In a sign of future media convergence, t seems that this article from the Onion accidentally appeared in the New York Times under the headline, Trying to Live on 500K in New York City.
It seems that to be a man in New York, at least if you are a banker (is possible that the first letter might be a misprint?), requires a summer home, expensive holidays, a nanny, personal trainer, armed chauffeur, and so on. Riding the train would make them feel so unmanly. And ladies must have new and expensive frocks for each of their charity balls.
As with many of the best Onion productions, ripped from context one starts to believe it might be real, but the writer mercifully lets us in on the joke at the end, advising that even a mere frozen hot chocolate from the right supplier costs $8.50. “Frozen hot chocolate” — there's a giveaway.
[I wrote this on Sunday, but somehow it didn't get posted.]
Well, I can say that I have tried several times to live in NY on 500K/year and failed ever time- I’ve just not found it possible for me to do at all. Indeed, I’ve not been able to live in New York on anything very close to 500K per year, though I fear I may be approaching things from the wrong end of the equation…
Sadly, I don’t think this was a joke. I’ve had the “Frozen Hot Chocolate” at Serendipity in NYC before. It was pretty good, but not the type of thing anyone buys on a regular basis. At this point, the place is more tourist-trap than locals.
This article just goes to show the ‘power’ money has over people and the point we’re at in society as far as keeping up with the Joneses.
It’s hard for us ‘regular’ folk to feel sorry for people like these.