In the whimsical world of social media trends, a curious new fad has emerged that’s left many scratching their heads in bemusement: paying for the privilege to take a selfie with a Stanley Cup. No, not the Stanley Cup, but a pink Starbucks Stanley cup, because apparently, we’ve run out of landmarks and celebrities to pose with. This peculiar phenomenon came to light when a TikTok user stumbled upon an ad on Facebook Marketplace offering a photo op with the said cup for $5 a pop. The ad proudly boasted of a packed schedule, hinting at a surprisingly high demand for selfies with the inanimate object.
This tale takes us down the rabbit hole of internet oddities, where one can’t help but wonder about the value we assign to the most random of items. The seller, a savvy entrepreneur or possibly a modern-day Warhol, claimed to be “literally booked up all afternoon on Wednesday,” sparking a mix of confusion and amusement across the TikTok realm. Some viewers, tickled by the absurdity, expressed an earnest desire to partake in this bizarre photoshoot, proving once again that the internet’s appetite for the unusual knows no bounds.
This isn’t an isolated incident, as another ambitious seller tried to up the ante by offering similar selfies for $10, underlining the Stanley cup’s status as a hot commodity. The frenzy traces back to the release of Starbucks’ ‘Winter Pink’ tumbler, a limited edition that flew off the shelves faster than a conspiracy theory spreads on the internet. With the cups sold out and restrictions placed on the number of purchases, fans of the brand were left with two choices: go home empty-handed or shell out cash for a digital memento with the elusive tumbler.
@raythatb Late stage capitalism L #stanleycup #starbucks #consumerism #drunkelephant #sephora
As bizarre as it might sound, this episode sheds light on the peculiarities of consumer culture and social media’s role in elevating the mundane to the status of the must-have. In a world where a picture is worth a thousand likes, perhaps the idea of paying for a selfie with a pink cup isn’t so far-fetched after all. At the end of the day, whether you’re in it for the giggles or genuinely captivated by the allure of the Stanley, it’s clear that we’re all just looking for a sip of happiness in the vast digital café of life.
