A few months ago, Mark Hemingway argued in these pages that Taylor Swift is a sign of societal decline (haters gonna hate). But a much bigger sign of decline threatens us as we enter 2024: the Stanley cup.
No, not the hockey trophy. I’m talking about that gargantuan stainless steel, insulated tumbler that yoga pants-wearing millennials the world over tote around like it’s their precious young. To be more precise, it’s less the century-old brand’s product that’s the problem and more the new insane obsession with it.
Stanley Insanity
And yes, it is insane. The crazed masses camp out in store parking lots in the freezing cold, not for necessities like food or shelter, or even annual sales on spendy appliances, but for a $45 tapered cup. One video shows a customer jumping the counter at a Target Starbucks and attempting to steal one before he’s accosted by the scorned people waiting in line. In the clip below, you can watch Stanley fanatics swarm a display of hideous red and magenta tumblers. According to the person who recorded the video, the things sold out in less than four minutes.
The mega-cups filled out Christmas wish lists and appeared in oodles of holiday social media giveaways. Spot them in the hand or cup holder of nearly any Gen Z college student or millennial mom. In just four years, Stanley — once a brand treasured by outdoorsmen and blue-collar Americans — skyrocketed from $73 million in annual sales to a forecasted
