You ever get the feeling that the "journalist" solicited the comments 1st, wrote the article 2nd?
Just think of all those itty bitty nameless cubicles with all those itty bitty little thoughts just dying to have someone listen to them ~ why, it'd be absolutely cruel to ignore them, and besides, there's no telling what's on The Outside.
NYT 1st rule of reporting: if you didn't make it up yourself, why bother printing it?
Happy Valentines, Ladies