Is America's Love Affair with Pumpkin Spice Finally Over? | 29
Call Me Curious
Audible
4.4 • 555 Ratings
🗓️ 22 September 2022
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When Starbuck's introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte nearly two decades ago, no one knew it would ignite such a major cultural firestorm (albeit a very cozy, comforting one). How did a seasonal drink, which almost got nixed in the planning stages, get so popular? And after years of copycat product fatigue, is America's love affair with Pumpkin Spice finally over? Nikki and Malone get spicy with food historian Heather Arndt Anderson. They're also joined by dietician Connie Weissmuller to see if there are health benefits to the PSL. And journalist Jael Goldfine stirs it up with the steamy cultural impact of the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From Wondry, I'm Nikki Boyer, and this is Call Me Curious, where every week I'll get to the bottom of those funny, strange, puzzling, or just got-a-no questions you have. |
| 0:16.9 | And we'll tell you the best we can what the answer is. |
| 0:21.0 | Because I've got 21 questions. |
| 0:23.6 | I've been 21 guessing you could teach me a lesson. |
| 0:28.3 | Call me curious. |
| 0:32.2 | Call me curious. |
| 0:34.2 | Call me curious. |
| 0:36.2 | So tell the truth Hi there. |
| 0:51.8 | Hey, welcome to call me curious. |
| 0:53.2 | I'm so happy that you're joining us today. So 19 years |
| 0:57.5 | ago this month, Starbucks gently ignited a flavor revolution when it introduced the PSL, aka the pumpkin |
| 1:05.0 | spice latte. It was an instant sensation. I mean, sure, imitators have tried to ride PSL's warm cinnamony, coattails by adding pumpkin |
| 1:14.9 | spice variety to their product line, whether it made sense or not. |
| 1:18.7 | I'm looking at you pumpkin spice, face wash, and pumpkin spice deodorant, gross. |
| 1:23.9 | But unlike the other crazes that overstay their welcome and try to squeeze every nickel from their moment in the spotlight, pumpkin spice knows how to leave them want more, because it disappears as quickly as it came just after Thanksgiving, which isn't soon enough for the haters. |
| 1:40.1 | Yep, there are those who wish that the PSL was dead. |
| 1:44.0 | And there's also Team PSL who fights for their right to party, with their favorite latte |
| 1:49.2 | in hand, of course. |
| 1:50.8 | But this isn't the time for bickering, right? |
| 1:53.4 | Instead, we're going to answer the question on everyone's mind as summer turns to fall, |
| 1:58.1 | which is is America's love affair with the pumpkin spice latte, |
| 2:01.5 | finally over. Is it? Well, before we get to that, let's give a warm hello to the man with the |
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