Last week Brooklyn Papers ran a story about celebrities buying houses in Brooklyn. One of those celebrities was Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is rumored to have purchased a brownstone on Sterling Place, off 5th Avenue. With star-sightings in Park Slope going for a dime-a-dozen, the story wasn't exactly big news-- except that they illustrated it with a picture of Gullenhaal buck naked on some kind of bear-skin futon. Then all hell broke loose-- and dozens of complaint letters poured in:
I’m actually a left-wing person. I’m not upset with puerile things in general, but I find the photo really distasteful and unwelcoming. Part of the appeal of living in Park Slope is part of the snooping of neighbors, I agree, but not that kind of exploitation of our neighbors. I actually think you owe her an apology, and you owe all of us an apology. I feel very strongly on that.
I was puzzled by your choice of photo. Running a nearly nude photo of the actress on your front page is hardly a neighborly welcome. Did you just Google around for the most inappropriate free-of-charge photo you could find? Not nice!
I bet Maggie Gyllenhaal felt really good about moving here when she spotted your cover while pushing her newborn in a stroller along Seventh Avenue. Anything to sell free papers, right?
Today, Brooklyn Papers apologized for running the image: "Our front-page photo last week of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal represented a lapse of discretion for which we apologize. Given the nature of the photo, its placement on Page One was inappropriate and not in line with our standards." Jeez, Louise! Doesn't anyone have a sense of humor anymore?
