AD UNDERCURRENT

In Michael E. Leviton’s Jan. 21 letter, he expressed (vehemently) his concern over the ad for “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood,” specifically the fact that the ad features a gun pointed at the reader. But is that really his concern?

Strangely, Mr. Leviton never mentions the advertisements for “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Eye for an Eye,” “GoldenEye” and “Heat,” which also feature characters pointing weapons at the reader. Coincidentally, all those other ads feature white actors and actresses brandishing the hardware.

Could Mr. Leviton’s concern regarding “gang warfare, carjackings, armed robberies and drive-by shootings,” as it applies to one of five similar ads, really be nothing other than a tired racist double standard?

P.S. Mr. Leviton, I’m only guessing, but I’d bet that the offending ad is a parody of the “gun in your face” style of movie ad that is ubiquitous today.

CHRISTOPHER MUNDALE

Aliso Viejo