The Pumpkin Spice Takeover Has Gone Too Far

SAN ANGELO, TX — It’s that time of year again — the annual pumpkin spice invasion. What started as a simple seasonal latte flavor has now metastasized into a full-blown cultural phenomenon, coating every product imaginable in an orange-tinted haze of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pumpkin spice has crept from coffee cups into candles, cereals, air fresheners, and even dog treats. There’s pumpkin spice hummus, pumpkin spice deodorant, pumpkin spice Spam — because nothing says “autumn” like cinnamon-flavored mystery meat. The flavor has long since escaped the coffee shop and taken hostage of every grocery store aisle.

Marketers have turned the public’s nostalgia for fall into an all-out cash grab. The idea of cozy sweaters and falling leaves has been distilled into a syrupy marketing pitch, bottled and sold for $6.99 a pop. It’s not about flavor anymore — it’s about signaling that you, too, are participating in the “season.”

The problem isn’t pumpkin spice itself — it’s fine in moderation, perhaps in a pie or a cup of coffee. But when every product insists on smelling like a Thanksgiving candle, it stops feeling festive and starts feeling like a hostage situation.

So this fall, maybe it’s time to take a stand. Skip the pumpkin spice protein powder. Walk past the pumpkin spice tortilla chips. Let fall be fall without turning it into a marketing gimmick. Real autumn doesn’t come from a flavor packet — it comes from the cool air, the sound of leaves underfoot, and the relief of not drinking your dessert through a straw.