This is absolutely hilarious, and viciously so.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/22/realestate/three-bedroom-brooklyn-williamsburg-dumbo.html

And yet for people who aren’t “in” on the joke — the way such people are being targeted, put under a spotlight of scrutiny for the sake of mockery and to make a social/political point — maybe it just reads as straight. Maybe the couple are proud? 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️

I wonder how many situations the Times needs to sieve to get these gems? But you never know what quotes you’ll get until you start. I’m betting it was the real estate agent’s quote that got the ball rolling.

It’s like a double entendre on the scale of an article. Is there a name for true story satire that fits the norms of being straight?

I went in looking for the place where the story tries to explain the Big Parental Gift that magically underwrites the whole thing, and I was not disappointed.

I don't mind the idea of parents who have surplus wealth helping their offspring with housing purchases. New York is built on it. But it is a funny trope of New York Times politesse in the various ways they try to be circumspect about it.

These real estate articles are standardly a steady parade of young naifs who are obviously shopping far above their salary levels. And there's always a "money shot"

“We always thought we’d start with something small, maybe just try to get our hands on a one-bedroom, and go from there,” Ms. Ramani said. “But my parents were really excited, and they wanted us to not only get something new we would love, but something that would be good for us for the future.”

With a new approach to budget and bedroom count, they began looking at properties in Lower Manhattan and the waterfront Brooklyn neighborhoods of Dumbo and Williamsburg.*