Steve Levitt Outs His Daughter

Posted by lukegilman

September 29, 2006

I’m a big Steve Levitt fan, but this post was cold.

After going through the package, I pulled my two oldest daughters aside (they are six) and told them they were not allowed to ever have a boyfriend with the middle name “Wayne.” Olivia, who is obsessed with a boy named Thomas in her class, is going to check on his middle name tomorrow.

Here’s how I imagine it going if little Olivia were the litigious type:

Me as Olivia’s Lawyer in her defamation suit: Now Mr. Levitt, in your column you said that your daughter was, I quote, “obsessed with a boy named Thomas in her class.”
Prominent Economist Steven D. Levitt: yes, but…
Me Again: Now it’s possible that your daughter’s classmates would know that her father has a bestselling book or popular blog, isn’t it?
Flattered Economist Steven D. Levitt: yes, but…
Me: Now isn’t it true that your blog posts are freely accessible to anyone on the internet?
Worried Economist Steven D. Levitt: yes, but…
Me: Isn’t it possible that one of your daughter’s classmates or some else who has contact with your family could read that post?
Cowering Economist Steven D. Levitt: yes, but…
Me: Wouldn’t it be possible that they could see what you wrote about your daughter and that that information might find it’s way back to your daughter or WORSE, to Thomas?
Remorseful Economist Steven D. Levitt: yes, but…