Media Meltdown

If you can imagine New York Times columnists riffing on the importance of Cougar Town as some sort of indicator of the great importance of househusbands then it should be no trouble at all to consider Washington Post using pixels to imagine the thoughts of a male panda as his baby is shipped thousands of miles away.

Ah, but don't imagine it: It's true. NYTers Gail Collins and David Brooks have a conversation on the changing nature of the economy and television and the culture of older-younger partnerships which somehow has gone off the track by considering that a television show demonstrating how 40-year-old wealthy women can have sex with hunks 10 to 15 years younger is a demonstration model for a solid career choice for male slackers. And the WaPo's John Kelly, lets his mind wander through the zoo cages until it comes to rest within the head of Chinese panda Tian Tian, who is apparently chomping like a qat addict on his bamboo stash and writing a note to his son, Tai Shan, who has been recalled to the homeland.

Both articles are so strange in conception and execution that it is only possible to think that dads at home have taken a step backwards, thanks to two great news institutions. Although, it is probably also possible to consider the exact opposite as well.