History Main / RealMenTakeItBlack

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackcoffee4.png]]

With coffee culture changing so frequently around the world, this trope can evolve significantly depending on the setting. For an office environment, the easy availability of coffee makes only the blackest of black truly distinguish a character as a leader figure or go getter. It's also common in any CopShow, DetectiveFiction or FilmNoir, where the HardboiledDetective that isn't knocking back heavy scotch will most assuredly take their coffee black to keep themselves alert. With the Japanese usually preferring tea, coffee consumption in general (no matter the strength) becomes a quick signal of confidence or hyper-masculinity in Japanese media.

-->''"Every day for the past ten years, Loretta there's been giving me a large black coffee, today she gives me a large black coffee only it has sugar in it, a lotta sugar. I just came back to complain. Now, you boys put those guns down."''

* Captain Janeway's DrinkOrder on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': "Coffee. Black." It's good stuff. [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun She beat the Borg with it]].
* Gibbs in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' is also known for drinking black coffee. It comes with being a former marine. When Tony takes over Gibb's position during Gibbs TenMinuteRetirement, Tony also starts drinking black coffee. [[NonActionGuy Non Action Girl]] Abbie prefers soft drinks.

-->'''Michael:''' "I like my coffee the way I like my women: Strong, black, [[{{Metaphorgotten}} and proud.]]"

* ''Film/{{Big}} the Musical'' has a song called ''Coffee, Black'' based on this trope.

-->"We're here to make coffee metal. We're here to make everything metal. Blacker than the blackest black... times infinity."

Note: [[IThoughtItMeant Not a sexual innuendo]], or referencing the joke made by the DeadpanSnarker when this is said.

-->"''There's no such thing as strong coffee, just weak people''."

* Parodied in an {{omake}} of ''Manga/YowamushiPedal'', where Naruko tells Onoda how real men drink their coffee black. Only to subvert it by asking for milk as soon as Onoda went to the bathroom.

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* Captain Janeway's DrinkOrder on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': "Coffee. Black." It's good stuff. [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun She beat the Borg with it]].
* Gibbs in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' is also known for drinking black coffee. It comes with being a former marine. When Tony takes over Gibb's position during Gibbs TenMinuteRetirement, Tony also starts drinking black coffee. [[NonActionGuy Non Action Girl]] Abbie prefers soft drinks.
* Detective Dale Cooper from ''Series/TwinPeaks'' is a talented, experienced FBI agent who always takes his coffee black.
* Michael Ian Black of ''Series/StellaUS'' provides an example that it's probably best not to overthink:
-->'''Michael:''' "I like my coffee the way I like my women: Strong, black, [[{{Metaphorgotten}} and proud.]]"
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* Subverted in ''Film/PulpFiction''. Winston Wolf is a badass among badasses in the Marcellus Wallace crime organization, but when Jimmy offers him a cup of coffee, he tells him he likes it with a lot of cream and sugar.

'''Cream and sugar:''' What are you, '''Nanako'''? [[FunnyBackgroundEvent ('''Nanako:''' Daddy, I want it black.)]]\\

'''Cream and sugar:''' What are you, '''Nanako'''? [[FunnyBackgroundEvent ('''Nanako:''' Daddy, I want it black.)\\

'''Cream and sugar:''' What are you, '''Nanako'''? [[note]]'''Nanako:''' Daddy, I want it black. [[/note]]\\

* ''VideoGame/AceAttorney''. Mixed in with MustHaveCaffeine, Godot always drinks his coffee pure black, which even provides one of many of his famous quotes "Blacker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than Hell itself... that is coffee."

Coffee, perhaps with the descriptor of [[PurpleProse "Black as night," or "Black as a witch's heart,"]] is a very bitter drink on its own. Having a character drink it undiluted shows that they are "tough" enough to enjoy it. Milk and sugar weaken the pure coffee flavor too much for this character, and thus the trope only gets downplayed when a character does exactly that.

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* Discussed in ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Wild World''. A "[[ManChild lazy]]" villager will sometimes say "Is it true that "real men" like bitter coffee? I guess I'm just a regular guy then, 'cause I like my coffee [[SweetTooth light and sweet]]."

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* Current or former military personnel often take their coffee black. Procurement tends to buy the cheapest, cruddiest coffee possible so the cream and sugar tend to run out fast (alternatively: [[AcceptableProfessionalTargets the officers stole it all]]), which means soldiers, sailors, and airmen tend to get used to black coffee and stay with the habit after mustering out.
** Plus, depending on how busy you are, black coffee is just faster. Besides, it's not like sugar and cream will make bad coffee taste good.

Note: Not a sexual innuendo, or referencing the joke made by the DeadpanSnarker when this is said. [[IThoughtItMeant]]

--->'''Black:''' Just like me. The easiest kind to make.
--->'''With cream:''' Huh...? Oh, uh, well... It's just I haven't heard anyone ask for that in a while.
--->'''Cream and sugar:''' Hah, you have the same tastes as Nanako.
--->'''Surprise me:''' Alright, I'll pour you a good one.

-->'''Black:''' Don't try to sound tough you sissy.
-->'''With cream:''' Oh, coming right up, '''madam'''.
-->'''Cream and sugar:''' What are you, '''Nanako'''? [[note]]'''Nanako:''' Daddy, I want it black. [[/note]]
-->'''Surprise me:''' (Throws it at your face).

* Marines are known for their love of black coffee, and kicking ass in combat.

* ''VideoGame/AceAttorney''. Mixed in with MustHaveCaffeine, Godot always drinks his coffee pure black, which even provides one of many of his famous quotes "Blacker than a moonless night, darker and bitter than Hell itself... that is coffee."

* In the Franchise/JamesBond books Bond, unlike almost [[SpotOfTea every other British person in the universe]], ''hates'' tea, preferring black coffee.

** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' : Ken Amada says even he drinks coffee black in a random optional conversation you can have with him (which you can even joke you like it with hot sauce)

-->'''Cream and sugar:''' What are you, '''Nanoka'''

A SubTrope of DrinkOrder with an extra shot of manliness.

Also see KlatchianCoffee, which explores the extremity of the coffee itself and its uses (e.g. a G-rated MushroomSamba or a hangover cure).

* Mr. Hanekoma in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. It may not be black possibly, but Mr. H sure does love his coffee too and even runs a shop selling it. There also happens to be a lot more to this guy than you think, but at the very least he seems to be a pretty cool guy.

* Averted in ''Film/PulpFiction''. Winston Wolf is a badass among badasses in the Marcellus Wallace crime organization, but when Jimmy offers him a cup of coffee, he tells him he likes it with a lot of cream and sugar.

* ''Film/{{Airplane}}'': "I like my coffee black. Like my men." A badass line, but I'm not sure if it counts because it's spoken by six-year-old (for laughs, obviously.)

* Captain Janeway's DrinkOrder on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''? "Coffee. Black." It's good stuff. [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun She beat the Borg with it]].

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