Children, we must save you from the horror of seeing cartoon breasts. Now go watch TV.
Principal roasts Starbucks over steamy retro logo
Starbucks’ trip down memory lane to bring back its original mermaid logo on its cups has brewed up some controversy.
In honor of its 35th anniversary, Starbucks’ replaced its current mermaid logo with the original, top.
A Kent elementary school principal, according to a local TV station, asked teachers last week that if they were bringing their daily joe to school that they make sure they get a sleeve to cover the image of a topless mermaid on Starbucks cups.
The Seattle-based coffee giant, as part of its 35th anniversary, this month put its original logo with the bare-breasted mermaid on its cups in stores in Washington and Oregon.
Valerie O’Neil, a Starbucks spokeswoman, said that other than the flare-up in Kent, it’s been pretty quiet regarding the mermaid.
“Customers like to see the old logo,” she said. “It’s all about perspective.”
Even though Starbucks is a twin-tailed mermaid, or siren as she’s known in Greek mythology, the company actually got its moniker from the first mate’s name in the classic novel “Moby Dick.”
Save our children from Columbines and naked contortionist mermaids! (What the heck is she doing, anyway?)
Thin edge of the wedge? The logo, I mean.
I wonder if there would be a ruckus if the original logo had her sporting twin .45’s?
3. If it is the edge of the wedge, then the wedge is all edge – topless women in classical or mytholgical motifs are very, very old. take the US’s “Justice” statue, until John Ashcroft spent the taxpayers’ money throwing a drape over her.
If parents cared as much about monitoring how much TV their kids watch and what their homework assignment is as they seem to about tits of any nature we’d have a nation of geniuses.
5: I didn’t know that about the “Justice” statue. I thought it had always been covered up.
It may be that some classical and mythological motifs had topless women in them, but how widely used are those images? Starbucks appears to be quite popular, therefore, the level of societal exposure is high. We try to deny access to hard- and soft-core pornography to minors, but what level is acceptable? If this is considered soft-core, then it’s obviously not acceptable for it to get the amount of publicity that it is getting.
From what I can find out, it seems Starbucks had to change the original logo because it was too suggestive. Here’s a nice write-up talking about the logo and mermaids:
http://tinyurl.com/afk7w
I say thin edge, because it can be viewed by others as a foot in the door for other uses, i.e. promotions, gimicks, etc. If people decide to use this as a precedent, where does it stop? Can it be stopped?
6: True. You cannot focus on one issue at the expense of the other.
Ironically the children are more influenced by making this an issue than the bare brested siren.
I took my elementary school children to an open-air art show this weekend. Plenty of bare brested art there, including more realistic photos, all in good taste, and the children didn’t pay much attention.
It’s like those tibetian snakes. If we teach our children to be prudish, they will be. Let’s go back to baning bare ankles.
Will the statue of David now require a “sleeve”?
#9: Jockstrap.
It is so much more fun to peak at her tits under the sleeve.Charlie Chaplin had a great bit where he covered a statue with a lamp shade and then just had to peek once he covered it.Ahhhh titties if we didn’t have them censors would be into much more troublesome subjects.
I’d rather see the kids watch tits that watch how a guy is executed.
1. She’s spreading her “legs”, saying “C’mon, you know you want it.”
Starbucks was trying to do a public service by making such things more routine for kids so they’re not prudish.
RBG
#7. Thank you for the link – it did not occur to me that the split tail would be suggestive. My mind must not be dirty enough. 😉
Others have pointed out Michaelangelo’s David. Then there is the famous ‘Marienne’ of French Revolutionary fame
http://tinyurl.com/jqfju
And the figureheads on the prows of any number of old sailing-ships.
I just think that – generally – we can judge context. The Starbuck’s logo is not soft-core, really, any more than Marienne is. A photograph of, say, Anna Nicole Smith, in the same pose would be. The prospect that some might try to use something historic or innocuous as precedent for something else could cause us to censor any number of things. I say case-by-case is the way to go.
I think the 3 millimeter breast does not pose a threat to the innocent minds of elementary school children.
living in renton, I feekl for the folks that live in kent (those backward neandrathals)
what IS the deal about boobies? I’ve never understood how a guy can drive his old pickup around town sans shirt, or walk out around town …while the least bit of boob showing causes people to get all aflutter and shame-shame-shaming you. Heck, it’s just wrong to have this cultural phobia of tits. Makes breast feeding in public a contortionist act!!
Something about turning boys and marketing people into salivating monkies.
RBG
14: Good points.
In Eugene, OR it’s legal for women to go topless. The law was passed to make men and women equal. Problem is the women willing to go topless really shouldn’t.
What about Land o’ Lakes Butter boxes? You can see that Indian Girl’s boobs when you fold the package right. Will they soon be banned?
titties, titties everywhere…..except on my ex-girlfriend.
Was that sexist enough you think?