It’s true that Tom Friedman never has to say he is sorry and he can get an interview with the president almost as easily as he can with his cab driver. You can almost say the same for David Brooks. Although I’m not sure that the key to being a Very Serious Person is that you’re coated in teflon that protects you from the natural consequences of being an opinion writer who is frequently, catastrophically, wrong.
I think the key is that you get to define what’s not serious.
