Autumn is full of many wonderful things. Visiting pumpkin patches and carving pumpkins, going through mazes and haunted houses, trick or treating, and so much more, but autumn means different things to everyone. The season can symbolize an object, smell, holiday, or even a color. Based on a survey conducted around Tampa, there were many different answers on the topic of what peoples first thoughts were when they hear the word autumn. Out of 47 people surveyed, the top answers were : Leaves changing colors with 11 people and tied for the second highest with seven people, pumpkins and Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

The funny thing about the top results is that they are all stereotypes of fall. In Florida, leaves on trees don’t change to pretty yellows, oranges, or reds. The leaves turn crisp brown and then fall off the trees. So why do people in Florida think of colorful leaves?  It’s the pop culture. The pop culture in TV and movies has formed peoples views of autumn with fall scenes full of colored leaves, pumpkins and lattes, that in today’s day and age that’s all people think about. There are so many movies set in autumn when the main characters just happen to be walking in a park surrounded by colored leaves while drinking coffee. The film, When Harry Met Sally, is a perfect example.

Another thing I thought was funny was that the majority of the people surveyed who said their first thought was Pumpkin Spice Lattes don’t even drink coffee. So why is coffee their first thought? Again the pop culture has put the words Pumpkin Spice in our heads. Every fall season, coffee shops around the world put out pumpkin flavored coffee, doughnuts, muffins and more. The more pumpkin the more it feels like fall when it comes to anything edible. In fact this year Starbucks released their Pumpkin drink line in September causing people to rush into the fall spirit earlier then normal. Pop culture mixed with advertising makes fall preparations start earlier every year. This year September, next year August.