I feel these weekly posts are becoming the same old grind, so I thought I'd offer something refreshing......
This week's post features an absolutely amazing presentation by historian Bryant Simon. He discusses the cultural meaning of Starbucks, and the social meanings of coffee, consumption, and commodification. As something of a coffee addict, I find his thoughts stirring and provocative at the same time, as do I the musings of Anthony Wild, author of Coffee: A Dark History.
I must admit, however, that I'm quickly becoming a fan of Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
I am confident Simon's forthcoming book on Starbucks will stir up great discussion--conducted over a cup of coffee of course. In the meantime, I hope his thoughts elicit stirring responses on the class blog. (I promise to never again use a stir pun three times in one blogpost; it feels like this one is going around and around.)
Also, perhaps this article may open some discussion as well.
9 comments:
this bryant simon is right on target with starbucks. there are starbucks everywhere! his thoughts on expressive branding got me thinking. when i think of starbucks drinkers i do think of hip, up to date people. i also think of all that coffee lingo, half-caf, etc. starbucks does send off a vibe thats artsy and edgy, they do so with their art and cool music. also i love their branding, the simple cups with quotes are cool. altough im not a coffee drinker, and will never be, i think starbucks is okay for apple cider or that shaken lemonade/tea drink. i prefer to get my caffine from energy drinks! - J.Graves
I'm glad you found the lecture and presentation interesting. When I stopped by a Starbucks the other morning--one I had not been to in quite a while--the employee at the drive-thru window said, "I haven't seen you in a while..." I thought immediately of this lecture, and headed for the nearest Dunkin' Donuts in search of coffee.
i thought it was cool that he compared the things that we drink to the choices we make. Especially when he said that it reflects who we are. of all the things to tell us something about ourself that we didnt already know, i hadnt thought of coffee or whatever it may be showing a little bit of my personality. allison e.
improving better mental function instead of a better mood, the effect caffeine has on people is beign questioned. A very interesting topic that explores the other effects of coffee rather than just a hyped up mood. Not an avid coffee drinker, this article leaves me persuaded to drink more of it.
claire b
Glad you are keeping an open mind about this topic (pardon the pun).
I found this blog very interesting. Being a coffee drnker, I agree with some of these effects that the articles state. When it says that "Evidence from a new study suggests that this happens because caffeine revs up the brain, not because it generally boosts mood." I thought this was very true. Athough I like coffee, my personal opinion is that tea is the ideal source for energy and concentration :)
-Jennifer Gurney
He made a lot of goog points. The choices we make were being compared to what we drink. I drink coffee when I am really tired or when I have to stay up late that night.
jotour
I think it is interesting how Starbucks turned into a nationwide industry, i mean before Starbucks people would just go to the coffee shop, but now Starbucks has gained nationwide consumers. When i think of coffee i automatically would associate it with Starbucks. Starbucks has alright drinks but i don't think they deserve the amount of service they receive, it just leaves the little guy out of the equation, it just doesn't seem right.
That was me
-logan herring
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