The Most Gullible Man in Cambridge

[jeaniebueller]

This story is absolutely wild. Even though I think the author is very sympathetic to the guy (didn't really push back on some of the things he said or ask certain pertinent questions. Rape allegations? where did that come from? were these people using real identities? why did so many of these guys fall for this?), this story is a crazy ride.

www.thecut.com/2019/07/bruce-hay-paternity-trap-maria-pia-shuman-mischa-haider.html

[pixy0stix]

WTF. Not only was he extremely gullible, the women are bad con artists. LOL! All that to what end? I feel badly for the kids in that mess.

[silva]

Holy shit. 😳

[rosiebear]

All I could think was “men and their dicks, smh.”
The ex(sort of) wife was the only sympathetic person in this whole mess.

[followyourarrow]

I don't understand what their end game was. Also, I might start walking up to men, telling them that I couldn't help but notice how attractive they are. I wonder if that will work for an over weight 40 year old?

[phunluvin82]

Wow. What a bizarre mess. So they just basically get their kicks out of being able to manipulate and torment people/men?

[cville]

Everyone in that article is straight up bananas.

[eclaires]

WTF did I just read?

[nicbreeful]

Not feeling very generous right now.

This man is a complete idiot.

Fini.

[Aquatica]

Wow. These women are cruel, I hope they don't get away with it and something eventually sticks.

[kadams767]

I really feel for people who fall for scams, I do. And I hope these women pay for what they’ve done, because it’s obviously terrible and cruel (and illegal, obviously). But I’m feeling less than charitable towards a Harvard educated, Harvard professor no less, who gives his passwords and physical computer to his pseudo-mistress and her partner. If you want to be careless with your own life and you’re single and detached, whatever, but when you’re still living with a partner/former partner and your children, you can’t do WTF you want.

[marie]

His wife (ex?) should have separated for real and stopped living together at the first sign of this mess...

[jeaniebueller]

Jul 25, 2019 15:21:37 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

All I could think was “men and their dicks, smh.”
The ex(sort of) wife was the only sympathetic person in this whole mess.

Right? they all think they have magic dicks apparently

[msmerymac]

Jul 26, 2019 7:34:08 GMT -5 marie said:

His wife (ex?) should have separated for real and stopped living together at the first sign of this mess...

I found it plausible to believe why she divorced him in the first place. Getting the house in her name was the only correct decision anyone in that article made.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 26, 2019 6:59:07 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I really feel for people who fall for scams, I do. And I hope these women pay for what they’ve done, because it’s obviously terrible and cruel (and illegal, obviously). But I’m feeling less than charitable towards a Harvard educated, Harvard professor no less, who gives his passwords and physical computer to his pseudo-mistress and her partner. If you want to be careless with your own life and you’re single and detached, whatever, but when you’re still living with a partner/former partner and your children, you can’t do WTF you want.

Have you ever met one of these dudes in real life? They're so book intelligent and insular that I always feel a mix of "you poor gelatinous pudding" and "I want to punch you in the nose". 

[kadams767]

Jul 26, 2019 9:23:56 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 26, 2019 6:59:07 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I really feel for people who fall for scams, I do. And I hope these women pay for what they’ve done, because it’s obviously terrible and cruel (and illegal, obviously). But I’m feeling less than charitable towards a Harvard educated, Harvard professor no less, who gives his passwords and physical computer to his pseudo-mistress and her partner. If you want to be careless with your own life and you’re single and detached, whatever, but when you’re still living with a partner/former partner and your children, you can’t do WTF you want.

Have you ever met one of these dudes in real life? They're so book intelligent and insular that I always feel a mix of "you poor gelatinous pudding" and "I want to punch you in the nose". 

@@

I mean, yes, in that I have 8 years and 3 degrees worth of post-high school education so have come across my fair share of absentminded professor types.  But damn.  His poor kids, and the ex-wife.  And that poor baby, who really needs a stable environment away from everyone in this story.   

[marie]

Jul 26, 2019 9:47:42 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Jul 26, 2019 9:23:56 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

@@

I mean, yes, in that I have 8 years and 3 degrees worth of post-high school education so have come across my fair share of absentminded professor types.  But damn.  His poor kids, and the ex-wife.  And that poor baby, who really needs a stable environment away from everyone in this story.   

Right?  Seems like the paternity is still a mystery too...

[kadams767]

Jul 26, 2019 10:03:41 GMT -5 marie said:

Jul 26, 2019 9:47:42 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

@@

I mean, yes, in that I have 8 years and 3 degrees worth of post-high school education so have come across my fair share of absentminded professor types.  But damn.  His poor kids, and the ex-wife.  And that poor baby, who really needs a stable environment away from everyone in this story.   

Right?  Seems like the paternity is still a mystery too...

It's funny you say that, because I agree that it seems like the baby's paternity is a mystery, but throughout the whole story I kept waiting to hear that this woman wasn't really Mort Shuman's daughter either and that was some crazy story.  

[msmerymac]

Jul 26, 2019 10:22:57 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Jul 26, 2019 10:03:41 GMT -5 marie said:

Right?  Seems like the paternity is still a mystery too...

It's funny you say that, because I agree that it seems like the baby's paternity is a mystery, but throughout the whole story I kept waiting to hear that this woman wasn't really Mort Shuman's daughter either and that was some crazy story.  

Right, it seems like she actually IS crazy rich and is just doing this for... fun?

[WOT?*]

Jul 26, 2019 10:03:41 GMT -5 marie said:

Jul 26, 2019 9:47:42 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

@@

I mean, yes, in that I have 8 years and 3 degrees worth of post-high school education so have come across my fair share of absentminded professor types.  But damn.  His poor kids, and the ex-wife.  And that poor baby, who really needs a stable environment away from everyone in this story.   

Right?  Seems like the paternity is still a mystery too...

Someone in comments suggested that the partner was the parent, as she is trans but hasn't had surgery. I was "Well, I never thought of that!"
And there was some question as to whether M-P was Schuman's daughter. Interesting, because his wife, with the same name, is still alive.

[al320]

Jul 26, 2019 10:38:04 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

Jul 26, 2019 10:03:41 GMT -5 marie said:

Right?  Seems like the paternity is still a mystery too...

Someone in comments suggested that the partner was the parent, as she is trans but hasn't had surgery. I was "Well, I never thought of that!"
And there was some question as to whether M-P was Schuman's daughter. Interesting, because his wife, with the same name, is still alive.

I assumed that it was the partners kids, since she hadnt had surgery yet. Also, i totally assumed she lied about her family, but since it seems like theyre doing this for fun, maybe that part is true?

I feel badly for these people. When you get conned, you are sought out because you are the exact right target. Theyre victims, and being gullible has nothing to do with it.

[waverly]

These are horrible people. It looked like they have done this several times before. I don't understand why the professor still engaged with them. There is the threat the baby is his, but it's 99% likely not his. And why give them his passwords? He thought it could be one big happy family.

I would be interested to hear the ex-wife's point of view.

[phunluvin82]

Jul 25, 2019 10:41:08 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

This story is absolutely wild. Even though I think the author is very sympathetic to the guy (didn't really push back on some of the things he said or ask certain pertinent questions. Rape allegations? where did that come from? were these people using real identities? why did so many of these guys fall for this?), this story is a crazy ride.

www.thecut.com/2019/07/bruce-hay-paternity-trap-maria-pia-shuman-mischa-haider.html

And this is so problematic too.  Because if this guy's story is to be believed (and the other men that they found with similar stories), they were making false accusations of assault and rape against him (and others).  Which is very rare, but god knows every misogynist out there just loves to latch on to those examples that do exist and trot them out constantly as evidence that women are crazy and not to be trusted and quick to cry rape when spurned.  They are contributing to the culture of women victims not being believed, then in the next breath, they are all 'take THAT patriarchy!'

[scm1011]

Jul 26, 2019 9:23:56 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 26, 2019 6:59:07 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I really feel for people who fall for scams, I do. And I hope these women pay for what they’ve done, because it’s obviously terrible and cruel (and illegal, obviously). But I’m feeling less than charitable towards a Harvard educated, Harvard professor no less, who gives his passwords and physical computer to his pseudo-mistress and her partner. If you want to be careless with your own life and you’re single and detached, whatever, but when you’re still living with a partner/former partner and your children, you can’t do WTF you want.

Have you ever met one of these dudes in real life? They're so book intelligent and insular that I always feel a mix of "you poor gelatinous pudding" and "I want to punch you in the nose". 

As someone who spent a decade bartending at a Harvard Sq pub frequented by professors and grad students, I came in contact with such dudes on a frequent basis. Some of the dumbest smart people ever. 

[5kcandlesinthewind]

Jul 26, 2019 11:29:54 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Jul 26, 2019 9:23:56 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Have you ever met one of these dudes in real life? They're so book intelligent and insular that I always feel a mix of "you poor gelatinous pudding" and "I want to punch you in the nose". 

As someone who spent a decade bartending at a Harvard Sq pub frequented by professors and grad students, I came in contact with such dudes on a frequent basis. Some of the dumbest smart people ever. 

*Nods vehemently in agreement* Harvard Faculty by and large are not world-renowned for their street smarts.

[amberlyrose]

Jul 26, 2019 11:05:34 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Jul 25, 2019 10:41:08 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

This story is absolutely wild. Even though I think the author is very sympathetic to the guy (didn't really push back on some of the things he said or ask certain pertinent questions. Rape allegations? where did that come from? were these people using real identities? why did so many of these guys fall for this?), this story is a crazy ride.

www.thecut.com/2019/07/bruce-hay-paternity-trap-maria-pia-shuman-mischa-haider.html

And this is so problematic too.  Because if this guy's story is to be believed (and the other men that they found with similar stories), they were making false accusations of assault and rape against him (and others).  Which is very rare, but god knows every misogynist out there just loves to latch on to those examples that do exist and trot them out constantly as evidence that women are crazy and not to be trusted and quick to cry rape when spurned.  They are contributing to the culture of women victims not being believed, then in the next breath, they are all 'take THAT patriarchy!'

You can see this happening in the comments. "Damn liberal women trying to ruin good, hardworking men!"

[followyourarrow]

Jul 26, 2019 11:05:34 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Jul 25, 2019 10:41:08 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

This story is absolutely wild. Even though I think the author is very sympathetic to the guy (didn't really push back on some of the things he said or ask certain pertinent questions. Rape allegations? where did that come from? were these people using real identities? why did so many of these guys fall for this?), this story is a crazy ride.

www.thecut.com/2019/07/bruce-hay-paternity-trap-maria-pia-shuman-mischa-haider.html

And this is so problematic too.  Because if this guy's story is to be believed (and the other men that they found with similar stories), they were making false accusations of assault and rape against him (and others).  Which is very rare, but god knows every misogynist out there just loves to latch on to those examples that do exist and trot them out constantly as evidence that women are crazy and not to be trusted and quick to cry rape when spurned.  They are contributing to the culture of women victims not being believed, then in the next breath, they are all 'take THAT patriarchy!'

I wish I could like this more than once.  A local sports celebrity was accused of rape and later the woman admitted she only did that to get back at him for dumping her.  Every time a woman does this it means thousands of women aren't believed.