Separate Sleeping Zones are In for 2007

I found two items in the local newspaper that were interesting yesterday.

One was a story in the Republican’s Home section about trends in bedrooms. It seems that MacMansions are going out of style…people are not asking for 5000 square foot homes anymore, the new trend is smaller, cozier, and rooms that do more. In the bedroom, another trend has become dominant. Two sleeping zones, one for Her and one for the snoring Him. We know more than a few couples who long ago stopped sleeping in the same bed, not for lack of intimacy, just that one of them snores so loud the other can’t sleep. So these new house designers are making a master chamber with two beds, when the earplugs won’t cut it.

Then I saw a story by Larry McDermott, the publisher of the same newspaper. He said that in the top ten stories for 2006, the editors chose the election of Deval Patrick. But this wasn’t the story most read on the paper’s website–that honor goes to a story about a family who sued after they found the bride proffered in an arranged marriage was ugly and had buck teeth. Now that’s the story people really wanted to read and share. Another editor explained…”that’s a ‘hey Martha!’ story, one that you can call out to share with your wife or the folks at the office.

Makes me wonder though why there is such a difference between what the editors think is good for the readers and what the readers are actually most interested in.