Coffee in TV Shows, Films and Music Videos

In the TV show Friends, the fictional coffee shop Central Perk is used throughout the series as a hangout for the characters. The final scene for the series, in Central Perk, involves Ross' friends encouraging him to finally tell Rachel his true feelings for her. He finally builds up the courage to go up to her only to be beat by Gunther, who confesses his own love to Rachel. Ross stands by appalled, as Rachel rejects Gunther and walks out. Even more ironically, Ross probably would have gotten to Rachel first had not Joey stopped him and asked him for a muffin.

It's a comical scene, watching Ross fuming with jealousy and surprise. But it's funny because it twists the idea of what a coffee shop is "supposed" to be like. In pop culture coffee shops are typically a place that evokes romantic feelings. For example, in the film The Machinist, Trevor Reznik only eats when he sips coffee, but he isn't there for just caffeine. Trevor's there because in his head there is a beautiful barista flirting with him. When he arises from his state of sleep deprivation and starvation, he realizes that there is no woman flirting with him at this cafe.

In music videos like Landon Pigg's, coffee shops are places where people fall in love. But in this scene in Central Perk, this notion is turned around. Ross rushes to confess his love, only to be distracted by Joey, and then beat by Gunther. Worst of all, it's understood that Rachel and Ross love each other already, and you'd expect that things would fall into place. But life is not that simple, and Friends pokes fun at our typical idea of how love should be, and what is or is not romantic.