It’s hard to know where to stand on the issue of ‘Starbucks: Good Or Bad’. They’re bad, because their aggressive expansion policy is pushing small, locally-run coffee houses. And there’s all that whiney blah blah blah fair trade nonsense that Mr Coldplay (CDs) always bangs on about.
It’s good because they mostly all have free wireless internet, so hecklerspray can sometimes go there and tap away, pretending to be Sarah Jessica Parker (DVDs), except a version of Sarah Jessica Parker that writes nasty things about Britney Spears (CDs).
And also, when did you hear about a group of lads going out, downing 36 skinny lattes and stabbing a policeman in the face with a mug? Never, that’s when.
One annoying thing about Starbucks is that they sell music there. They are responsible for the success of Genius Loves Company, the "quick he’s nearly dead let’s rush this out" last album by Ray Charles (CDs), amongst others. It’s a good thing to encourage people to listen to music, except when the music is made by Katie Melua (CDs) and G4 (CDs).
Bruce Springsteen (CDs) was all set to let Starbucks sell his new CD in their stores. Except now they don’t want to. It’s the number one record in America, but the coffee chain don’t want to stock Devils & Dust because of one song – Reno.
The song’s about a prostitute. Here are some lyrics from Reno "She took off her stockings/I held ’em to my face" and "Two hundred dollars straight in/Two fifty up the ass". Not exactly Maggie May, is it?
So, are Starbucks right to censor their customers from hearing songs about old men bumming whores? Or should they play more provocative music to the punters? And if so, what? Leave your comments below.
Anonymous says
what about playing Lou Reed’s Metal Music Machine at top volume over and over and over again? That’d stop them from drinking their stupid coffee. Cafe latte? Cafe fucking shut up, more like
waldo jeffers says
Haaaaaaaaaa! Agree, strongly.
bobrocks says
Starbucks can do whatever they want. It’s certainly not going to make or break Springsteen’s career. They’re a coffee shop. If they were a record chain I’d have a problem with them not stocking the disc.
Michael says
Starbucks is the whore of coffee. Why not sell songs about whores of sex?
harry says
incredibly immature really, this kind of thing happens all the time