Somewhat amazingly, Liz Flock has responded to my heads-up that she’d been suckered into reporting that two comedians are also bankers by telling me she was obligated to report the story that way and that that is just how journalism works. So, two comedians are down near Wall Street pretending to be bankers who are protesting the protesters. She knows they’re lying about being bankers but she writes:
A counter-protest/prank has also started on Wall Street, “Occupy Occupy Wall Street,” by two actor-comedians who say they are also investment bankers and are fed up with the demonstrations.
Davram Stiefler and Jason Selvig told the Post they started their movement to represent the 1% because “we worked hard to get where we are, and these people seem like they are trying to take it away.”
Their advice to the protesters was to stop the “woe is me mentality,” and “instead of holding a sign, go to business school.”
While many have said it’s clear that the bankers are making fun of the protesters, Stiefler and Selvig insist the “protest is very serious to us.”
She implies that these comedians are bona fide members of the top 1% of earners in this country, leaves their assertion that they’re bankers uncontested. And then actually refers to them as “the bankers” and “wayward bankers.” We’re left, at best, confused about their true situation. If they’re bankers, why is it a prank? If it’s a prank, are they really bankers? They claim to be bankers and they claim to represent the top 1%. But we’re told they’re comedians.
This is how journalism works.