Videocassette Ratings

Christie Gorsline, whose March 18 letter complained about children renting “rated and unrated videos, often without parental knowledge,” needs to wake up.

To rent videos at most stores in the L.A. area, you need a rental card; the only way minors can rent videos is with their parents’ cards. Parents can, with a simple request that is recorded in a store’s computer, block the renting of certain kinds of videos.

Why spend more tax dollars on the studies or the video-rating legislation cited by Gorsline?

As far as the Blockbuster Video chain (mentioned by Gorsline) is concerned, when I asked a salesman where “The Last Temptation of Christ” was, he replied, “We’ve decided not to carry the film because it’s insulting to Christians.” I then pointed out a copy of Monty Python’s “Life of Brian,” which has the crucified Brian and other Christians singing (and whistling) “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” As I chuckled, he walked away.

Ah, the contradictions of corporate censorship.

BRIAN PASCHKE

Culver City

A spokesman for a Blockbuster Video store in Los Angeles said parents must put a child, by name, on the parents’ account before the child can rent a video. A second representative confirmed that the store does not carry “The Last Temptation of Christ.”