'The Worst Graphic I've Ever Seen' Or 'Lovely' — Starbucks Fans Debate The New Holiday Merch Drop

'Tis the season for Starbucks to release its holiday-themed merchandise. This year, the coffee giant has teamed up with clothing manufacturer Roller Rabbit, known for its whimsical fabric designs, to make a series of monkey-decorated tumblers. The monkeys come from one of Roller Rabbit's original print patterns, but they have been adapted to a Starbucks motif. Not everyone is excited to see them.

According to the official release from Starbucks, the collaboration is meant to bring more "color and whimsy" into the lives of customers. It also says both companies are about "turning the ordinary into something special." But from the online feedback gathered from multiple sources, it looks like the monkeys didn't hit the mark for everyone.

"One of the worst graphics I've ever seen" was an early comment on the Starbucks Instagram. Others have followed suit. Not everyone, it seems, is a fan of colorful little monkeys at Christmas time.

"They remind me of the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz," another commenter said, complete with a frowning emoji so you know that they're not fans of flying simians. Other comments ranged from "they are so ugly" to people simply saying "no." Past holiday merch from Starbucks was much less controversial. Maybe they should have stuck to the classics.

The feedback has spread well beyond the Starbucks Instagram page. Over on Reddit, no one has been shy about sharing their opinion. In one Reddit post, a commenter said, "the humanoid monkey-like thing is horrifying," which is probably not the reaction either company was hoping for. Another Redditor who works as a barista said they put the cups out for sale early and sold barely any. They also claim most of their coworkers agree that the cups are ugly.

The word "ugly" appears a lot in the comments, but it's not the only gripe customers have. Both Redditors and Instagram commenters mention that the price seems a bit high. The cold cup is $24.95, while the three tumblers are $34.95 each.

There is some positive buzz about the cups as well. On Roller Rabbit's Instagram, there are fans excitedly planning to get in line for them. However, there is some consternation that Starbucks won't have enough stock for everyone who wants it, which has been an issue in the past. The Bearista holiday cups were extremely hard to find and now cost hundreds of dollars online. The Roller Rabbit page is full of people lamenting that this year there are monkeys and not bears, or worried that employees will buy all the cups first and then overcharge for them online.

Starbucks officially rolled the Roller Rabbit cups out for sale on December 2nd, although some stores put them out early. If you're interested, you can try to find some at your local Starbucks, but supplies are limited, and availability may be hit or miss depending on whether the store put them out early. But hey, if you're a monkey fan, pair them with your favorite holiday drink and enjoy.