So! It seems that Mandy Stadtmiller's first-person exploration of hiring a male prostitute that ran on the cover of today's New York Post has not been so popular among grumbling media types. A sample of the bitching we've heard, below.

[We asked Mandy for a comment, but she declined.] One angry Post staffer said:

"a) It was horribly written b) It was mean — this is a former homeless vet who's probably going to kill himself by the time he's 25 — and c) It wasn't funny... a new low for the New York Post."

A new low for the New York Post would really be saying something. AnotherPost staffer said:

"I was embarrassed. Even more so than I am for generally working at the Post...most people were generally just like, 'WTF is this?' There was a lot of snickering."

Camraderie has always been the most treasured aspect of journalism. Finally, a non-Post media type sent out this appraisal, that's been making the email rounds today:

"Once I hired this retarded kid to carry my luggage for me. Then I said 'thanks, kid,' kneed him in the nuts and wrote a blog post about how much I hated him and everything he represents. I took pictures of his oversized head and posted those too.

I thought that was a good use of my day."

So, "opinions are mixed," as they say in the journalism industry! Most journalists prefer to hire hookers with their own money.