I watched from one of E!'s shows. It's a countdown similar to what they are doing here in QTV. Last time the were having a countdown to the most guiltiest guilty pleasure ever, 101 Guilty Pleasure. The show lasted four hours.
It wasn't really a shock that Starbucks landed 7th. People just loved coffee, and they love sophistication even more. Imagine how much money this Starbucks Corporation is earning with its 15,011 Starbucks coffeehouse chains worldwide (as of November 2007). Makes me want to own one chain myself: invest invest invest and poof $8 per coffee. $$$!!! Lol. Or I could just buy espresso machines and coffee makers and put up a small coffeehouse.
My opinion is that Starbucks is responsible for too much fake-sophistication posturing. This post of mine expounds such theory (and it’s incidentally my most-read post. I don’t know why.):
http://nightdreamer.i.ph/blogs/nightdreamer/2007/09/27/the-field-guide-to-starbucks-customers/
Not that I have anything against the coffee shop itself; it’s just the customers there that annoy me so.
I also think that sometimes Starbucks can be established in a location that does not even suit it. For instance, there is a tourist spot in Shanghai called Yi Yuan, and it has all these exquisite temples, gardens, pagodas and shrines (familiar sceneries among Chinese historical movies). And in the middle of it, Starbucks. Matched with annoying Kenny G music blasting from its speakers.
I mean, what part of ancient Chinese history or architectures have anything to do with Howard Schultz’s coffee shop (and shoddy muzak) anyway? Wouldn’t it be more fitting to build a teahouse and play traditional erhu music there instead?
Posted by Kris at December 31, 2007, 5:57 pmHappy New Year! 
hope you have a great year this year! Full of blessing and a lot of Starbucking )
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True, there is really no surprise. Why, survey a bunch of high school school alone and when they hear the words coffee or frap, that would be synonymous to Starbucks. I should know. My friends, they don’t even know when I mention Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, or Seattle’s Best. All they know is Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks. Oh well, popularity prevails here.
And yes, needless to say, it is also one of my gulity pleasures. My wallet is screaming at me to stop na. LOL.
Posted by Romina at December 29, 2007, 9:17 pm