Las Vegas

Turning to the Aug. 25 Opinion section, I was surprised to find (under a splashy photo collage) an article on Las Vegas by Michael Ventura, wherein the author passes off glib tautologies as insight.

Ventura, styling himself a postmodern sage, has carved out a career by displaying his gleanings from what he fancies is the corpse of Western culture. We know better. If The Times must stoop to rock ‘n’ roll anthropology in “slow news weeks,” at least avoid third-rate commentators.

RUSSELL GOOD

Santa Monica

* Ventura is naive if he thinks the hanky-panky is going to stop with Las Vegas. Why not a “virtual reality” city in Wyoming?

JERRY KATZ

Los Angeles

* Thank God for Ventura. Not just for his article on Las Vegas, but for everything he has written.

I’m looking forward to his new book.

RALPH E. CRAMER

Los Angeles

* Had Ventura’s article appeared in the Comics section rather than Opinion, I would have found it much more credible.

ALLEN G. HOWLETT

Fullerton