Via my friend (and sxsw roommate) Kelly comes this article from The Black Table entitled "The Cult of Diet Coke."
The Cult of Diet Coke is strong and slavishly devoted, making their beverage of choice the undisputed leader in diet sodas for the last two decades and the third-most popular soda in the United States, trailing only Coca-Cola and Pepsi. And nowhere is this cult stronger than in the worlds of media and politics, where publicists, pundits and the people they orbit demand the Real Thing.
The list of who's addicted ranges from REO Speedwagon and Elton John to Donald Trump and the Clintons.
Since my husband and I go through cases of the stuff each month, I'm glad to know we're not alone in our devotion.
(And, of course, my first contact with Joi Ito was over his Diet Coke post, so it played a significant role in my social networking experience.)
Oh, man. It's not just me. I drink more of the stuff than I should really admit. Living on campus, I ordinarily eat in the dining hall, and so drink the bulk of my diet Coke from a soda fountain. But this week, I'm eating at home (spring break, you know), and the evidence of my overconsumption -- the grocery bag full of empty cans -- is a bit appalling.
Count me in the addict list.
A couple of PSes:
1. Despite my now unbreakable connection to diet Coke, I have to admit that I was a bit crushed when, in my senior year in high school, our local convenience stores dumped Tab in favor of the new stuff. I haven't had a Tab in about ten years now; the last time I stumbled across one, and drank it out of some kitschy nostalgia impulse, it was just plain nasty.
2. OT: are your comment-cookies functioning properly? I have to remind your site who I am everytime I comment...
I am weening myself off coke, trying for water, but ending up with diet pepsi mostly.
Why, because of this campaign:
Killer Coke
I'm the exact opposite - Diet Pepsi. I HATE Diet Coke. It's to the point now where whether a restaurant or movie theater serves Pepsi or Coke products makes a huge difference in my attendance.
I have tried to stop drinking it several times but it's pretty hard to do so. I wonder if aspartame has any addictive qualities.
I think aspartame can be dangerous stuff, at least to people who are sensitive to it--which is why I recently weaned myself from DC.
I also suspect that it plays into mood disorders, so that if you're already battling to stay in balance, it makes it much more difficult.