We’re all fighting for catchy headlines, trying to grab the most page views or purchases. So, I totally get it when publications try their best to come up with something fresh and unique. But apparently, the New York Post did not get the memo that creativity rules, while mocking newborn babies totally drools.
Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc Mezvinsky welcomed their daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky last Friday evening. First time mama Chelsea tweeted the happy announcement a few hours after giving birth, while proud grandparents Hillary and Bill each excitedly tweeted about little Charlotte. Many news outlets quickly picked up the story, with some wondering how the birth may impact a potential presidential bid for a certain first-time grandma. Yet none were as crass and condescending as the New York Post, whose front page included a picture of the Clintons cooing over their new granddaughter with the all-caps headline “PARTY POOPER.” They followed that up with the snide, “Another liberal crybaby for Dem Clintons.”
It’s no secret that the Conservative-leaning New York Post isn’t a fan of either of the Clintons, and the paper has consistently skewered both Bill and Hillary on its covers and within its pages on multiple occasions. And while I think the Post trades mostly in tabloid style journalism over actual news, I don’t begrudge them their strange fixation on the Clintons. But here’s the thing: Bill, Hillary and even Chelsea are all adults who can stand up for themselves. They can tune the Post out, ignore them, or even slap them with a lawsuit. The same cannot be said for a baby, even one born into a famous political family. One would think that they would draw a line with a baby only a few days old. One would be sadly mistaken.
Politics aside, there is absolutely no case to be made in favor of using a baby to attack anyone. Babies are as innocent as can be, and it takes a really cranky writer to even think it’s kosher to use a baby in order to go after her family. But it’s the New York Post, you say. They’re known for their sharp “wit,” and biting headlines. Just because they’re known for venomous, outrageous headlines and stories that usually lack any substance or depth does not mean they should be excused for dragging a newborn through the mud. Sorry, but I won’t let them off that easy.
So, to the New York Post, I say, “Shame on you!” Take your not-so-clever wordplay and snarky comments about an adorable baby and go hang out in the poopy party of your own creation. Go after the Clintons for their politics if you must, but leave their new granddaughter out of it.
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