YEAR OF THE CELEBRITY

In the real world, pundits and editorial writers wrestled with such weighty issues as tax plans, trade deficits and assorted geopolitical contra versies. But on the Calendar Letters Page, 1986 was the Year of the Celebrity.

Exercising their First Amendment writes in Calendar this year--along with about 700 others whose weekly inveighings, whinings or mindless mentionings challenged, enlightened and entertained us--were the likes of Carol Burnett, Lenny Bernstein, Fred Willard, Steve Allen and Britt Ekland, who co-signed with her husband, ex-Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom.

Sean Penn wrote in defense of his fellow Brat Packers and again to propose that the Calendar staff take on-screen roles in The Times’ in-theater ads. And we also heard from “Miami Vice” creator Anthony Yerkovich, playwright Donald Freed, actors Philip Truex and Jeff Corey, L.A. Philharmonic boss Ernest Fleischmann, L.A. Theatre Center head Bill Bushnell and U.S.A. for Africa CEO Ken Kragen, a repeater from 1985. Even reps for Sinatra, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, “Miami Vice” guy Michael Mann and Anthony Yerkovich joined the fun, with Mann and Yerkovich’s rep each making the point that it was Yerkovich who created “Miami Vice.”

But it wasn’t all star stuff. Hollywood’s Burningest Issues were debated: the faults of “The Color Purple,” the merits of “Blue Velvet” and the sins of colorization, a flap that continues still. Feministic misinterpretations of “Aliens.” Hollywood’s stereotyping of Arabs.

There were the perennials--what to do with the Oscars, the Grammies and Springsteen. But some issues were hatched and died here: The nature of Italians. The comparison of Marilyn Monroe and Madonna. The maltreatment of Nicolas Cage’s cat by its own owner. We naively asked our readership to provide us with a fuller explanation of the Marxist theory of art, and we generated our own rhubarb by reminding that Hitler was of the vegetarian persuasion. Both questions elicited avid responses and much infotainment, but, sadly, they remain unresolved to this day.

Social work suffered in 1986. About the best we could do was give a still photo of Edy Williams to a letter writer who tendered a $1 bribe and pledged $10 to the American Cancer Society. Other incidents of note include Julio Iglesias’ fans flooding us with complaints after his talent was maligned. And two kids at Beverly Hills High School launched an ambitious but transparent write-in campaign in behalf of the band Berlin. It was L.A.’s own Oingo Boingo who topped everyone, however, when they forwarded an all-time record truckload of 3.2 million post cards to Robert Hilburn, who reminds everyone that he skims all of his mail thoroughly.

Along the way to 1987 we printed haiku poetry, plenty of parodies and even a letter from a cat named Mortimer who liked to be tossed by the tail. But in addition to catering to the nasty, the clever and the inane, we also like to think that we provide a forum for the serious and thoughtful. And in the New Year we encourage everyone--celeb and non alike--to earn their way into this space/Times continuum. Just please remember to keep letters brief and include full name, address and phone number. Mail to Calendar Letters, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.

Letters Annex, Page 82