The Coffee Criticism

When LAist began it's quest to bring you the sights and sounds of people gathering their morning buzz by using the backdrop of a particular coffee establishment, we never thought we'd endure such chaos and criticism by some jealous LA sites who had wished they'd thought of it themselves.

The evidence? This week's subtle post over at LA Observed, in which they criticize LAist's The Coffee Buzz as "more unbilled product placement."

Even more ironic is LA Observed's praise of another site called "Watching Starbucks," which is "all about America's coffee pourer and the people who work there..."

LAist can't help but try to figure out the difference — and what makes one feature "unbilled product placement" while making the other a noteable link for all to see.

It's a good question. Maybe LA Observed has an answer.