Neal Gabler

WALT DISNEY'S ashes are buried in a Forest Lawn mausoleum, in a private garden. Standing nearby, in a patch of flowers, is a small white statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid. The setting might strike some as a coincidence, since Disney's studio turned Andersen's tale into a box office hit. Others might find it incongruous, noting that the original story was dark and troubling, while the Disney remake was upbeat and lighthearted.

Where did the party go? Re "Democrats are compromised to death," Opinion, Dec. 26 Neal Gabler is right: The Democratic Party represents "interests" and is no longer committed to the principles that favor the powerless. To gain a majority, it must appeal to as many progressive groups as it can without being labeled "liberal. " It is this retreat that recently led it to measures favoring the wealthy: eliminating Glass-Steagall under President Clinton, and supporting the banks and corporations under President Obama.

Author Neal Gabler is watching a car chase on TV. It's not an episode of "NYPD Blue" or a rerun of "Starsky and Hutch." It's real. Well, it's sort of real, and that's Gabler's point. Yes, it's real and immediate to the police officers and the suspect racing through the streets of San Pedro. Any one of them could die at any moment. But to home viewers, who are being fed an increasingly steady diet of live car chases, the scene seems less than real.

Much too soft on Rice? Re "Patt Morrison Asks: Citizen Rice," Opinion, Oct. 23 I have enjoyed Patt Morrison's commentaries over the years. Therefore, I was profoundly disappointed by her softball interview with Condoleezza Rice. Given Rice's highly influential role in supporting two aggressive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Morrison's question about Code Pink and war crimes begged for more. Millions have died or been made homeless by these outrageous and immoral attacks, yet Morrison let Rice get away with a lame and insulting reply.

Neal Gabler asks, "If you think about the impeachment debate, isn't it incredibly similar to the argument over the honorary Oscar awarded to Elia Kazan?" ("A Fateful Decision, Damaging Fallout," by Patrick Goldstein, March 16.) No, it isn't. There's a big difference between sex and fascism, and Gabler's reasoning illustrates the folly of dealing in abstract principles at the expense of qualitative differences; the McCarthy-HUAC era was more damaging to America than Clinton's errant groin could ever be. NORM FRAHM Corona del Mar

Regarding "Sound and Fury" (by Neal Gabler, July 31): Whatever "sins" the Warner Brothers may have committed as makers of the most controversial motion pictures of all time, whatever family squabbles, scandals or skulduggery may have come to light because of their actions, particularly those of Jack Warner, their motto of later years makes one want to forgive them because of their dedication to that motto: "Combining good citizenship with good picture...

Re "Buying a Piece of Divinity From Where Jackie Dwelt," by Neal Gabler, Opinion, April 28: No doubt Gabler is correct in his analysis of the purchase of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis "relics," but I think he missed a very important point. I believe people bought Jackie O's things not only because of the person but also because of the time she represented to many. When she and Jack were in the White House many of were just starting our life's journey. They gave us hope for the future, faith in our government and pride in our country.

Congratulations for printing "Karl Rove: America's Mullah" (Opinion, Sept. 24). Neal Gabler's article on Rove and Rovism describes with deadly accuracy the political battle for America's soul. I hope every voter reads this article and then casts a vote for saving America's soul. If voters understand the nature of the conservative agenda and the means being used to promote it, they will surely vote progressive by casting their vote for John Kerry. Milton Gonsalves Cathedral City Gabler smears Rove as a "sharpie with a bulging bag of dirty tricks" and defines "Rovism" as a "jihadi" scheme to install an "ironfisted theocracy."

In "At a Time When Nothing Succeeds Like Success" (Opinion, Oct. 31), Neal Gabler asserts that athletes at the top of their game are considered "poster boys for the new morality." He suggests that their success at sport allows illicit behavior to be discounted or ignored. I disagree. Gabler misuses the term "morality." While there is a more effective or less effective way to, say, hit a baseball, that action has no moral weight. It is simply a human skill that is a product of native talent and lots of learning, practice and experience.

Neal Gabler, in " 'Private Ryan' Satisfies Our Longing for Unity" (Opinion, Aug. 9), couldn't see the trees for the forest. People don't go to see the film because people have told them that it makes you feel good about our country or unified or because it reconciles past political differences. It is a great film because it is not judgmental about the history or politics of the war but shows it in all its inhumanity, horror, pain and death, and it shows soldiers, Americans and Germans alike, as real people each trying in his own way to cope with sense of duty, loyalty, fears and mortality.

Re "Just the 'facts' fails us all," Opinion, Aug. 23 Neal Gabler's article on the crucial role of journalism in shaping public knowledge and opinion is pitch-perfect. He points out how important it is that the media do more than just report that "he yelled" and "she screamed" but actually evaluate the truth (or lack) behind the pronouncements and accusations of opinion-makers. Whether the media actively contribute to an informed citizenry or passively allow demagogues to dominate issues is critical to the future of our nation.

WALT DISNEY'S ashes are buried in a Forest Lawn mausoleum, in a private garden. Standing nearby, in a patch of flowers, is a small white statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid. The setting might strike some as a coincidence, since Disney's studio turned Andersen's tale into a box office hit. Others might find it incongruous, noting that the original story was dark and troubling, while the Disney remake was upbeat and lighthearted.

NEAL GABLER steps into a biography of the legendary Walt Disney with substantive credentials. His "An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Created Hollywood" (1988) was a signal achievement in art-versus-commerce storytelling that still resonates, as does his 1994 biography of Walter Winchell and, to a lesser extent, his 1998 book "Life: The Movie, How Entertainment Conquered Reality."

Congratulations for printing "Karl Rove: America's Mullah" (Opinion, Sept. 24). Neal Gabler's article on Rove and Rovism describes with deadly accuracy the political battle for America's soul. I hope every voter reads this article and then casts a vote for saving America's soul. If voters understand the nature of the conservative agenda and the means being used to promote it, they will surely vote progressive by casting their vote for John Kerry. Milton Gonsalves Cathedral City Gabler smears Rove as a "sharpie with a bulging bag of dirty tricks" and defines "Rovism" as a "jihadi" scheme to install an "ironfisted theocracy."

In "At a Time When Nothing Succeeds Like Success" (Opinion, Oct. 31), Neal Gabler asserts that athletes at the top of their game are considered "poster boys for the new morality." He suggests that their success at sport allows illicit behavior to be discounted or ignored. I disagree. Gabler misuses the term "morality." While there is a more effective or less effective way to, say, hit a baseball, that action has no moral weight. It is simply a human skill that is a product of native talent and lots of learning, practice and experience.

Neal Gabler asks, "If you think about the impeachment debate, isn't it incredibly similar to the argument over the honorary Oscar awarded to Elia Kazan?" ("A Fateful Decision, Damaging Fallout," by Patrick Goldstein, March 16.) No, it isn't. There's a big difference between sex and fascism, and Gabler's reasoning illustrates the folly of dealing in abstract principles at the expense of qualitative differences; the McCarthy-HUAC era was more damaging to America than Clinton's errant groin could ever be. NORM FRAHM Corona del Mar

Re "The Owners: Baseball's Newest Heroes," Opinion, Aug. 7: Congratulations to Neal Gabler for a clever piece of writing. He psychoanalyzes the 45% of the public (the bad guys) who believe the players to be responsible for the strike, and says nothing about the 28% of the public (the good guys) who hold the owners responsible or the remaining 27% of the public (me) who don't give a hoot. Gabler's psychoanalysis of the 45% is a not-so-veiled attempt to expose his liberal views--the reason the majority has sided with the owners is due to Reaganomics and the redistribution of wealth (plenty of which has gone to professional athletes, we might add)

Two books are wrestling for attention inside Neal Gabler's new book about how stars, celebrities, political leaders, news promoters, sports figures, murderers, moguls, fashion designers and a cast of millions are wrestling for attention in the bloated, giddy carnival of American life. Book I, the convincing one, concerns the flourishing of entertainment since the early years of the American republic.

Author Neal Gabler is watching a car chase on TV. It's not an episode of "NYPD Blue" or a rerun of "Starsky and Hutch." It's real. Well, it's sort of real, and that's Gabler's point. Yes, it's real and immediate to the police officers and the suspect racing through the streets of San Pedro. Any one of them could die at any moment. But to home viewers, who are being fed an increasingly steady diet of live car chases, the scene seems less than real.