Well, the flagging economy just hit Ironic America where it will hurt the most -- in its cherished daily allowance of aloof mockery.
Yesterday, Gawker Media mogul and notoriously mercurial pain-in-the-ass Nick Denton announced that he's laying off 19 members of his editorial staff as a preemptive strike against what he figures will be the effect of the economic slump on his wallet. Among those canned, inexplicably: Moe Tkacik.
You might remember I wrote a lengthy column a while back that took a couple of shots at Moe for her behavior during a live speaking engagement here in New York City -- to wit, getting thoroughly shitfaced and making offhand cracks about rape (cracks that belied her otherwise impressive brain). For the record, Moe was really gracious about what I said in my piece and I tried to make it clear -- and still want to -- that I think she's a damn good writer and certainly the biggest creative talent working under the Gawker banner.
This almost inarguable point -- coupled with her popularity, first at Jezebel.com then at Gawker proper -- would be enough to leave me dumbfounded as to why Denton chose to let her go. But then there's the fact that just a couple of months ago he talked her out of leaving on her own when he learned that she'd taken a job as a senior writer at Radar Online. At the 11th hour, Denton offered her a promotion if she'd agreed to stay.
She did, and now just about ten short weeks later, she's out of a job.
Mediabistro calls Denton's decision to fire Moe "striking."
I'd call it something else, but I looked in the dictionary and apparently "assholey" isn't a word.
DXM: Droll Models/7.11.08
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