He is more than clever. He's like a moral cyborg, who absorbs environmental data and instantaneously adjusts his attitude, his posture, his message to whatever works and advances his greed-driven agenda.
In one breath, for instance, he told me he may never do another hunt because of the annoying media attention. When I reminded Burdick that he was the one who faxed invitations to Las Vegas television stations, he froze like Bambi in the headlights. Long pause.
"I want as much publicity as I can get," he quickly amended.
Here's what was true: Burdick wanted to sell his videos, gambled on a press release that got Sorrell's attention, organized a hunt for her to witness and savored the free exposure.
In my original column, I asked: What do we have here? What we had was a hoax, a conspiracy to deceive, a media moment perfect for July, men hunting naked women, a symbiotic summer blend, a faked climax, a lesson in human gullibility and deception.
Burdick isn't so much spinmeister as he is the human hairball coughed up by a culture that embraces the corrupt. His closing remark to me, a quote from his favorite philosopher, comedian Andy Kaufman, may best capture the depraved spirit and cynical persona of our times: "F-you if you can't take a joke."