Even less surprising than the revelation that the Ivar’s undersea billboard was an elaborate hoax, is the revelation of how far the Seattle Times actually has that stick shoved up its collective ass:
Times Executive Editor David Boardman says that while he can appreciate the initiative behind the marketing ploy and had suspected it was a hoax, he was distressed that Dorpat, whose “Now & Then” column has appeared in the newspaper’s Pacific Northwest magazine since 1982, would lie to a Times reporter.
Dorpat’s continued freelance relationship with the paper is “under review,” Boardman says.
So let me get this right. The Ivar’s undersea billboard hoax that Paul Dorpat participated in, that’s a bad thing that perhaps warrants termination, while the Susan Hutchison “I’m not a Republican” hoax that the Times own editorial board participated in, that’s okay.
Uh-huh.
Seriously?! Somebody didn’t know this was a marketing ploy?
otoh the times loves all of dave reichert’s “marketing ploys.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSlTMUd8cVk
Just a local ad that can cheer you up…
@1….no kidding…I didnt realize anybody took the Ivar’s stuff seriously. Lots of gullible people out there, but then again, Obama being elected is proof of that as well.
Just shut up and watch the above youtube, dwimbledorf.
ummm…………no.
@4: The opposite is true, McCain and Palin were the hoax everyone saw through.
re 6: “ummm…………no.”
The Republican philosophy in a nutshell. Pun intended.
It actually scares me that the Times did not know this was a joke, and a great marketing concept. I loved it. Hell, I can’t even eat fried stuff anymore but i went and had some chowder.
Is this really how low their investigative reporting has fallen to, that the bset they can figure out is that this is a marketing “scam?” Did the Time s think that hose Ivars Clam had legs and could run, too?
“I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED I tell you, to find out there is gambling on this establishment”
“Your winning sir”
“Oh thank you”
– Casablanca
@4
May I remind you of little Bush and his “ranch”.
Boy did he dump that marketing ploy fast after he was no longer pResident.
I’ve been rather under the impression that the position of anyone working for Frank Blethen is constantly “under review”.
Dorpat’s pictures are interesting and are an asset to The Times, so it makes sense that King Blethen would want to get rid of him. All he sees is an expense and if it loses some readers, so what?
Ding Ding Ding
Two points for spinning this into hate talk for Susan H.
You’re getting better and better at this all the time.
I’m rather surprised Dorpat hasn’t had a chance to draw a parallel between this stunt and the phony “Burn the Churn” protest the U. District ice cream parlor of that name arranged for to gain publicity back when he and Walt Crowley were putting out the Helix.