Lay Latte Lay: Bob Dylan & Starbucks

Lay Latte Lay: Bob Dylan & Starbucks

Bob Dylan in an exclusive deal with Starbucks? Why not? After all, everybody must get coffee: Aidin Vaziri | After that Victoria's Secret commercial, it was hard to imagine what else counterculture icon Bob Dylan could possibly do to insult his fans. As it turns out, for a guy who looks as if he regularly forgets to shave in the morning, he's pretty resourceful. This week, it was announced that Dylan, known for his socially and politically charged lyrics, had signed a deal to distribute "Live at the Gaslight 1962" exclusively through Starbucks, the multi-tentacled coffee shop chain that, while offering excellent workplace benefits to its employees, is frequently accused of devastating the environment, exploiting Third World farmers and wrecking small businesses. Almost immediately, people on Dylan discussion boards were hurling fresh accusations of selling out at their hero. "I think it's just a shame really," one dismayed member wrote at fan site Expecting Rain (expectingrain.com). "How sad and disappointing to hear Dylan giving into corporate slavehood!" another protested. But at least one still believed in the singer's insurrectionary powers: "It's easier to take something down from the inside." Talk about wishful thinking.