someone use that word to describe a latte than a person, wouldn’t you? I think that we forget that we need to consider intent and context when we communicate. Is anyone trying to offend anyone here? No. It is just intended to be a shortcut terminology.
Oh – and if anyone SHOULD be offended it is our lean, willowy counterparts… skinny is being used to indicate less. I don’t want to be viewed or considered as less. Do you?
I think that the barista should make whatever boundaries he or she wants to regarding this terminology. It is immaterial whether or not I am comfortable with the word “skinny” being used, because, obviously he or she isn’t. And that person should not have to say something that he or she does not feel comfortable saying. There is no “right” or “wrong” of terminology, and that is the problem with “political correctness.” There are only the feelings of the person speaking and the person hearing. People can regulate themselves, if only they were allowed.
Definitely an overreaction, and frankly, it’s just damn stupid. I’m certainly not going to be offended if someone in front of me orders a skinny beverage, and I doubt anyone else would be, either. If they are, then there’s something seriously wrong with them. Then again, I’m not a big fan of this whole “PC” movement anyway.
Stupid!!!
I think if the Fat Acceptance movement wants to be seen as reasonable and legitimate, we have to challenge dehumanizing language directed at people. I can’t get worked up over associating the word “skinny” with a beverage. If the FA movement gets its knickers in a twist about this sort of thing, I think we actually fall victim to unintentional self-parody.
lol @ “latte with lard”!
I think we should start using the word “chubby” for whole milk! Maybe then people will associate the word “chubby” with “happily enjoying my morning coffee, and my life, thank you very much”.
I didn’t realize that this was a new thing for Starbucks. I guess I’m not there often enough.
Second Cup (in Canada) has been using this term for at least six months now, possibly longer. I wasn’t offended by it the first time I heard it, but I did laugh and ask for a regular when my server explained what it meant.
http://www.secondcup.com/eng/nutrition.php
I have heard the term “skinny” in terms of referring to Skim Milk. In my past life as a barista, I can attest to that.
In my new life as a marketer, while it may seem a bit of an overreaction I think it is a valid point this Starbuck’s employee brought up. What kind of president is Starbuck’s setting…clearly they are branding these drinks as “healthy choices, low calorie, part of your diet to loose weight.” Because the word skinny is so loaded, perhaps there is another way to communicate “healthier option” to consumers. I don’t know it’s a tough one.
Skinny Cow has been using the terminology for years:
http://www.skinnycow.com/
And, ew, I think the sexpot cow is creepy looking. Super-thin cows are malnourished. And I don’t like the way they’ve sexualized the cow, either.
http://www.skinnycow.com/meet_skinny.php
Well, I rarely patronize Starbuck’ since I hate the burned-coffee taste; but on the occasions when it’s that or do without, I refuse to use their corporatespeak and ask for a “small” or “medium”. As for the skinny drinks, my big objection is that it makes it sound healthy (intentionally, no doubt) when in fact most of Starbucks’ drinks are loaded with fat, sugar, and calories. So maybe you’re getting less fat if you order your drink with skim milk, but if you’re getting anything other than a plain cup’o’joe with milk, steamed or otherwise, you’re probably also getting a big load of sugar.
The only thing I know is in New Zealand, the major brand of milk has their 99.9% fat free milk named ‘Trim’. Thus, people order Trim Lattes and Trim Mochaccinos, etc. In Australia, the major brand of milk has their 99.9% fat free milk named ‘Skinny’, thus, people there order Skinny Lattes and Skinny Mochaccinos etc. It’s all marketing in the end. I say, get your knickers in a twist over something else.
Skinny Cow vanilla ice cream sandwiches rock my world.