UP IN SMOKE
Re: "Scene & Herd: Return of the Promo Pack," by Scott Harrell (Feb. 16-22)I was a theater major at USF while I was a death stick pimpina for Camel, circa 1999-2000. Talk about being popular. I don't think any of those dirty chain-smokin' actors bought smokes for a couple of years, at least. "Unemployed hipsters" was very sweet of you – but you must not have noticed we were all also stoned, slackers, bipolar, and frequently hooked on other people's prescription drugs. We were also the kind of people to whom 4 p.m. was very nearly the crack of dawn … Thanks for repeatedly referring to us as attractive. I hear you're kinda cute, too.
Christen M. Petitt
Tampa
GOD SMACK
Re: "Krunk for Christ," by Max Linsky (Feb. 16-22) I have a request to make to those of us who are not living in fantasyland, and have some clue about reality. Do we have to keep perpetuating Christianity as anything but the antiquated polarizing fiction that it is? The story quotes hip-hop pastor Tommy Kyllonen as saying, "There is nowhere in the scripture where it says you gotta dress a certain way to go into God's house. That's a man-made tradition." Christianity is a man-made tradition, moron.
Travis May
Tampa
BEYOND LABELS
Re: "Planet Picks: Clean Wisecrackin'," by Leilani Polk (Feb. 9-15) "Planet Picks" keeps me up to date with cool things happening locally. I appreciate the section, and the hard work and creative writing that goes into this section every week. But in the Feb. 9 issue something struck me as odd. I had to read "Clean Wisecrackin'" twice to get it. Earlier Matt Haimovitz is described as an adult prodigy (musician), Michio Kaku is a nuclear physicist and Bill Cosby is a "black" comedian. As a graduate student in English I'd read and heard of "other" more times than I cared to. But this time something clicked. Here, Bill Cosby is depicted as something other than normal. He's different. He's black.
I can't say I haven't made the mistake in my thoughts and words, but I do see that doing so creates a subtle, arbitrary and harmful division between another human being and myself. No one benefits from descriptors that set us apart and fosters separateness. Thank you for the lesson.
Jordan Dye
Tampa
THE SHADOW KNOWS
Re: "Shadow Dancing," by Mark E. Leib (Dec. 22-28)This is just a note to say that I found your review of the touring Phantom production in December excellent and thought-provoking. I'm in the production, and have been doing the show in one production or another for the last nine years, so I've done plenty of thinking about what it is that gives the piece such legs and inspires such a loyal following. I've also read plenty of reviews since joining the tour, most of which explain the plot and mention the chandelier and either say that it's a very effective piece that holds up well, or hold back and poo-poo it as populist drivel. You, though, really gave it some thought, and came up with a real essay about the Jungian Shadow, and it seems quite right to me. I've always felt the reason so many people are emotionally moved by Phantom is that we all feel judged by our outer aspects to some degree. I'll add your Shadow idea the next time someone asks my opinion on the subject. Thanks for writing something worth saving.
John Kuether
New York City
SEX, POLITICS,
SO WHAT?
Re: "The Fire Down Below," by Wayne Garcia (Feb. 9-15)I read with interest your article on the stripper incident at the firehall. I can never figure out whether people like you, people with so much experience in political life, are penning opinions they really believe, or are simply putting forth in writing the only ideas they think will get a reading. You quoted Ms. Repper as saying that "We've had a rich history of lust in politics. It's been going on for decades." I hope that quote is in the running for stupidest thing said this year. I think lust in politics has been going on as long as there has been politics. Capt. Suarez is in fine company. Men down through the ages have gotten themselves in hot water over their dalliances with dancing girls. Ms. Repper seems to think this is a pol problem. I think it is a guy thing.
I am so worn out with sex in politics being an issue. I hated the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky thing. I just didn't see that it mattered. I didn't care that he lied about the affair. He would not have lied about weapons of mass destruction, or about what Medicare medicine was going to cost. If I had been Ms. Repper, and had been seated near the judge and his paramour, I would have quietly requested to have my seat changed. I would never think for a moment that I had the right to dictate the man's actions by imposing myself in the middle of his private business, whether I had "gotten him elected" or not.
Ann Addams
Tampa
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2005.