but she'll make a small fortune now that these are all over the internet. Why can't I be a socialite?

Being a "New Yorker" I feel like "The Gates" is one thing I can speak about first hand. Joshua first of all saying "that New Yorkers are too obsessed with looking hip to actually say what they think about it" is so far off base I can't even believe it. The one thing New Yorkers aren't shy about is expressing exactly what they think. That is magnified even more when it comes to our park and EVEN MORE so when someone from out of town comes in and does something to our park. (I say our park because collectively we all see this as our own little piece of nature). There were countless interviews on TV the day the installation opened. And the big story was what we as residents of NYC thought (I have to say most people who live here honestly don't give a crap about the tourists because they just get in the way- i know i know they spend a lot of dough here but that's not the point). Everyone they interviewed had a point of view that ranged from loving it to hating it to just coming out to see it because it was a once in a life time experience. And for the record there were no patrons- it was the artists own money that they earned and the pieces weren't rolled off a conver belt- it took a lot of hard human work to pull it off. My office cube directly overlooks the park (57th st bet 5th and 6th) and it really is something to see. No matter if you agree with it or not its a sight that has to be seen to be commented on.

Personally I do think that it was a waste of money when I see people starving everyday, but the reason we live in America is freedom and that includes the freedom to waste your own money as you see fit.