Reddit throws NYC drinkfest, but everyone's thirsting for Julia
EAST VILLAGE, NEW YORK — Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, who sold social-news website Reddit a year ago to the publisher of Wired, brought Reddit's beer-laden world tour to New York last night. And, on the promise of an open bar from 7 till last call, the people showed. Among the crowd a pair of Condé Nast Newhouses and a whole mess of Silicon Alley's scruffiest. What'd I learn? Some tidbits such as that Huffman doesn't always flush and that at Reddit, Ohanian just draws the aliens. But mainly we learned that the people wanted to know: Would Jakulia show?
You'll recall Jakob Lodwick, the always-naked Vimeo founder and geek-lusting girlfriend Julia Allison, Star's professional pretender. Dubbed Jakulia by a notorious Manhattan gossip — Allison herself — the pair were set to make or break Reddit's party with a rumored late-night appearance.
But in the meantime, the booze flowed freely at Hanger bar between Avenues B and C. Here are two of the founders, Huffman and, in the background, Ohanian. Next to Huffman is his fiancé, Katie Babiarz.
While you're admiring the obnoxiously handsome couple, here's a tidbit to bring them back to earth. I learned from Huffman, that, among his college friends, other than a penchant for right-wing conspiracy theories, he's most known for habitually forgetting to flush. Alas, poor Huffman: successful, handsome and engaged to a beautiful woman, but with a circle of friends who can only remember that his shit still stinks.
Here's a better shot of Ohanian. No word on his bathroom habits.
Things got rowdier as the night went on. Well into the sloshing, Ohanian got the bright idea to turn off the music and host an imprompt Q&A session. He got exactly two questions from the packed crowd. One from a woman I'd seen dancing feet away from the founder most of the night.
"How does one start a — when are we going to have intercourse?" she shouted.
"When is Julia Allison getting here?" shouted another. The music returned.
Still, despite the hooch-induced frivolity, you people are still ... you people. Even in Silicon Alley. Solo cups and BlackBerrys? Sick.
But sicker? Your unhealthy obsession with Jakulia, people. All night the whispers were hardly whispers.
"When's Julia Allison coming?"
"What about Jakob Lodwick?"
"Will he be wearing a shirt?"
It went on and on like this all night. But, then, suddenly like a TV dropped in the bathtub, a shock shot through the Hanger bar. You begged, so fine, here they are in all their ... something. Jakulia and a guy.
And then they left.
