The New York Times revealed Joseph Kahn its brand-new managing editor on April 19th with Kahn taking the helm from former head Dean Baquet, and bafflingly the Old Gray Lady approved a splashy picture and profile of their nascent leader from New York Magazine in what can only be described as a disconcertingly sexual manner.
The resulting, maybe unintended, erotica– including enough arched-back, pointed toe, and come hither gaze to make pinup pioneers Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe proud and may just drive foot fetishists all over into a craze.
The fawning feature ran together with a picture spread of Kahn, 57, including a now widely-mocked image– on social networks, naturally– revealing the shoeless but well-dressed news boss in repose, sinuously extended across a costly Asian carpet on the floor of his regal, mahogany-trimmed Fifth Avenue office, next to his Chinese-lettered coffee mug and an early morning read– the Times, naturally.
Needless to say, the stocking-feet picture hyping the “new, old-school” executive editor “relaxing with the paper,” as it’s captioned, was a confusing option. Readers kept in mind as much online– while drawing a variety of comparisons to “Zoolander,” along with the renowned picture of “Seinfeld” character George Costanza presented alluringly in just socks and underwear on a passing out sofa.
— Mark Judge (@markgjudge) April 20, 2022
“What was the goal here?” journalist Mairead Elordi asked about the photo in question, snapped by Chris Buck. Newtown shooting survivor and anti-violence advocate JT Lewis added to the sentiment, “I just don’t understand how this probably had to be approved by a slew of people and no one objected.”
"Draw me like one of your French girls" https://t.co/GlYXlIjlgV
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) April 20, 2022
“There has not been enough cringe produced in all of human history to properly react to this,” author Jim Hanson responded to the photo.
“I too ‘relax with the paper’ while sitting uncomfortably on the floor right next to my desk and chaise,” Noah Blum joked.
“Draw me like one of your French girls,” RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway parodied, along with another who quipped in a now-deleted reply, “I bet he has many leather bound books, and his office smells of rich mahogany.”
This is not a serious person https://t.co/xUfEvbj6Fb
— libby emmons (@libbyemmons) April 20, 2022
Author Shawn McCreesh appropriately communicated Kahn– successor to “journalism’s Iron Throne,” the press reporter mused, along with his daddy’s co-founding Staples fortune– as fortunate and “fabulously wealthy,” thanks to an elite Boston upbringing that resulted in a prominent boarding school education prior to finishing from Harvard.
Throughout one passage, McCreesh explained the leading editor’s excellent way of life with his better half Shannon, who formerly worked at the World Bank, and 2 private school-educated kids, while insisting they’re not “flashy.”.
Unconvincingly, McCreesh composed, “But he does have a taste for the finer things. He is a familiar face at opening night of the Metropolitan Opera. He is an oenophile with a particular fondness for Burgundy and is part of a wine consortium that includes the billionaire Joseph Bae.”
