Yesterday, The New York Times published a story about “how to party.” I applauded it because I thought it was a step in the right direction for the Times — that is, the fun, current direction. But my readers thought otherwise. Some thought the sources were awful, some thought it should’ve been titled “how to throw a house party” and some thought there were some key topics not covered (nightclubs, beaches, cocaine, weddings, making out, hangovers, where to put your Zyn when you’re sitting at dinner). So today we’re going to chat about the story, but also how to actually party.
I talk about the Style section of the Times a lot because I think it has great potential. I also know they have a ton of money and staff, yet somehow report stories that Feed Me breaks like… 2 weeks later. It’s a fun cycle to observe from my apartment newsroom. I think they have the full capability to report on an excellent “how to party” story — I want to hear from teenagers in the suburbs on how to steal liquor from their parents without getting caught, and I want to hear from caddies on how they conceal affairs with club members, and I want to hear the logistics of throwing a field party with a keg, speaker, and grill in the back of a pick-up truck, and I also feel like a note on how to stock NARCAN at a party would’ve been helpful.
Another debate that came out of this story which happens every 6-8 months on Twitter is if keeping your shoes on at a party is “privileged.” Romilly Newman, a chef and socialite interviewed for the story had party takes like, “Don’t bring a guest to a seated dinner,” and “When you invite people into your home, you need to let go... You can’t be like, ‘You have to take your shoes off.’” This specific take spun out into a conversation about manners, tradition, and money. And I’d argue the entire story was about that (Ivy Getty, another source for the story, is the great-granddaughter of American oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty). Reminder that other stories on the Style homepage are about Victorian lampshades and a Hamptons flamingo.
Today we’re skipping the regular newsletter news roundup and going to focus on a single question that affects us all: how do we party? Come join the chat to find out. And you’re welcome to the Times traffic team.