The Journalist and the Pharma Bro

I imagine that was Elle’s hope and dream.

 

Not at all. People here and on social media went on about The Atlantic's rich-family sports story just a few weeks ago, among other magazine features released in 2020. This story sure blew up, but it's not "the buzziest" and "most read" story in "several years;" not by a long shot.

The "Pharma Bro" story picked up because many people are on vacation and have time to sit down, read the thing, and share it in their online circles. Plus, everyone hates the guy, and this story dives into the juicy detail of a woman actually falling in love with the maniac.

 

I disagree. But, to each their own.

 

I think this story got a lot of passalong for the reasons mentioned, and because this sort of Bluebeard / jailhouse romance / prison fiance story is a regular subgenre of American popular letters. There's a long tradition here, going back way past Victorian newspapers and penny dreadfuls.

Certainly Charlie Manson and Ted Bundy got plenty of proposals in prison.

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So the story is one of a type. And people, for whatever reason, love them.

Without reference to the quality of the writing, among my reservations here were these:

- Are we taking advantage of or mocking someone with a psychological or emotional problem?

- Is she a reliable narrator?

- Who are the other sources?

- How did Shkreli find out there was a story underway?

- How did the writer get Shkreli's closing comment?

 

I am sensitive to this question because of family circumstances, but how far down that road should we go? She is a limited public figure and that gives Elle more leeway even beyond the legal end. That said, our current click-first, ask-questions-later culture means any consideration of a subject’s state is fleeting at best.

 

Something about the timing of everything strikes me more as a publicity grab and please buy the rights to make a movie/Netflix tiger king limited series so we can all get rich thing.

feels like next month, month after, story will drop about a deal being made.

 

Absolutely.

So, another concern: Are we being played for suckers?

 

Coming to Netflix December 2021:

Badchoiceasil: The Pharma Bro Romance starring Elizabeth Moss and Jimmi Simpson

 

Maybe Trump will pardon Pharma Bro when he pardons Joe Exotic.

 

the short answer is yes. The longer answer is also yes. I suppose there’s a third angle of angling for a presidential pardon.

Giving someone like pharma bro a pardon would be the real cherry on top of the shot sundae that has been 2020.

 

I know this seems to be settled law when it comes to journalism these days, but...

The note at the bottom of the story said it won’t publish until the March issue. And Elle doesn’t have ads on its page, so, why did they share it so early? Maybe they have some kind of revenue agreement with the fashion labels in the photo shoots?

I know modern practice is to just share something as soon as it’s ready, and I’m sure there are reasons. Sometimes I’m not 100% sure what they are, though.

Maybe the March story can be expanded with an update? Surely all this traffic results in some new subs.

Just made me think some.