Coffee in pop culture (smallville mention)

Ten years ago, coffee was an adult beverage, usually found in plastic-foam cups or commuter mugs. Today, though, some teens seem to carry a Starbucks cup everywhere they go. How did coffee become such a fashionable accessory ? We think it’s the influence of TV and movies :

• 1994-2004 : On the sitcom ’’Friends,’’ Central Perk coffeehouse is a regular hangout for the hip twentysomething (and later, thirtysomething) main characters. The six ’’Friends’’ manage to influence pop culture with their hairstyles, catchphrases and sense of sarcasm ; it makes sense that America follows them into the coffee shop, too.

• 1998-2002 : On WB college drama ’’Felicity,’’ Keri Russell’s Felicity Porter pays her tuition by working at trendy New York coffee shop Dean & DeLuca. Deep, soul-searching conversations ensue over the whir of the cappuccino maker.

• 1999 : ’’Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me’’ is a hit with moviegoers. In the film, Dr. Evil’s headquarters boasts a giant Starbucks logo. Dr. Evil bought stock in the coffee chain as part of a plan to achieve world domination.

• 2000-present : The WB show ’’Gilmore Girls’’ features a mom-and- teen-daughter pair who are so addicted to coffee, one fan has devoted a Web page to it.

• 2001-02 : Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who will soon dominate pop culture at Britney levels, co-star in the short-lived ABC Family TV series ’’So Little Time.’’ The twin sisters play — well, twin sisters surviving high school in California. The favorite gathering spot for the twins and their friends ? A coffee bar/Internet cafe called the Newsstand.

• 2001-present : WB drama ’’Smallville’s’’ Lana Lang turns an old theater into a coffee shop called the Talon. A hangout is born.