‘HUNCHBACK,’ CONT.

I thoroughly enjoyed the article by Mark Silver regarding the wanton and lurid sex strewn throughout Disney’s latest animated fantasy “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“ ‘Hunchback’: Sex, Lies--and Videotapes Too,” June 23). As amusing as the piece was, its entertainment value nearly doubled when I discovered the author meant for his ludicrous arguments to be taken seriously.

Silver’s claim that Quasimodo’s love for Esmeralda is unrequited is inaccurate. They openly exchange their love and respect as friends, which is a much more important lesson for children. If all Silver gets out of the movie is “short ugly guys doesn’t get any action,” he’s missed the point.

Perhaps Silver’s skewed perception of the film comes from his misunderstanding of the goals of the medium. He concludes, “Parents have been trusting the education and entertainment of their children to Walt Disney for generations.”

Funny, my parents sent me to school for my education. They also sat me down and taught me right from wrong. This may explain a concept that eludes Silver: I watched probably a hundred hours of “Goofy” cartoons, and I have yet to drop an anvil on someone’s head.

GREGORY POPPEN

Agoura

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Silver’s commentary, like most others, focuses on themes of sexual desire and the voluptuous figure of Esmeralda. While both elements are apparent in the movie, why don’t more articles meditate on Quasimodo’s heartbreaking quest for love and acceptance?

MELITA MARIANO

Carson

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How many sources do we parents have in the ‘90s for stories that exalt the beauty that’s within, despite external appearances (“Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Beauty and the Beast,” etc.)? How many sources do we have for stories that tell our children it’s possible to overcome adversity if you believe in yourself (“Lion King,” “Hunchback,” “Aladdin,” and even “Toy Story” and “Pocahontas”)?

Certainly, Disney is not PBS, and there is much to be concerned about. On that both Silver and I would agree wholeheartedly.

However, when you put Disney’s product in the perspective of the marketplace and the options that we parents have available to us, I’ll gladly take their stories of courage and triumph, and deal with the imperfections along the way.

LARRY DEEDS

Sherman Oaks