Dunkin Donuts has renamed its small iced latte “Short King.” But what does “Short King” actually mean and why have they done this?
To signify the beginning of the Spring season, Dunkin Donuts revealed that it would be renaming its small iced coffee drink, opting to call the drink after a popular and well-known meme.
“In honor of the first day of Spring and all our loyal Short King fans out there, beginning March 19, a Dunkin’ small iced regular coffee will be available in the Dunkin’ App under the name “The Short King.”
As announced by the fast food chain, the new label is only temporary, available through until March 26.
While some customers may immediately understand the reference behind the new name, some have been left scratching their heads in confusion.
The only “Short King” we care about https://t.co/OGjm0ekcg2 pic.twitter.com/5CBvLmtO6C
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) March 19, 2024
Why did Dunkin Donuts rename its small iced coffee to “Short King?”
In order to explain why Dunkin Donuts renamed their small iced coffee “Short King”, we must first look at the origins and meaning behind the expression.
Short King is a term that has come about in recent years thanks to the constantly evolving discourse surrounding the importance of height for men or male-identifying people. This expression has been picking up momentum via social media across late 2018 and throughout 2019 in particular.
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Short King refers typically to men who are under the height of 6 feet. However, the expression has since expanded its meaning to any and everyone who may be standing on the shorter end of the height measurement scale.
If this is true Tom Holland has locked up Short King of the Year https://t.co/bsQ3MW9LLu
— Devine Sports Gospel (@DevineGospel) November 30, 2022
The title Short King has spawned various memes and gifs across social media, with notable male influencers and actors such as Tom Holland even being labeled as a “Short King.”
In the case of Holland, this title has been synonymous with the actor after it was confirmed that he was dating Zendaya, a fellow performer who is in fact taller than Holland.
Therefore, playing into the meme, Dunkin Donuts chose to only name their small iced latte Short King and not instead add Medium King and Large King to the other sizes as well.
After all, the meme and expression only exist as a way to compliment those who may not be the tallest in a crowd.