GUILTY PLEASURES. Jamie Kirchick takes a stand:
"I'll admit, the New York Post is a guilty pleasure. It's the first paper I buy whenever I'm in the city. Like most of its readers, I take it for what it is, and enjoy it for a few minutes on the subway. It's fun and understands its role as a tabloid, which is to say, it has a sense of humor. One of the best Post headlines was a front-page spread showing Yasir Arafat's grieving wife at his funeral: "THE FAT LADY SINGS."But New York magazine shows that the Post's coverage of the Larry Craig fiasco--perfect fodder for the tabloid--isn't even funny. You can click on a link in the Post's news story to take their "Are you a gay senator?" test, which just traffics in old stereotypes. "Do you sing show tunes in the car between political events?" it asks."
Did I really just read that? Did Kirchick just write that making fun of a grieving widow for being fat is really funny, but referencing gay stereotypes about a Senator caught cruising an airport men's room crosses the line? Personally, I'm going to take this opportunity to come down against both of those things, but I am curious why Jamie thinks the former is okay? Oh, that's right, fat Suha Arafat is Palestinian. And he's a bigot. Never mind. --Matthew Duss
