Trigger Warning: This article contains the following triggers: pumpkin, pumpkin spice lattes, the Fall season, flavor privilege, and discrimination based on taste.
So, as a cis-gendered, straight white male, I find it to be of utmost importance to check my privileges and point out bigotry or oppression whenever I see it. Also, as a citizen of Facebook, I must bear witness to a slew of image macros about white girls enjoying pumpkin flavored, well, anything, but most significantly pumpkin spice lattes. Until now, I hadn’t put much thought to it. I like pumpkin flavored things, and have occasionally enjoyed pumpkin spice lattes, and then it hit me: This is discrimination of the first order.
First of all, are you kidding me? Do you realize that singling out white females is no different than saying all black people eat chicken? Or that Asian people can’t drive well? Shaming white girls for appreciating the pumpkin flavor is no better than shaming them for being obese, underweight, tall, short, pretty, ugly, kind, rude, etc.! I can’t imagine the mortification a white female feels when she is ordering from Starbucks and the barista profiles her, asking if she’d like a pumpkin spice latte. (“We’re told to ask everyone.” Yeah, right…) The shame she must have as she bows her head and says, “Yes, I’d like a pumpkin spice latte.” My God, this is a genocide of taste.
Also, do you realize how inclusive this generalization is? So, by this logic, black women can’t like pumpkin Blizzards from Dairy Queen? Latino men don’t enjoy their pumpkin salads? The worst thing is that everybody contributes to this hateful passive aggression, white girls included. We’re being indoctrinated to shame ourselves!
My message is this: regardless of your gender, race, or preference of flavored coffees, please keep in mind that there are others around you who can not only be offended, but made to feel unsafe because of your immature comments. Next time you think about posting that hurtful meme, don’t be such a shitlord for once and check your privileges.
