Counterpunch Letters

Regarding Anthony Friedkin's Counterpunch "Cutting NEA Grants Makes No Sense" (Calendar, Nov. 13): I don't believe that Americans have any less appreciation for the arts than they have had in the past. What they don't appreciate is seeing their hard-earned money going to support some would-be artist when they are having difficulty making ends meet themselves. BOB COFFEY Oxnard

Kudos to Earl Pomerantz for articulating the truth ("There's a Reason TV Parents Get No Respect," Counterpunch, July 21). However, how about me? I am part of the "crazy parent from hell" and "cute" grandparent group, and still I continue to watch "Seinfeld" and "Friends," etc. Someone should check me in. DARLENE LARSON Lancaster The "Malibu" Getty is located in Pacific Palisades, which is within the city limits of Los Angeles and...

I was appalled by William Relling Jr.'s cynical comments about "Forrest Gump" ("It's Time to Dump the 'Gump,' " Oct. 17). To me, the central message of the movie is that no matter your IQ, you can still be a decent, caring, loving and committed person. These are noble qualities we find so sorely lacking in today's society. And it is based on my perception of the movie that I do not find myself superior, intellectually or otherwise, to Forrest Gump. If anything, I feel inferior because I know that, as most people, I have not been able to attain the exceptional level of decency that this character personifies.

Having given some thought to what has been said by some few but very loud and ubiquitous voices on countless national and local TV and radio programs and in countrywide press articles about the film I directed, "The People vs. Larry Flynt," I would like to state publicly how proud I am to have made this movie ("The Many People vs. 'Larry Flynt,' " Calendar, March 1). "Larry Flynt" is meant to be neither a bio-documentary of Flynt nor a tract against his magazine, Hustler, although, as the critics throughout the country in their very appreciative reviews have noted, he is presented with his flaws intact and visible.

Sheila James Kuehl's "Ice-T Critics Miss the Rapper's Real Target" (Counterpunch, July 27) adds feminist outrage over the violence perpetrated against women to the enormous vituperation already heaped upon Ice-T's "Cop Killer" and his "Body Count" album by such luminaries as Charlton Heston and Oliver North. (North's call for prosecuting Ice-T and Time Warner under the laws against sedition and anarchy is the height of ironic hypocrisy.) Of course, listening to such rap artists as Ice-T and Sister Souljah is a bracing, indeed terrifying experience.

Regarding Brosnan's response, I say "Bravo!" Releasing a movie in today's market is difficult enough without people trying to hobble you before the race even starts, simply because they don't like a short synopsis they have read. "Mr. Johnson" is a highly regarded piece of literature by a great writer, adapted for the screen by a talented director, and set for release by Avenue, a company staffed by people who know how to make a movie work. While this combination is no guarantee of the movie's success, I would think that Dutka would take these facts into consideration before the opinion of a producer apparently less informed than she. TC RICE Los Angeles

Kudos to Earl Pomerantz for articulating the truth ("There's a Reason TV Parents Get No Respect," Counterpunch, July 21). However, how about me? I am part of the "crazy parent from hell" and "cute" grandparent group, and still I continue to watch "Seinfeld" and "Friends," etc. Someone should check me in. DARLENE LARSON Lancaster The "Malibu" Getty is located in Pacific Palisades, which is within the city limits of Los Angeles and...

Having given some thought to what has been said by some few but very loud and ubiquitous voices on countless national and local TV and radio programs and in countrywide press articles about the film I directed, "The People vs. Larry Flynt," I would like to state publicly how proud I am to have made this movie ("The Many People vs. 'Larry Flynt,' " Calendar, March 1). "Larry Flynt" is meant to be neither a bio-documentary of Flynt nor a tract against his magazine, Hustler, although, as the critics throughout the country in their very appreciative reviews have noted, he is presented with his flaws intact and visible.

I don't know how Ice Cube became the culture speaker for Afro-Americans and decided that rap with all of its profanity has become a common language for Afro-Americans. I saw the person who spoke for the 2 Live Crew group on TV. The common language of rap had not done very much for him. You know--I mean--you know what I mean--I mean--you know--I mean. T.K. RADECLIFFE Culver City

Grace Song's charge that "The Villainous Depiction of Muslims" is because of American ignorance of Islamic culture (Calendar, April 1) is right on the money. Unfortunately, I see only one way that this could change. Only if more Americans visit Islamic nations and witness the culture and history for themselves will this ignorance be abated. Anyone who has experienced the Islamic world firsthand (like this writer, who has been to Morocco twice and Tunisia once) will instantly see that the stereotypes that associate Islam with violence, terrorism, extremism and hatred, which films like "Executive Decision" traffic in, are completely without validity in terms of referring to Islam as a whole--as opposed to the political situation in specific nations.

Hooray for Jack Jones for echoing the sentiments of artists such as myself, and I'm sure, countless others ("Grammy Voting Changes Are Just a Form of Ageism," Calendar, March 11). I was never fortunate enough to win a Grammy, but I have been nominated three times in the jazz category, and sat on the board of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences various times, starting in 1978 through the 1980s. I remember being sadly disappointed when the organization decided to abandon the separate vocal categories of best jazz female, best jazz male and best vocal or duo, and just have one to include all of the above.

Jerry Colburn's theory on "Babe" was a bit farfetched ("Lingering Over the Lessons of 'Babe,' " Counterpunch, Feb. 26). How he could speculate that "Babe" is about midlife crisis was amusing. He reminds me of the psychiatrist who thought Disneyland was filled with sexual symbols. He refers to the movie letting us feel sympathy for the animals' mortal condition as an aside--not as the primary issue. The next time you eat bacon or ham, or any animal, remember that it once was a living being who felt pain, starvation, thirst, separation and profound abuses at the hands of humans.

Thank you for the article supporting the radical notion that theater actors should be paid ("In Praise of Actors Getting Paid," by Lynn Redgrave, Counterpunch, Feb. 26). There is not enough money in theater here to survive on, and TV and film are such business-driven vehicles that the artistic impulse is often the first thing that's sacrificed. To see a truly gifted actor perform is a life-enhancing experience that should be available to as many people as possible. It is a different experience when it's live, not that many know that now. When I have performed in local productions, I have looked out and seen a preponderance of gray heads.

Jack Saltzberg's letter, "Movies and Stereotypes," in the Jan. 29 Calendar carried erroneous information regarding international terrorism. As a former Israeli operative, Saltzberg believes that Muslims and Arabs should be classified as the major terrorist threat, but the record according to the U.S. Department of State proves otherwise. In its annual report on global terrorism, the Office of Counterterrorism indicated that Latin America and Europe accounted for the greatest number of international terrorist incidents.

I must take a moment to congratulate Gary Franklin on writing about a subject that's dear to my heart--professional journalism ("CNN and CBS Radio Show the Way," Calendar, Jan. 29). It is sickening every evening to turn on TV news and listen to story after story of drive-by shootings, robberies, gang shootings and teenage thefts, etc. The sensationalism young news writers try to write into a news bit is disgusting. Unfortunately, Los Angeles TV stations' news programs are a collection of "readers" who try to make news something it is not--just to grab the viewers' attention.