23 Comments
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Thomas Dombroski's avatar

The irony is that Sam Adams Octoberfest isn’t pumpkin spice drink

But it started a seasonal drink kick for the fall

Sam Adams Octoberfest is the only American beer served in Munich during Octoberfest

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Paul Ashton's avatar

I think it's anger repressed from childhood due to the failure of the Great Pumpkin to show up that Halloween night in the patch.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

Every. Single. Year.

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Jac's avatar

Some people are just grumpy. I know people who look forward to pumpkin spice season and can't get enough of it. I'm not one of them. I like pumpkin pie, but am not a fan of nutmeg. Usually nutmeg shows up in pumpkin spice things. Pumpkin spice makes some people happy and I'm happy about that. Fall is a lovely time of year and just hearing "pumpkin spice" mentioned makes me think of all I love about fall. The grumpy grumps can go be grumpy amonst themselves. 🎃

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Susan Campbell's avatar

It always seemed an odd think to get angry over. And I'm all about being angry.

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Jac's avatar

I know. If I were to get angry over a food item, it would be about something like foie gras or veal, because I think it's especially abusive to the animals.

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Thomas Dombroski's avatar

Maybe the hatred has to do with the commercialization of the pumpkin spice flavor craze

I put the blame on Sam Adams Octoberfest beer

It seemed like after their success everyone jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon

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Susan Campbell's avatar

Right. Pumpkin spice in a beer? Nah.

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Bill Yousman's avatar

Because haters gonna hate. I love it. (I know it's just chemicals. Whatevs.)

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Bill Yousman's avatar

Having said that, even I have my limits. Ramen noodles with pumpkin spice? Yuck.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can not bother with that product, as well.

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Ava's avatar

There are some things I like with pumpkin spice flavor and others I don't. I like candy corn too (not like I like a Snickers bar but so what?).

I see those comments all the time, employing varying degrees of vitriol. I just ask them if that means the rest of us can have theirs. I do tend to mentally note that they've engaged in that nonsense - and that it's disappointing. Much like acerbic comments on books, medical practices, etc.: Don't like it? Don't read it/engage in it/buy it/use it.

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Mary Ann Dimand's avatar

Way back when I was an undergraduate, a grad student friend was displeased by the job a local jeweler did on his wristwatch band clasp, and decided to take them to small claims court. His preparation involved his looking into their incorporation documents and discovering something or other he thought was Nefarious-- and this, I think, is what got his case dismissed. He told me that the judge said that that was entirely irrelevant.

He found pursuing this case a delicious distraction from Shakespeare for roughly two months, and called it "my petty crusade."

People like petty crusades, which are easy-to-medium-level crosswords in the heavy Econo-political newspaper of life.

There's also a thing about Fashion Gone Stale. I notice it particularly with movies that received Oscars that I never liked to start with. Like Crash, or Life is Beautiful. (I never saw Driving Miss Daisy, nor The Green Book, which was deprecated even as it received its Oscar.) I just don't feel the venom a lot of people seem to.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

So maybe this is part of our Moral Outrage Campaign? I just don't get it. I don't embrace pumpkin spice in all things, but yeesh, I don't think it's the devil.

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Mary Ann Dimand's avatar

People *like* low-rent devils that can be squashed in one's non-dominant hand.

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Mary Ann Dimand's avatar

Partly because I'm doing the first of three classes on green theology and economics today, I'm thinking about a couple of times, about a decade ago, when Groups around similar themes got very energetic and urgent about how (in one case) they Always Launder in Cold Water, and (in the other) Get Homicidal When They See People Go not Grocery Stores Without Durable Bags.

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Mary Ann Dimand's avatar

An externalizing expression of anxiety.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

That's an interesting take on this. Thank you.

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brenshaw's avatar

I've never, ever had pumpkin spice anything, because it just sounds utterly disgusting and I just can't bring myself to taste it. It belongs in a pie tin ONLY.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

That's fair.

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Sharon Foster (CT)'s avatar

The survey chalkboard at my library is about evenly divided on the "pumpkin spice, yes or no?" question. There's no space to write a reason, but I have two theories. (1) These are people who don't like pumpkin spice in any way, shape, or form, including pumpkin pie. (2) They like pumpkin pie just fine, but dislike its use in other food products where it has no business being. Like the ramen noodles. I'm a 2. I don't buy those products. I would buy pumpkin-spice-flavored coffee if it tasted the way it smells, but it doesn't, so I don't.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

Just like I would love the smell of cinnamon everywhere, always, but I wouldn't chomp on a cinnamon stick.

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Pat Taylor's avatar

I laughed when I saw pumpkin spice communion wafers for sale. I doubt that was served at the Last Supper.

I don’t hate them, but I think people who order pumpkin spice coffee are plain ol’ lazy. Too lazy to cut a slice of punkin pie spiced with fragrant cinnamon & nutmeg, put it on a plate, and pour a cuppa regular coffee to enjoy with it. Don’t go dumping any food- or chemical facsimile- in my java!

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