Head to Head: Pumpkins Save Lives

In a world plagued by wildfires, hurricanes, deep political divides, and, well, actual plagues, there exists one savior — one salvation that transcends political lines and country borders. It comes around once a year as crisp autumn winds awake from their slumber, and this year earlier than ever. Yes, you guessed it, the PSL is back! 

On Aug. 25, 2020, Starbucks brought back its all-time best-selling seasonal drink, the pumpkin spice latte. It has always been a fan favorite, with its own Twitter account holding over 108,000 followers. Yes, you read that right, 108,000 followers — probably a bit more than you. But with all that clout comes hate.

But why? If I find myself ordering a grande PSL (at only 380 calories) for a little morning pick-me-up, what’s the problem? It’s clearly delicious. With over 200 million drinks sold between the PSL’s creation in 2003 and 2013, and the fact that this drink alone generates a revenue of at least $80 million a year, there’s almost no denying that it must taste good. This leads me to believe the problem doesn’t have anything to do with its quality or taste. No, it’s because people fail to detach the drink from the person sipping it, and this needs to stop. 

Don’t let your hate for Becki or disdain for Kristin spillover — *no pun intended* — into their choice of morning beverage. After all, it wasn’t the latte’s choice. Many of the same people who are so outspoken against pumpkin spice lattes are the individuals who spent their middle school years drinking too much Mountain Dew while heely-ing their way back from Little Caesar’s and now are ordering from UberEats more often than they brush their teeth, and we aren’t condemning Heelys or UberEats for that. Instead, most, rightfully so, form their opinion based upon their own experiences with a product.

So, I ask that you don’t base your opinions of products based off of their fans, stans or users. Instead, think for yourself. Give it a chance. Don’t judge a PSL by its owner.