Lifestyle
#BoycottStarbucks: Starbucks India gets backlash over its new LGBTQIA+ ad
The two-minute-long advertisement tells a story of a father who is not happy with her son’s decision to transition into a woman.
Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee brands across the globe. The American multinational chain of coffeehouses is hogging headlines after Starbucks India launched its new campaign, It Starts With Your Name, with an advertisement on LGBTQIA+.
The two-minute-long advertisement tells a story of a father who is not happy with her son’s decision to transition into a woman. The ad starts with the parents sitting at a Starbucks outlet and waiting for their now-daughter Arpita.
The father had her name saved as Arpit and not Arpita while the mother asks him not to be mad at their daughter like the previous time. It seemed the father had trouble accepting his son with his female identity. However, the ad shows the father had moved on from his stubbornness and accepted gender fluidity. As his daughter arrives, he orders three cold coffees by her name Arpita and not Arpit.
Watch the viral video here:
Sharing the ad, Starbucks India wrote “Your name defines who you are, whether it’s Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being yourself means everything to us.”
Why #BoycottStarbucks is trending?
The ad has left the internet divided. While a section of social media is furious at Starbucks for touching such a sensitive matter in India, others appreciated their move to spread awareness among people. Moreover, the ad has led to a new trend on Twitter #BoycottStarbucks wherein users are bashing the coffee brand.
One user wrote Starbucks seems less like a coffee company and more like an arm of the American geopolitical empire that uses its brand image to propagate toxic ideas about identity and culture.
Another user wrote lashed at the brand for promoting the American agenda in India.
Check out Twitter reactions here:
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Festivals
Nowruz 2024: Google celebrates the Persian New Year with a doodle
Google Doodle today features the artistic vision of Iranian guest artist Pendar Yousefi. Yousefi’s creation takes inspiration from childhood memories of Nowruz which evokes joy, togetherness and hope.
Google Doodle on Tuesday took centre stage to honour Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. It is a vibrant festival which is steeped in over 3000 years of history. Google Doodle today features the artistic vision of Iranian guest artist Pendar Yousefi. Yousefi’s creation takes inspiration from childhood memories of Nowruz which evokes joy, togetherness and hope.
These are captured through the animal friends who have gathered together in a flower filled courtyard to ring in the coming in of spring under the blossoming tree. It captures the spirit of Nowruz through vibrant colours and intricate details, an art form which is a rich history in the region that celebrates the festival.
Nowruz literally means new day in Persian. It finds its roots in ancient Iran, then known as Persia. It is aligned with the spring equinox and marks the beginning of the New Year and the blossoming season. As trade flourished along the Silk Route, this festival spread its wings captivating countries and ethnicities across the vast network.
At the heart of Nowruz lies the cherished tradition of haft-sin. Families come together to arrange 7 symbolic items each representing a vital aspect of life and nature’s renewal. Sprouted wheat which symbolizes good fortune and rebirth takes centre stage alongside its sweet counterpart sweet pudding which signifies power and strength.
A sprig of olive represents peace and love, finds its place in the vibrant display. Berries are a symbol of sunrise and are a reminder of new beginnings, while vinegar symbolizes patience and wisdom of age. It adds a touch of tang. A gleaming apple embodies beauty and promise of a fruitful year, while garlic, a symbol of good health completes the symbolic spread. Nowruz is more than just the start of a new year. It is a time families and communities to come together reflecting on the past year. It embraces hope and optimism that spring brings.
Lifestyle
Google Doodle celebrates flat white coffee, an espresso – based beverage with steamed milk and micro foam, traditionally served in a ceramic cup
Google Doodle’s description says No matter the origins, coffee lovers worldwide agree it is a favourite morning or arvo (afternoon) pick me up! A flat white is made by blending micro-foam milk with either a single or double shot of espresso. This micro foam, formed by aerating steamed milk, enhances the beverage’s smooth texture and creamy taste.
Google Doodle’s animated doodle celebrates the flat white, a popular expresso-based beverage which is believed to have first originated in Australia and New Zealand. In terms of visibility, this doodle will be visible across various countries of the world including India. Google Doodle’s description says No matter the origins, coffee lovers worldwide agree it is a favourite morning or arvo (afternoon) pick me up!
A flat white is made by blending micro-foam milk with either a single or double shot of espresso. This micro foam, formed by aerating steamed milk, enhances the beverage’s smooth texture and creamy taste. March 11, marks the day flat white was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in the year 2011. Flat white is a widely popular coffee drink of steamed milk poured over a shot of espresso is believed to have been first served in Australia and New Zealand.
It is believed that the drink first appeared on the menus of Sydney and Aukland during the 1980s. A flat white is made of an espresso shot topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of micro-foam and is traditionally served in a ceramic cup.
Flat whites are popular among coffee connoisseurs who want for less foam in their beverage as flat white is flatter than a cappuccino or latte. In many cafes across Australia and New Zealand, customers are commonly allured into having the drink by baristas who show off their skills and create beautiful artwork while the drink is prepared.
Over the years the coffee culture has changed a lot and the ways by which flat white is prepared. Earlier the flat white used to be prepared by with whole milk but nowadays the Australians and the people in New Zealand ordered it with plant-based milk including oat milk. The flat-white is gaining popularity and is becoming a favourite all over the world.
Lifestyle
Google celebrates Leap Day with a Doodle
The description with this moving illustration reads Ribbiting news, its Leap Day, February 29th, only occurs about every 4 years, to keep our calenders in alignment with the Earth and the Sun. Enjoy this bonus day of February – Happy Leap Day!
Google released a doodle on Thursday, to mark Leap Day. This unique doodle depicts a frog marked with the leap day date set amid a setting involving the dates February 28 and March 1. The Leap Day vanishes as the frog jumps. This setting is illustrated against the background of a pond with stones and leaves where the word Google can be identified in the background.
The description with this moving illustration reads Ribbiting news, its Leap Day, February 29th, only occurs about every 4 years, to keep our calenders in alignment with the Earth and the Sun. Enjoy this bonus day of February – Happy Leap Day!
Leap Day’s origin can be traced back to over 2000 years ago. This was done to align the standard Gregorian calendar with the solar calendar and it also takes into account the fact that the Earth takes slightly over 365 days to orbit the sun that is 365.2422 days to be exact.
According to the Gregorian calendar which is the world’s most widely used calendar, each leap year consists of 366 days instead of 365. This extra day, known as Leap Day, adjusts for the fact that an astronomical year is slightly less than 365 days and 6 hours. The last leap day occurred in 2020, and the next will arrive in 2028. Leap year babies will get the opportunity to celebrate their birthday on February 29 this year as the day comes only once every 4 years.
Anthony a town in Texas, USA proudly proclaims itself as the Leap Year Capital of the World and hosts a festival every Leap Year to celebrate. Just like the Leap Day helps adjust our calendar, leap seconds are occasionally added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to sychronise atomic clocks with the Earth’s slowing rotation. Leap Day has featured in literature, movies, and music. One notable example is the 2010 romantic comedy film Leap Year.
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