# Is Diet Soda a Staple of Gay Culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199 "2011-09-22T15:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/1 "2011-09-22T15:01:13Z")
In [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14258023&postcount=61), \*\*I\_know\_nothing \*\*puts diet soda right in with musicals as something closely associated with gay culture. I have a lot of gay friends (granted, mostly women) and I am essentially addicted to Diet Pepsi. No one has ever called me on this, and these aren’t folks who miss a chance. I realize that cultural indicators aren’t anywhere near a hard and fast rule, that thousands of gay men watch the NFL every week, and that multitudes of straight men have perfectly respectable window treatments. Never the less, I’ve never associated diet soda with cappuccino, extended dance mixes, and mesh shirts. Did I miss the memo on this one? ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/2 "2011-09-22T15:04:44Z")
I’ve never even heard of cappuccino being a gay beverage. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/3 "2011-09-22T15:12:23Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > I’ve never even heard of cappuccino being a gay beverage. [Cite.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXp4j1agK7Q) (Note: YouTube link of SNL sketch) Also, I worked in Borders for three years. Having a good cappuccino order is a real point of pride. Like many things in gay culture, lots of hets have glommed onto it. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/4 "2011-09-22T15:13:00Z")
I can’t fathom why this would matter to some people. My wife and I both drink diet soda because _we enjoy the taste_. It’s not like we have an agenda from the **Heterosexual Overlords** to sneak into the gay club in order to report back on the goings-on… … Maybe I’ve said too much… ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/5 "2011-09-22T15:20:24Z")
Diet soda is a reasonably gay drink, I’d say. Most straight guys I know almost never touch the stuff. Lemonade is a far gayer drink though. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/6 "2011-09-22T15:22:02Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > I can’t fathom why this would matter to some people. My wife and I both drink diet soda because _we enjoy the taste_. “Matter” is probably too strong a word. It probably matters about as much as whatever happened to the Spetsnaz guy on _The Sopranos_. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/7 "2011-09-22T15:36:36Z")
Diet soda being a gay drink is news to me! ---
**Author:** ![uuaschbaer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@uuaschbaer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uuaschbaer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/8 "2011-09-22T16:00:00Z")
Seems like it’s the heterosexuals who decide what’s gay and what isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/9 "2011-09-22T16:03:31Z")
Well, gosh. I guess I’m gay. And I can lay it all at the feet of my father and his diabetes, ensuring I grew up with nothing but diet soda in the house and now can’t stand regular soda! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/10 "2011-09-22T16:05:40Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Well, gosh. I guess I’m gay. And I can lay it all at the feet of my father and his diabetes, ensuring I grew up with nothing but diet soda in the house and now can’t stand regular soda! :mad: That’s okay. You can drink my allocation of diet soda. I hate the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/11 "2011-09-22T16:06:16Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Diet soda being a gay drink is news to me! I would say it’s “wussy” rather than gay. Like light beer or fat-free yogurt or steamed boneless skinless chicken breasts. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/12 "2011-09-22T16:09:16Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I would say it’s “wussy” rather than gay. Like light beer or fat-free yogurt or steamed boneless skinless chicken breasts. But I thought wussy=gay? ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/13 "2011-09-22T16:09:30Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Well, gosh. I guess I’m gay. And I can lay it all at the feet of my father and his diabetes, ensuring I grew up with nothing but diet soda in the house and now can’t stand regular soda! :mad: Everyone knows that 50% of “diabetics” are really just closeted gays. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/14 "2011-09-22T16:10:21Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > But I thought wussy=gay? Nah. A cheap-ass wrench that warps the first time you use it is wussy for sure (and a stupid idea), but not gay. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/15 "2011-09-22T16:22:28Z")
Oh cappuccinos are totally a gay drink! I make sure to order mine with extra Santorum for my tasting pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/16 "2011-09-22T16:26:10Z")
I never drank diet soda! And I totally don’t! _glances nervously about_ Hey, how about that local football team? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/17 "2011-09-22T16:36:21Z")
I am gay, and I do drink diet soda. Of course it has nothing to do with being diabetic and overweight and health-conscious. It’s gotta be because I’m gay. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/18 "2011-09-22T16:48:08Z")
What about Jack Daniels and diet coke? Does that make me di-curious? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/19 "2011-09-22T16:56:38Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > . . . cappuccino, extended dance mixes, and mesh shirts. Mesh shirts were a staple of gay culture from mid-June till mid-August 1979. \*Maybe \*late August in Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199/20 "2011-09-22T17:01:07Z")
Ha!! I got that from one of my favorite The Simpsons episodes where Homer and his friends think Bart might be gay, so they take him hunting. Moe, if I remember correctly, says that if he shoots a deer it would ensure his straightness and “all the diet cokes in the world won’t change him back.” Granted this was from a really long time ago so if anyone actually remembers the episode feel free to fill me in. When I made the comment I was thinking more about the line from the show than whether or not it made any sense. Now that I think about it, I don’t currently make the connection, but the association between diet sodas and femininity may have been truer when they were first becoming popular. As a kid(I’m 35 now)I seem to remember most diet soda commercials being directed towards women, that’s strictly from recollection from many decades ago as a young child. Anyone here remember early to mid 80’s diet soda commercials? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-diet-soda-a-staple-of-gay-culture/597199.md?page=2)