Sam Zell and Randy Michaels laughed heartily at a story of a man having sex with a deer, telling an audience of employees Monday the difference between Virginia and West Virginia was that in Virginia Moosehead is a beer, while in West Virginia it is a misdemeanor.

The exchange at a staff meeting of the Daily Press of Newport News, Va., came as a flustered staffer attempted to ask a serious question about the editorial direction of the paper. Zell added to the embarrassment by calling the staffer a girl after his own heart.

Michaels asked if the story was real, saying "I've heard the key to dating is having the right doe… I didn't get the context before."

Zell followed up this exchange by telling a sales representative that the newspaper needs "pride and respect… that's our goal."