Starbucks Coffee
Have you ever wondered about Starbucks logo – the meaning behind it, or what, exactly, it is?
Here’s a quote from the Starbucks website to give us a little history –
Let’s go all the way back to 1971, to when Starbucks was first coming to be. In a search for a way to capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots, there was a lot of poring over old marine books going on. Suddenly, there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or Siren. There was something about her – a seductive mystery mixed with a nautical theme that was exactly what the founders were looking for. A logo was designed around her, and our long relationship with the Siren began.
Over the last 40 years we’ve made some changes to that identity. Now we’re doing that again, to keep ourselves relevant as we evolve without ever losing sight of our heritage. But the Siren has always been there. She is at the heart of Starbucks.
So who is Siren?
A full description is found here. In brief – “In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous and devious creatures, portrayed as femmes fatales (a mysterious and seductive woman) who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.”
The Evolution of the Logo
Excerpts from The Mermaid by Heinz Insu Fenkl
As some readers may know, Starbucks had to change their corporate logo because some consumers found the suggestive split tail of their topless siren too lurid and sexually suggestive. A simplified logo was introduced, hiding the siren’s breasts under waves of hair, and that in turn was cropped and enlarged so the split in the siren’s tail would no longer show. The only indication now that the female icon is a sea creature is in the wavy lines, which originally were part of the representation of the two tails. And yes, although the image is that of a split-tailed sea creature, it is a siren. More specifically, it is a double-tailed siren, a baubo siren, which The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects points out, is “a cross between a mermaid and a sheila-na-gig” and is found as a decorative motif in many European churches and cathedrals. “Her suggestive pose, like that of the sheila-na-gig, referred to female sexual mysteries in particular.”
From the same article we read –
The original logo made quite explicit that Starbucks was using the lure of female sexuality to draw the customer to their coffee, but now you can see that the coffee is linked to the double lure of ultimate wisdom and the pleasures of the flesh.
Another quote from the Starbucks website –
Here we are today. Our new evolution liberates the Siren from the outer ring, making her the true, welcoming face of Starbucks. For people all over the globe, she is a signal of the world’s finest coffee – and much more. She stands unbound, sharing our stories, inviting all of us in to explore, to find something new and to connect with each other. And as always, she is urging all of us forward to the next thing. After all, who can resist her?
Not me.
My question is, as Christians, should we resist her?
Starbucks also loudly supports homosexuals and their lifestyles by hosting National Marriage Equality Day , supporting gay marriage bills, and having gay discount coffee days.
“Our original goal was to support Starbucks for being so supportive of our community and our rights,” says the Facebook page for the event, organized by the gay and lesbian wedding magazine Equally Wed.
As such, it was originally announced as “Starbucks Appreciation Day,” but organizers said the company asked that other corporate supporters of gay marriage, such as Nike and Amazon, be included as well.
The event page includes a long list of “brands that support LGBT rights” to support –Absolut Vodka, Google, Disney, Target and Southwest Airlines are among them – and had nearly 35,000 people promising to take part as of Tuesday afternoon.
Update:
Join www.dumpstarbucks.com to use your voice against same sex marriage.
Everyone loves their local Super Target. A store that carries everything from fresh artisan bread and produce to electronics and home decorations – what’s not to love?
Well, think again.
In Spring of 2012, Target began selling a line of Gay Pride Clothing in support of “National Pride Month”. All of the sales of the $12.99 shirts went directly to the Family Equality Council capping donations at $120,000.
Amazon
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12