I own a 64-ounce cup. 64 ounces. 1.893 liters. One half gallon. And it scares me.
I saw it standing on the gas station counter next to the soft drink machine while I was paying for gas. It struck me as a little unnecessary and utterly American.
"What's the point of a cup?" I thought. "To hold a portion of liquid that you intend to drink in one sitting. Otherwise, you would buy a bottle. Who is drinking 64 ounces of soda in one sitting? Is this really necessary?"
I wanted to try it for myself, so I bought it. The cup was so large, I could barely grip it with one hand. When I lifted it to drink, the top bent into an oval and you could actually see the blue plastic turning white and straining to keep from splitting. We play ultimate Frisbee with the top.
To answer my rhetorical question: No, a 64-ounce cup is not necessary at all, but it is a small, perfect representation of a larger phenomenon that is occurring in almost every aspect of American life: polarization.