Leon Neyfakh at The Observer chronicles the growing competition between the two biggest cats in the free weekly jungle, The Village Voice and The New York Press. It hasn't been this hyper-competitive between those two since back in the day when Taki Theodoracopulos and Sam Schulman edited the New York Press' ''Top Drawer'' section and Doug Simmons was at The Voice.

Apparently Voice editor Tony Ortega, in what can only be properly construed as an ill-received joke, ran a racy August 22nd cover in response to the media criticism the weekly has been getting over those massage parlor ads. The staff wasn't too happy about it, but his competitor Manhattan Media CEO Tom Allon was. From the salmon-hued (and tennis-obsessed) weekly:

'''It was an inside joke,' he said. 'The punchline was only clear to a small sliver of their readership.'

''Mr. Allon said he was nevertheless flattered by the attention.

'''Clearly it was a nod to us and to our decision. I was flattered that they thought that a decision we made warranted a Voice cover.'''

15-Love, Allon.

(image via clipart)