Starbucks Alienates Fat Baristas
Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET
CHUBBY CHECKERS, UNITE Venti
Next time you order your sugar-free caramel skim latte at Starbucks, spare a moment for the barista taking your order. The coffee chain has a fresh policy that forces possibly 'rexic and insecure baristas to label such drinks as "skinny," and to shout "skinny" for drinks containing non-fat milk. Well, one disgruntled Starbucks "partner" isn't having any of it, and wrote the store's top brass to complain that incessant use of the word in her work environment may cause emotional harm.
"Imagine going to work for several hours at a time, and hearing the term "skinny" being called out countless times. It will undoubtedly have a negative effect on a person's self-esteem that may already be low from living in a society that is generally not accepting of people who do not fit the mold of a "beautiful" person." The barista went on to point out that the nomenclature made about as much sense as calling an order made with whole milk "obese."
