the new mr. pitt

The venerable New York Times had the most hilarious typo on the front page of its Arts section this Sunday: In a bold teaser for the new Jesse James movie, toward the bottom of the page, it said: "Bratt Pitt." I couldn't believe my eyes! Did someone push it through as a joke, thinking it would get caught before it went to press? I even checked the article to make sure there isn't an actor by the name of Bratt Pitt, though I knew already that Brad Pitt is starring in this film. Are the Times' copy editors not as persnickety as everyone likes to think? Maybe it was a last-minute page proof that no one took time time to read thoroughly. I'd love to know.

And then part of me thought of my friend Elizabeth in Mississippi, who named her cat Brad Pitt. The stories she tells about him — like the one I won't tell in detail, involving one long strand of hair and kitty poop — make me think Bratt would be a good name for him.