104: The Secrets of Starbucks - Pumpkin Spiced Lies | Dark History with Bailey Sarian
38:24 Share

You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean it fits you just right so you wear it all the time but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Time to bust out your Ugg boots, sweater vests, and big-ass scarves because it's fall, baby! Yes! Leaves are falling. Scarecrows are scarecrowing. There's something...

Always depressing in the air and I freaking love it. And if there's anything you know about us bitches, we be loving fall. And once that first leaf hits the ground, it's time to haul your ass over to your local Starbucks and pick up a pumpkin spice latte. Don't lie, I know you're doing that right now. Yeah, it's PSL season, baby. I mean, in 2022 alone, Starbucks sold 22 million pumpkin spice lattes. They've really become part of the culture, especially when it comes to the holidays.

They're everywhere. But when I did a little snooping around into this $113 billion company, I came across child labor rights violations, the deaths of tens of thousands of orangutans, and the subject of quite a bit of controversy.

Hi friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Hi! Here we believe history does not have to be boring. I mean, yes, it might be tragic, it might be happy, rarely, but either way, it's our dark history. So all you have to do is sit back, relax, and let's talk about that hot, juicy history gotcha.

Okay so today can you tell by uh sorry Paul I forgot your name. Can you tell from Paul and Joan over here what we're talking about? Starbucks! I know, I know what you're thinking. Bailey don't take my Starbucks away from me it's all I have. You're like I don't care if my pumpkin spice latte doesn't have real pumpkin in it. And girl I get it. I mean I don't bite into a strawberry starburst and think

You know, this shit better have real strawberry in it. I mean, we know what we're getting into. But when I was snooping around into Starbucks, I was shooketh by the amount of stuff they get away with. I mean, they're on every corner, which is crazy because you would think of all the scandals that I'm gonna tell you about,

At least one would have like shut them down, but no. Starbucks is always thriving and we're addicted. Years ago, one of my subscribers had recommended this drink to me and I've never looked back. I get the Vente Iced Green Tea Matcha with two pumps vanilla, two pumps chai. You're welcome. Try it. It tastes just like cereal milk. It's so good. But now I'm not sure if it's worth it.

But before I get right into Starbucks, I think it's important for us to know a little bit more about coffee, right? I mean, it is coffee. And because we're talking about Starbucks specifically, I'm not going to get too into the like any ancient history. What is important to know is that for a long time, coffee, just like spices, was not for everyone. It was only for the elite. Ooh, fancy. No coffee for you, peasant.

And that's how it was in the United States too. I mean, that is until the Industrial Revolution, which happened from 1760 to 1840.

This was essentially a time when factories started to take over manufacturing and they were making everything. There was a big influx of people moving to the cities for factory jobs. People left their country living behind. And the nice thing about these factories in America is that they were making things way more efficiently. I mean, tons of important technology we still use today was invented, like the telephone and the light bulb.

And foods that had once only been for the elite were now cheaper to produce, which meant that the everyday person was able to buy it. For example, like coffee. During this time, two big coffee companies emerged, and you're probably familiar with them. One of them is Folgers. Yeah, Folgers. Okay. And then the second one is Maxwell House. Yeah, feed me, Seymour. Come on.

Maxwell House? So these two companies became the coffee brands that like everyone could afford. It was packaged in a factory and sold in grocery stores and suddenly, boof, coffee was for the people. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know? And the shift of coffee going from bougie to basic didn't happen overnight. It took like a really long time. Coffee historians think that between 1950 and 1970 is what coffee experts call the first wave of

coffee in America. And we were hooked. Honestly, we were hooked. Now by this point, coffee was everywhere. It was in diners, it was in the home, and it was making all types of people just shit themselves and hit their deadlines. So around the 1970s, people shifted from thinking of coffee as an afterthought, like something you would have with your pot. And now people were going to actual like coffee shops for coffee specifically. Like this was

mind-blowing. It made purchasing coffee feel almost special and kind of luxurious. Before that, coffee was just something you would get in a diner or something to drink to keep you awake. And now it was becoming a cultural movement. Well, time goes by, you know, and in the 80s, decaf comes into play, blah, blah, blah. Nobody really cared. But then when the 90s came,

it had a big impact on coffee because there were popular television programs like Friends and Seinfeld. And this actually influenced people to start wanting to hang out at like coffee shops. And they did. I mean, it was cool. It was just like the characters on their favorite show. And this was because coffee shops were a perfect example of what people today call a third place. I know, I was like, I don't get it. What is that?

It's not your home. It's not your work. It's the third place. Neutral territory. Somewhere where friends can hang out. Then people's expectations shifted a bit and people started to want higher quality and better tasting coffee. And instead of just like milk and sugar in their coffee, the people demanded more choice in how their coffee was made. Like they want lattes, frappuccinos, shaken espressos.

Consumers wanted their coffee to be special, just like them. Essentially, everyone started to kind of think of themselves as like some, you know, coffee snob. And then remember in the 2000s, the early 2000s, when all those celebrities were out and about in their bedazzled Uggs, juicy couture velour jumpsuit?

holding those big fancy coffee cups. Remember? Come on. There were like paparazzi pictures of Britney and Paris on their cell phones, giant sunglasses, you know, just slurping on a Frappuccino with extra whip. And as a teenager, I was like,

I don't know what they're drinking, but I want that. That's so cool. Eventually, America hit the information age, and this was like the start of mass media, marketing, and the internet. People just, in general, had access to more information, and the public started to get curious about where their coffee came from. They didn't want to buy chain store coffee anymore. It was too basic. Now people want to support small shops where their beans were sourced ethically and organically.

So we got the coffee snobs asking about like where their coffee beans come from. And then we have the average Joe's who's just, you know, mixing up his instant bulgers with coffee mate. Simple life, just kind of a big divide. And that brings us into a new age of coffee, which was led by one of the new giants in coffee culture, talking about Starfolks.

Oh, Starbucks. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time. But maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love.

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24, 7, 365 days a year so you're protected no matter what.

Story.

Two tails, a great set of titties, and a fantastic bush. No, I'm not talking about me. I'm actually talking about the original Starbucks logo, but I'm flattered. Thank you. Once upon a time on March 30th, 1971, the very first Starbucks opened up. Three friends named Jerry Baldwin, Zeb Siegel, and Gordon Bowger were all obsessed with coffee.

I guess they had met at the University of San Francisco and it was there that they had learned the art of coffee roasting. And the man they gained this knowledge from was a guy named Alfred Peet. Alfred Peet was actually the founder of another coffee company called Peet's Coffee. I know, I've actually never had Peet's, but I see it all the time. It's kind of pricey. So these guys, these three amigos had learned everything under Mr. Peet himself. And then what did they do?

Jerry, Zev, and Gordon went off and founded Starbucks. Jerry, Zev, and Gordon just loved a nautical theme. I know. So they wanted their new coffee shop to have a nautical name. Something that would make you think about adventure. The early days of coffee being traded in faraway lands. I guess Gordon initially suggested that the name be Pequod after the name of the ship in the novel Moby Dick.

Well, Gordon was overruled, but they refused to give up on their nautical theme. And guess what the name of the Pequod's first mate was? Starbuck. Yes. So they added an S. Starbucks. Great. And the logo wasn't green like the one we've come to know. Originally it was brown and featured a, like a more like

anatomically correct mermaid. Starbucks started out as like a place where you could buy some quality coffee beans and then you could take them home and like brew them yourself. At their first location in Seattle, there wasn't even like a place to sit down. You just come in, you get your beans and you get the fuck out.

Now in comes a man named Howard Schultz. Now this guy in the 70s, he decided to head on down to the original Starbucks and like check it out for himself because he sees that they're real busy and stuff and he wants to know what's going on. He's curious. And I guess he was really impressed. He liked what he saw and in 1982, he joined Starbucks as the director of marketing. And Howard, he had a vision.

After going on a trip to Milan, Italy, he noticed that the coffee shops there kind of gave the community that third place hangout vibe that I mentioned, you know? A place in between home and work.

And Howard wondered, like, why doesn't this exist in the US? So he brings it to the people at Starbucks and he's like, "Hey, why don't we do this?" But this idea was a little too much for the Starbucks founders, I guess. I mean, they could not compute what was happening. A coffee shop where people could sit

What? Like smooth jazz? They did not believe that this would ever work. Howard couldn't convince them of this outrageous concept for their Seattle coffee bars. So in 1985, he ends up leaving the company

The next year, he opened up his own little coffee bar. But still, I mean, he always had Starbucks in the back of his mind. In 1987, Howard took his coffee shop and made it public. So he got a bunch of money from investors. And with all this new money, he ends up buying Starbucks. At this point, Starbucks already was like doing well. And he wanted it because then he would get the name. He just kind of feels petty as shit, you know? He's like, just watch what I can do with Starbucks. Yes.

Now at the time Starbucks was growing, but it was at a slower rate. When Howard bought it, there was only about 20 locations. And in just a few years, they went from 20 locations to over 100. And like, that's not all. Starbucks had a plan to go even bigger.

In 1992, Starbucks went public, meaning Howard could now open up Starbucks to investors, which was a genius move because the 90s was when Starbucks went from Q Coffee Shop with like a mermaid to a neighborhood staple. By the year 2000, there were over 2,500 locations.

Wow, I know. Pretty soon it became a huge corporation that everyone wanted to be a part of. People bought, you know, Starbucks stocks. They bought their coffee. It made it into movies like "You've Got Mail." You know, you know that. You watched it the other day, don't mind. And honestly, it was part of the culture now, not just like a coffee shop. Then in 1994, Starbucks even created a solution for those who wanted the latte, but maybe didn't want to interact with people.

So they opened up a drive-through window. So yes, maybe it didn't look exactly like how Howard imagined, but he did succeed in bringing coffee shop culture to the masses. And for the next decade, Howard and Starbucks seemed unstoppable. They were opening an average of two new stores every day until 2007.

But it wasn't necessarily like what Howard had in mind for his company. Again, he wanted like that cozy little cafe, like the ones in Italy. And Starbucks was becoming the Walmart of coffee shops. The bigger it got, the less charming and cozy it became. And Starbucks had become a replacement for the office. People were coming to Starbucks with their laptops, not to socialize, but to work, to send emails, to like pretend to type.

And yeah, I think that was frustrating to Howard, but he got over it. He cried in his money because Starbucks was a huge hit and thousands of stores continue to open up all across the country. And there you go. That's the story of how one little trip to Milan inspired a cultural coffee movement that shaped how we enjoy our coffee today. The end. Thank you for listening. Have a good day.

Just kidding. We are now in a new era of coffee where consumers have gotten a little more curious about what exactly is in their coffee. I'm talking about the actual ingredients, right? Isn't it just coffee? Isn't that the ingredient? No. I know!

I mean coffee, dairy, sugar. Those are the foundations of most coffee drinks. Pretty simple, straightforward. What could possibly be scandalous about that? Have you heard of a little something called recombinant bovine growth hormone? AKA RBGH?

I mean, I've seen it, but I was like, no, what the hell's that? Well, let me tell you. RBGH is a synthetic hormone that was approved by the FDA in 1993. But funny enough, it's actually banned in the European Union and Canada due to potential harm it may, it could have on the body. And then get this.

Okay, well, I found out that the leading producer of RBGH is Monsanto. And I think that says enough, right? Now ain't that some shit? So I'm telling you this because up until like 2008, Starbucks was using milk produced with RBGH. I mean, it was found to probably not cause any harm to humans who ingested it, but it did make cows very sick.

Yeah, I mean, that didn't stop Starbucks from continuing to use the milk from those sick cows. They seem to be aware of the potential issues with RBGH as early as the year 2000 because they claimed that they were going to go RBGH-free

But then nothing happened for years. And then finally, when they did stop using it in 2008, it was most likely because of the public pressure. Or maybe they were just trying to distance themselves from the sick cows controversy. But Starbucks started offering dairy alternatives, you know, to make them happy. Like soy milk. Remember when like soy milk was huge? It was so big. It was out of control. Everyone's like fucking soy milk.

And then also coconut milk. Starbucks said like, "Don't worry, I got you. You don't want that sick cow milk? Well, you could have coconut milk." Coconut milk just tastes like jizz. Real talk. Sorry, said it. But if you like it, that's fine. Do your thing, girl. Or boy. And you don't have to drink regular cow milk. You've got options now. But honestly, like the alternative milks, they really aren't like any better. Most of them are just sugar water.

And that's why I like them. When you walk into a Starbucks, you kind of know like you're gonna leave with a lot of sugar, okay? Like a Starbucks venti mocha cookie crumble frappuccino, bitch that name, it has 590 calories in it. Did you know this? Guess what? Guess what? Because McDonald's, I did some research, McDonald's Big Mac has 563 calories.

I know, not that bad. I'll take the Big Mac. Even a grande iced pumpkin spice latte is almost 400 calories.

what's in it? I don't fucking know. Now you might be thinking, Bailey, we get it. We're not going to Starbucks for healthy food. And yeah, great. I hope you have a great day. But if we're moving away from the ingredients, Starbucks, they have like many controversies that don't have anything to do with your actual life. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear all the

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh!

I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Meal kit.

In 2013, Starbucks was called out by consumers for their use of palm oil in their baked goods. This is bad because harvesting palm oil has led to the destruction of entire rainforests in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. I'm here to tell you that rainforests, yeah, they're actually extremely important. They are often referred to as, quote, "the lungs of the planet."

because they release oxygen so we can survive. So, kind of important. Plus, experts believe that around half of the two countries' natural forests have been destroyed

replaced with palm oil plantations. Because of this, it has led to the deaths of over 50,000 orangutans. You know those orange monkeys? Those forests are their homes. They were their homes. And because of this palm oil use, orangutans are currently facing extinction. First the cows and now the orangutans. Damn it, Starbucks, what the fuck are you doing?

And look, to be honest, like Starbucks wasn't the only one that got called out. Companies like our old friend Nestle, Nestle Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, they've all been called out for their use of palm oil as well. But this episode is about Starbucks and it took them a long time to stop using palm oil.

So they're the ones that we're calling out right now, okay? And then, okay, so palm oil, not great. I want to do a whole episode of Dark History about palm oil. Let me know down below. Thank you. Now, apart from all of that, there's also the cups. Let's talk about the cups. I didn't know cups could cause such a big problem, but they are a problem.

In 2008, it was revealed that Starbucks was using a whopping 4 billion cups a year, which means that 1.6 million trees per year are being cut down and destroyed to make these stupid-ass cups. The company was exposed after an investigation revealed that their recyclable cups were actually not recyclable at all.

on the Starbucks cups, they have like a little recycling symbol, you know, on the cup. So you would know you could recycle a cup, right? And you could feel good, a little bit better about the trees and

I'm gonna recycle the cup. But the lie detector test determined that was a lie. You actually could not recycle their cups because they were using a chemical on the cup itself, so the coffee could stay hot. And I guess like the chemical can't be removed easily from the cups, so it makes it, you can't recycle it. You can't recycle it. To be fair, technically, there is one machine that can break down these cups for recycling, but it's really expensive and no one does it.

So, okay. Back in 2008, Starbucks pledged to have a fully recyclable cup by 2015 and promised to sell at least 25% of their drinks in reusable cups. But to date, Starbucks still hasn't developed a magical cup that can be recycled anywhere. Yeah.

It's 2023, bitches. What the fuck happened to Starbucks? And then years later, Starbucks said by the end of 2023, their cups will be recyclable, LOL. Honestly, it doesn't look like that's even happening at all. But like, okay, this one sat with me 'cause I was like, that's, it's so bizarre. It's just like, what a weird lie.

Now, I have a personal question for you: are you a size queen? If you answered yes, you and Starbucks might have some beef. Because in 2016, Starbucks was sued by two customers who claimed that Starbucks were being greedy bridge trolls and underfilling their lattes by 25%.

These customers said the company had a systematic conspiracy to underfill its drinks in order to save millions of dollars. The case did eventually get thrown out, but still, you know, we all know what they'd be doing over there, okay? You get a grande drink, have four sips of it, and you realize, oh yeah, I just spent $7 on a cup of ice.

Yeah. Starbucks has also been sued for using too much ice in their drinks. One lawsuit filed in Chicago claimed that Starbucks instructed baristas to fill drinks with much more ice than liquid. What was the reason? The alleged reason? Money, of course. Don't be silly.

But if you know Starbucks, you know they're always having some kind of marketing drama. In 2015, America was swept up in a media storm after the communities of color experienced racial discrimination and violence and murder. I mean, let's be honest, they always have. But the media, for once, was highlighting the social justice movements created in response to the chaos that was happening. I mean, it wasn't that long ago. You guys remember? Great. There's a lot of tension being highlighted

in the media and of course companies, they started doing lots of cringy things to try and seem like they were on the right side of history. And Starbucks was one of those companies. They decided, they came up with this stupid ass idea. Some guys at Top were like, "Hey, our holiday cups always get attention. Why not use those?" So they launched a week long campaign called Race Together. Oh yeah, just wait.

Starbucks told their employees to write the hashtag #RaceTogether on people's cups. And the idea was that this was going to create a safe space to talk about race. So I guess baristas were supposed to be like, "I've got enough extra hot latte for Dan." "Dan!" "Listen, Dan, can I interest you in a conversation about racial tension while I got you here?"

The Race Together campaign got 2.5 billion social media reactions online in less than like 48 hours. And most of it, negative. People were just as confused as we are right now. The magazine Business Insider called it Starbucks' most embarrassing moment in history. That sucks. I mean, yeah, that was really stupid. Whose idea was that? That was dumb as shit.

Well, it gets worse. Just a few years after Starbucks tried to get you to talk about race by writing a hashtag on your to-go cup, two Black men were arrested for not making a purchase at a Philadelphia Starbucks. They were waiting at the Starbucks because they were supposed to have a business meeting there, and they're like waiting for the guy to come, right? So I guess the Starbucks manager was pissed that the men were waiting, and they were like waiting to order until their colleague arrived.

The two men were asked to leave, but they refused. So the manager decided to call the police, saying that these men were trespassing. Jesus. Even after their business associate did turn up, the officers still ended up arresting the two men. And these men were never charged with anything because they didn't do anything wrong. But it was like everywhere. It was all over the media. It was all over the news. People were outraged. Like, what the fuck? Remember Howard?

Howard Schultz issued a public apology, saying that he was embarrassed and ashamed. Starbucks released an official statement apologizing to the two men who had been arrested, stating, "Starbucks stands firmly against discrimination or racial profiling." So a few weeks after the incident, thousands of Starbucks had closed their stores to do a racial bias training.

And I don't know, apparently, according to Starbucks employees, the training was not very helpful and it was actually quite cringy. Some say, well, at least they tried to do something, but I don't know, maybe it wasn't the right move, you guys.

And look, I mean, this is all horrible, but let's be real. After a few months, people tend to kind of forget about these things and the media cycle moves on. And hello, Starbucks is everywhere. I mean, it's delicious, it's convenient, and you know exactly what you're gonna get. And that's something they pride themselves on. Another thing that Starbucks really prides itself on

You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

street yay okay if you're like me you're thinking to yourself i know i've heard the phrase fair trade and i know it has to do with being fair and trading and maybe coffee but i don't really know what it means literally so don't worry look it up for us okay fair trade essentially means that there is some kind of partnership between companies or corporations and international businesses an example of something that is supposed to be fair trade is

Bananas. Do you remember season one? We did an episode on bananas. Bitch, that shit blew my fucking mind. Big companies like Chiquita Banana will partner with a smaller international farm and purchase bananas from them. This is so that Chiquita Banana can get those bananas for cheap.

And also so that the people providing the bananas have steady, solid work. And that work is supposed to be compensated with a fair price. Essentially, the whole idea behind fair trade is it's supposed to be a win-win for everybody. And it's a great idea, right? Until everyone just fucks it up.

So Starbucks was aiming for this when it came to sourcing their coffee from other countries. I mean, most of us have been inside a Starbucks. And if you look around, the phrase fair trade is like everywhere. I guess it's supposed to make us feel better about giving money to such a huge corporation. Like when you see it on the cup, you're like, oh my God.

I just want to take this moment to say thank you to my mother and father for having me and God and I'm such a good person. Do you feel like that? Sometimes I do. I give speeches in the middle of Starbucks whenever I see something, you know, fair trade or I recycle. I give speeches. Thank you everyone for coming to my ceremony. But unfortunately Starbucks, they're just, they're liars.

Yeah, can I say that? Well, I just did because like they just are fucking liars. There is like... Let me just tell you before I keep grunting and making noises. So some of Starbucks shady practices came to light when a coffee farmer decided to speak up

Oh yeah, on some of the bullshit that was going on. In December of 2006, an 85-year-old Ethiopian coffee farmer named Gamede Robe decided to leave his village for the very first time to expose the truth on what was really going on in the fair trade coffee industry. Gamede explained that he'd been working with an international organization called Oxfam to get Starbucks in America to sign a new agreement.

And in this agreement, it would essentially say that Ethiopian coffee farmers have the right to ask for more money and more power when it comes to the coffee market, especially, you know, when it comes to selling coffee to Starbucks. Here's an example. In America, certain coffee blends from Ethiopia can go for $26 a pound. But the farmers who harvest and sell those beans, they typically made less than a dollar on

on pounds of these specialty bougie beans. I mean, it barely covers the cost of farming the beans. There's no profit. What's the fucking point? That's not fair trade. It's awful. So at this point in 2006, Starbucks was worth $6 billion.

And if they sign this new agreement, it would give the Ethiopian coffee market $88 million more a year, which I feel like would be great, right? Okay, and I feel like if you're like in the billions, everything else is just kind of pocket change for them, right?

I'm not a financial advisor actually, I have no idea how money works, but come on. And plus, these are like where they're getting their coffee from, so you think you'd want to take care of the farmers who are actually getting you the beans that you're fucking selling, Starbucks? If Starbucks depends on Ethiopia to make their signature coffee, why wouldn't you sign this agreement? Isn't that what fair trade is all about, Starbucks?

I'm like twitching, like, "Huh?" Well, friends, Starbucks refused to sign the agreement. They actually filed a bunch of legal paperwork saying they didn't agree with Ethiopia's position. I'm like, "Okay." But let's be honest, it's all about power and profits. Always, right? So eventually, like, the public found out, and they were pissed.

For years, Starbucks had been marketing itself as a socially responsible coffee company, a place where you can get a grande, mocha chino, gilt, brie. The Ethiopian coffee farmer campaign decided to go grassroots with it. I mean, they wanted to bring as much attention to their cause as possible. So they worked with the Ethiopian community in the United States, even with students and with Starbucks employees.

They ended up getting over 100,000 people involved and they didn't launch a smear campaign against Starbucks or complain to the media. They just had like a simple message. Honor your commitment to coffee farmers.

Period. Like, how mature, right? Jeez. The story became all about how the fair trade struggle between coffee farmers and Starbucks was essentially like the story of David versus Goliath. Finally, in June of 2007, after being called out by like everybody, major media outlets for over a year and blah blah blah, Starbucks gave in to the Ethiopian coffee farmers.

And for a while, it was like a huge win for the industry. But then, child labor entered the chat. We can't have anything nice, can we? Jeez. In March of 2020, an investigation by a British documentary program called Channel 4's Dispatches revealed that they had been investigating 12 different coffee farms that supplied beans to Starbucks. On every single one of those farms, they found kids under the age of 13

Working alongside the adults. Children as young as eight years old were filmed working 40-hour weeks under horrible conditions. I mean, these kids, they were working in high temperatures with little to no breaks. Not to mention the fact that it's just not safe for kids to be around heavy farming equipment, but...

What do we know? On top of that, the kids were paid depending on the weight of the beans they picked. And a day's worth of beans usually makes them less money than a Starbucks latte. And this was 2020 latte prices. When this news leaked, Starbucks publicly stated that they had a zero tolerance policy for child labor. Like, oh, wow.

They just all talk. They're so annoying. They were even going to allegedly launch their own investigation. I fucking roll. And during that original little undercover operation, they came up with a solution. Don't buy coffee from these farms.

I'll teach them, you know. But at the same time, it wasn't necessarily the right move because now those people are not making money and they're not getting paid. It's kind of like a fucking lose-lose. So that investigation also exposed how much money goes to farmers versus the corporations they sell to. Let's say someone buys a cup of coffee that costs $3.17.

The end. After paying for supplies, its employees, and tax, Starbucks makes at least 32 cents in profit from that single cup that you can't recycle. But the farmers? They would only be making one cent for each cup.

Those are their beans, goddammit. And it's not just an international thing. Starbucks has seen thousands of stores stand up for themselves by asking for fairer pay and better working conditions. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time.

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24, 7, 365 days a year so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

- Dot com, code dark history. But it hasn't been easy. I mean, Starbucks has allegedly been cock blocking unions from forming because if they have to pay the workers a better wage, you know, just like with the coffee farmers, that cuts into their profits. I need another yacht.

Workers who support unionizing claim that Starbucks has been punishing them by cutting their hours or like making their schedule unpredictable. So they're just being total like assholes. Just a dick move. And I mean, Starbucks isn't the only big coffee company out there. We know this. But between orangutan deaths and child labor scandals, I get why people would want to avoid them. I understand now. I get you. I see you. But other big coffee companies like Nesquik,

Nespresso. They also buy coffee from some of the same farms that Starbucks does. And fair is fair. I mean, they should be held accountable too. I mean, damn, is there anywhere safe to get a cup of coffee? I mean, seriously, like,

Okay, so after I did a little Googling and goggling and research and all that, I found one big coffee company that made it to a couple of like clean company lists I had found online. Pete's Coffee and Tea, as in Alfred Pete's, who taught the Starbucks founders the art of roasting. Well, it turns out that Pete's was actually acquired by Jab Holdings, which is a German mega coffee.

company. They own pretty much all things coffee. I mean, from Stumptown to Keurig to like Krispy Kreme. I know it's not coffee, but just go with me. They own everything. Okay. Listen, I wanted to see how this jab company compared to Starbucks. And what's the first thing that came up when I was digging into this company? It's not funny, but it was like shocking. Seriously. The second I typed into Google jab holdings, like Nazi came up.

And I was like, "Oh God." The company was started by the Raymond family who donated to Hitler during his reign of terror.

Yeah, the Rehmans even used Nazi-sanctioned slave labor, which made them a huge profit during World War II. And according to David Hundian, a journalist for CNN, Jab quote, owes its entire fortune to Nazism. Where do we go from here? I don't know, but I decided, you know what, fuck coffee, I'm not drinking it anymore, and you can meet me in the tea aisle, which we should do a Dark History on Lipton.

Don't even get me started. Nothing's safe. We're all gonna die. Where am I? Who's the president?

I mean, wouldn't it be nice to just have like a better option? A place where you go just get a cup of coffee and everything was normal and fine and you don't have to worry about anyone being shady and awful. Wouldn't that be cool? But I guess we're asking too much. You know what? If you have a local coffee shop in your neighborhood that has like real genuine fair trade coffee or just all around good people, drop their name below. Tell me where it's at. Just let's give them some love.

Thank you guys so much for hanging out with me today. Sorry for ruining Starbucks. They honestly suck ass. That's just my personal opinion. And I hope they go down in flames. Hey, remember, don't be afraid to ask questions, to be curious, you know, because that's how you get the whole story and answers and information. And you deserve that.

Don't forget to join me over on my YouTube where you can actually watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also catch my murder, mystery, and makeup. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story. Actually, no. I feel like everyone's gonna be throwing their fraps at me.

Please don't. Please, sir. But I love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story. So make sure to use the hashtag dark history over on social media so I can follow along and see what you're saying. Let's read some comments. It's my favorite part. Stars in Alignment 9 said, I feel called out when Bailey says, quote, kind of like your dad, just gone, end quote.

Sorry. Sky Dowling1894 left a comment on our Childhood Stories episode from season two saying, quote, "I can't believe she didn't talk about Alice in Wonderland. It has such an interesting backstory and I'd love to see a Disney part two. Some other ones with dark histories are Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, and Pinocchio." Okay, you guys keep asking about this episode. I see you, I'm hearing you, and I think we should do a part two. Should we do a part two?

I want to know what's going on with Pinocchio. That was, really? Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian, hi! Junia McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network. A big thank you to our writers, Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, Allison Filobos, and me, Bailey Sarian.

Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by Xander Elmore and the Dark History Researcher Team. Special thank you to our expert, Adam Scott-Paul. And a special thanks to Ramu Sar. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good rest of your week. You make good choices. And I'll be talking to you later. Goodbye. Bye.

And welcome back. It's peanut buttery. It's chocolatey. It's the flavor merger America craved. That's right. The peanut butter group and Chocolaty Corp have become one. With Chocolaty Corp bringing indulgence to the table and peanut butter's eat-anytime ability, it's easy to see how their Jif peanut butter and chocolate-flavored spread will revolutionize snacking. One stock trader even told me, and I quote, normally I just buy and sell, but this I'm going to eat. Experience the Jif PBC hype today.

I'm Stanzi Potenza. And I'm Brad Padre. Launching June 13th is our new podcast, Late to the Party. In this post-ironic chat show, we'll show you a window into our world of crazy post-ironic thoughts. An unlikely friendship founded on a shared love for riffs, ranting, and getting absolutely wrecked.

Consider this an invitation to our inside jokes. You're late to the party, but no one cool ever shows up on time. Follow Late to the Party on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to this kind of stuff.