Ted Gioia on how coffee became a joke. Starbucks gets a bad rap for its ridiculous drinks and I suppose not being super cool with coffee snobs "serious coffee enthusiasts". Coffee is one of life's simple pleasures. Over time I've been all over the map from a fancy lad setup, to something quick and easy, and everything in between. And I'll just say, Starbucks is fine. Their Americano isn't bad at all.