You have to hand it to Starbucks, they really know how to create controversies during the holiday season. First, the iconic coffeehouse came under fire for its plain red holiday cups, and now the chain is being widely mocked over a seasonal cookie.
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Customers have been taking to social media to share photos of the chain’s polar bear cookies wearing a red scarf. Sounds harmless enough, but under closer examination, some people see bears with bloody, slit throats.
But don’t waste your time searching for these tasty bears at your local Starbucks. The polar bear cookie was discontinued in 2010. Yes, 2010.
As Buzzfeed points out, this new, old controversy all started on Dec. 9, when an image was posted to Imgur with the caption “These polar bear cookies at Starbucks look like they’ve all had their throats slit.” The post was viewed more than 2.8 million times in just two days.
And that was enough to start a new PR nightmare for Starbucks.
I gotta love Starbucks new cookies. A polar bear with it's throat slit? That's a holiday you don't forget. pic.twitter.com/huZrREQdDp
— Philip Halloween (@evil_avatar) December 11, 2015
Ok so Starbucks gets rid of their Christmas cups then they slit polar bear throats on their cookies? pic.twitter.com/L9EhaLq1lc
— Davin Lee (@davinreader) December 11, 2015
Adorable polar bear holiday cookies from #Starbucks? Or a #crimescene because they've all had their throats cut? pic.twitter.com/KaaDa6h0oq
— Doug Richardson (@byDougRich) December 9, 2015
These Starbucks polar bear cookies looking like their throats are slit makes me glad to be alive. pic.twitter.com/fmCMAXOCQz
— Andrew Dyce (@andrewbdyce) December 10, 2015