It is odd that we only care about Pumpkin spice latte, or pumpkin spice muffins, or pumpkin spice scones, or pumpkin flavored anything from late September to the first week of December. It is also odd that the pumpkin spice trend gains more strength every October. It’s not quite as annoying and oppressive as daily fantasy sports, but it does rival “wearing ugly Christmas sweaters ironically.”
The current DFS craze isn’t going away any time soon because it’s not as inherently seasonal.
It’s amazing how fast one product at one chain (pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks) became an overly franchised juggernaut.
Last week (we originally ran this piece in Sept. of 2016), the Daily Show did a segment on how today we have pumpkin spice everything. $361 million in pumpkin spice sales last year!
Take a look.
Yeah, pumpkin spice is available all year round, so there’s actually nothing autumnal about it. And most of the foods being consumed are not even made from pumpkin, but some chemical with a name that most of us have never heard of. I’m not saying it doesn’t taste good, I’m just saying it’s unnatural. I know this stuff can be addictive, but it’s the same exact concoction in May that it is on Halloween.
Tastes the same too.
Last year, right around this time, John Oliver did a “Last Week Tonight” segment that was web only.
This craze is not to be confused with pumpkin foods like pumpkin pie. At least we sort of know what that’s made of. It’s fitting that ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. eats a piece of pumpkin pie and drinks a glass of milk everyday for breakfast (true story). Like pumpkin spice, most people are only interested in Kiper for a couple months out of the entire year.
However, when they’re engaged they’re really engaged, and in great numbers.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.