You can see this anywhere. My mom discovered I like expensive third-wave coffee...and shelled out for a box of Starbucks Via instant for Christmas (thanks, Mom)

You can see this anywhere. My mom discovered I like expensive third-wave coffee...and shelled out for a box of Starbucks Via instant for Christmas (thanks, Mom). It all tastes the same to her. Meanwhile I'm sure someone is scoffing at my plebian mainstream Blue Bottle preferences... and the farmer who grew the beans has never had coffee at all but is happy to grow it and sell it to the weird foreigners... I believe authenticity, like confidence, winds up being something you have rather than attain. My Chinese-from-China family and I will happily eat Panda Express orange chicken...because it tastes good. In the end, if people are happy, why not let them be? They're only being douches if you believe authenticity itself has any value.