Coca-Cola is — as its slogan suggests — a classic. But, there’s something about its no-calorie, zero-sugar cousin, Diet Coke, that’s made it into the stratosphere of cultural relevancy in a way that regular Coke simply hasn’t.
Maybe it’s that it’s a little more chic than the real thing, maybe because the taste is inherently more crisp, or maybe I’m just completely biased, but no one can deny the fact that the “DC” fandom runs deep. So deep, in fact, that there’s an entire social media dialogue surrounding the stuff, including Diet Coke-specific colloquialisms, strictly-followed rituals for enjoying one and even SNL sketches. According to an anonymous HuffPoster, a recent employee engagement survey revealed that staffers would spend more time at the office if there was more Diet Coke available.
Los Angeles resident Sonnie Givens, 29, is one of the most Diet Coke-obsessed people I know, and she agreed that there’s something about this precious carbonated elixir and its effect on people that can best be described in one viral clip from Benito Skinner’s podcast “Ride”: “When you order a Diet Coke at the table, you empower everyone else at that table to also order a Diet Coke,” the co-host says.
