There’s a hilarious article about the popularity of green tea on Slate right now, written by editor Jacob Weisberg. I can’t quite tell if he’s really a new convert to the wonder beverage. I kind of doubt it. One thing’s for certain, he’s not buying into green tea’s inflated ad copy! He writes:

The implicit bargain in buying these products is that green tea will make you not just spiritually complete, but morally superior. This is partly because green tea had the good sense to have the word green as part of its name. It is not entirely clear how drinking tea resists climate change, but it is evident that serene, grounded green tea sippers—unlike those aggressive, overcharged coffee-heads—emit only minuscule quantities of carbon. With “one sip” of Tazo green tea, whose logo is expressed in what looks like ancient runes, “you reincarnate the original spirit of enlightenment that may have inspired the Japanese tea ceremony.” After a second sip, it seems unlikely that you will invade a Middle Eastern country. The canister on my desk says the tea bags it contains embody “a wisdom beyond wisdom, capable of enlightening both mind and body.” I just drank several cups and I do believe it’s working.