Great! That cheers me up a bit.

am I too cynical that my first reaction is that they're just embarrassed because, in the bubble of privilege, they had no idea the general populace would be disgusted and rake them over the coals? "what, uh... no, it was a joke. haha. don't you get it?"

Well, duh. I can't believe the NYT fell for that.

I wish the NYT would just realize that the world has changed with the internet and stop looking so desperate and incompetent. Well, not looking, actually...Jayson Blair, anyone? Other papers are working on trying to adapt, they should too.

Selling off the Boston Globe and their stake in the Red Sox :) wouldn't hurt.

I thought the first story was funny; I think this correction is funny. I guess I am easily amused.

I assumed it was satirical because it plays into all the stereotypes about young, beautiful women and rich, successful men. Why should reporters do any fact-checking when their gut is telling them yes yes yes?

I also thought that this was backpedalling on the part of the blog owners. I don't think it was fake, I think they are saying NOW that it is because they've all been outed for the shallow, surface folks that they are.

And yeah, the Grey Lady is ready for the home now.

I hope it was fake. I really hope.

The stories I read about how it was outed seem to show that it was pretty fake -- it didn't exist until a few weeks before the article appeared, there were only a few authors/users participating, etc.

It disappoints me that "women are all shallow gold-diggers!" is still powerful enough a stereotype that the story got any legs at all.

And yeah, the Grey Lady is ready for the home now

Give it a couple years, please... I don't need my roommate and I both out of work at the same time!

Wait until they found out that Metafilter is all my creation and you are all my socks, mwa ha ha ha ha.

OK, then, I'm going to send them a bill for the promotional work I did for them over at the other website.

It disappoints me that "women are all shallow gold-diggers!" is still powerful enough a stereotype that the story got any legs at all.

Respectfully, I don't think that's quite an accurate characterization. The original article pushed many of our buttons here at metachat, and I really doubt any of us thing that all women are shallow gold diggers, any more than we think that all men are power-hungry coke snorting megalomaniacs.

However, many of us (particularly those of us who have lost our jobs) harbor a deep resentment for the shallow "let them eat cake" mentality of the wealthy. This is particularly true for those of the rich who have not earned their wealth. This is what made the original piece so appealing to the Times and to us, the readers. I would argue that women who embody the image of the shallow gold digger (and indeed, some such people really do exist) are an insult to hard working, industrious women. (my fiancee supports my broke ass)

Okay.

Some of us are deep, thoughtful, smart gold diggers!

Melismata: I know I am!

@ Pi At least it's a cute ass. :)

I hope I'm a left sock. Knee high, with cute print.

Seconding Pie's comment, except for the support part. I'm still up on my wobbly two laid-off legs.

I don't think anyone here meant "all woman are X" by their comments.

One woman's gold is another woman's fool.