"Paper of record"? The New York Times decided to do their own edgy "Desperate Housewives" story today, focusing on how much more desperate things are for househusbands. It was an ill-conceived story (anyone who has spent time in a newsroom can imagine how the story came to be) on how miserable we are. The final result has me slamming my head into the wall in frustration:

While television audiences are gripped by the suburban drama of "Desperate Housewives," stay-at-home dads face their own forms of desperation: strange looks from moms and nannies, snide remarks from former colleagues, and elusive play dates.

I'll be penning a letter to the editor as soon as I get enough perspective to write a thoughtful response. I'll post it when I get to that point. Lacking that now, here is a quick, unedited rant focusing on the two dumbest elements of a story that is pretty dumb, through and through:

1) The guys are generally happy: the author, Jennifer Medina, manages to find five quote-worthy guys for her piece on how terrible it is to be an at-home dad. But three of the guys seem content -- if not happy -- with their lot in life, including two in an at-home dad group (I think it's this one) that has bar nights and a Vegas trip. Of the two malcontents, one is quoted only in the final paragraph. The other, who provides the story's lede and much of the commentary, manages to admit that he doesn't like the local moms (who shut him out of playgroups), the dads (too wrapped up in status) or the kids (too snobby). So I'm not sure he's the best person to talk about "isolation." If that's the best the New York F@*&ing Times can do to find "desperate househusbands," then we're doing pretty well.

2) The story is set in fantasy land. Think "Wisteria Lane" -- where "Desperate Housewives" is set -- is imaginary? Here's Medina on (real-life) suburban NY:

In the unspoken rules of suburbia, mothers broker the play dates with an exacting calculus, weeks and even months in advance. For some moms, socializing with each other while their offspring crawl around is as essential as whether or not the children get along.

I assure you that mothers do not make playdates months in advance, and should you meet a parent capable of scheduling a playdate that far in the future, you should by no means accept.

(I expect the blogosphere to light up on this one. Right now, Daddy Types is on it. I'll try to bring you the best links on this as they appear.)