Stanley Cups: Craze or Cool?

At this point just about anyone can name at least one person carrying around a Stanley Tumbler. Is it ridiculous, how did we get here? Let's jump in.

Where did it start?

From the 1970s through the early 2010s the Nalgene held a firm, wet grip on the reusable water bottle market.

Others like the nipple top were popular in the 90s and still given out as a free Sky-Zone party favor to melt in your dishwasher 8 years later, but throughout the entire timeline nothing really hit an unmistakable craze like the Hydroflask.

Chunky, clunky, loud, and without a doubt never cleaned; an era in teen girl history from the fall of 2019 through pre-COVID 2020.

These bottles created a whole new "genre" of girl defined by the Hydroflask, Polaroid camera, messy bun, oversized pastel tee, and scrunchies: the VSCO girl.

The name came from a photo editing and sharing app by the same name, which skyrocketed in popularity along with the Hydroflask.

Like everything else, it quickly fell out of popularity after it was bullied out of these poor girls. Then, with the rise of quarantine, absolutely no one drank water.

But, as normalcy was restored and phones were gone from school once again, the Stanley took over the market.

What is "Stanley?"

Stanley a brand that's been around since 1913! So, definitely not a fad brand. They used to design flasks and thermoses, having a military-esque look. The tumbler design has been around for a while too, but that's the current popular design.

Stanley 40oz tumbler, "color matte dune cream"

What's With the Craze?

While being around $60 (USD) on average for the iconic 64 oz tumbler, before Christmas many still had one, but after the holidays it only takes one quick sweep of any cafeteria or break room to see a hand-full! Due to many clips of unintentional social media marketing they began this image as the “indestructible” insulated cup. The most notable was by Tiktok user "@DanielleMarieLettering" where she shows her car beyond wrecked, most of it melted. But, her Stanley tumbler through the fire has still maintained the rattle of ice inside. The president of Stanley brand, Terrance Reiley responded sending her a new Stanley as well as a new vehicle.

While it doesn’t have many traits like being leak-proof or even easy to carry, the cup’s online marketing along with being able to fit in car cupholders made it an attractive purchase to many women. But why women?

Yeah, Why?

If Stanley was once this rough and tough looking brand marketed toward women, if nothing but the shape change, why is it a women’s craze? And why does that make it something to be ridiculed? And that’s because the trend was started by teen girls.

From the Beatles to the Hunger Games, people have gone out of their way to disregard anything teen girls enjoy first. With the former, you can see countless videos of teens screaming, yelling reporters that they want John Lennon to marry them! Now, after these girls were heckled by every other demographic akin to the way One Direction fans were, who are the ones who obsess over the Beatles? Your grandfather and every other older man you know. This is because they aren’t hating because the interest is objectively bad, they jus don’t want to like the same thing girls do!

So if you’re embarrassed carrying your cup around, think about the hate Adrienne from Brooklyn and count how many guys who sound just like her now. Have fun and drink your car-fire proof ice water.

What You Take From This

While stampeding into your local target for a “limited color” is unnecessary, along with collecting multiple with no intent of use, if you or someone you know happens to have a cup let them live their life.

The hunk of metal certainly looks like it could, but it isn’t hurting you. So, if you see a girl walking down the hall struggling to hold all her stuff along with a Stanley Tumbler the size of her, offer to grab a book. Not just because the cup will absolutely spill if it tilts in the slightest, but because she’s just trying to drink some cold water and have fun. And we should let girls do that.

-Kaylee Tate, EIC