A Fair and Honest Appraisal of Your Appearance

This is the story I hinted at earlier this week:

Finally, a hospital gala that was fun

I got photos of a New York Methodist Hospital awards gala, and of course most of the photos were people in fancy clothes wining and dining. But in a few of the photos, there was a man wearing a hat, mask and a bandana accompanied by a woman in a bandana, sunglasses and a bright red wig. I asked the photographer who they were, and he started me on an investigation.

It turns out this couple, who call themselves the Bumbys, do this shtick that's sort of like "Guess Your Weight"...except it's about your general appearance. They grade you on a scale of 1 to 10, tell you what fashion choices are working for you and which ones aren't, and they type it up on their electric typewriters and hand it to you. And people are fascinated enough to join in and ask for a Bumby appraisal, at parties and events all over New York City.

Here's a New York Times article that explains their act:

Don't Judge Us, We'll Judge You

So instead of just writing about the gala and the awards, I centered the story around the Bumbys. Which was more interesting and fun to write.