Steve Allen

Steve Allen has a 1st Amendment right to express his opinion, but in this case, he is just flat out wrong! (Valley Perspective Interview, April 25.)

In the “Golden Age of Comedy,” not only were there no dirty words, but Andy, Opie and Aunt Bea lived in the only town in the South with no black people. Game shows were fabrications, rigged by the sponsors, to attract a following, a fact brought to light only by a more recent film and PBS documentary.

Allen advocates supporting “the good.” I suppose he likes a new network called PAX TV. They bill themselves as free of foul language and senseless violence. Yet they run five nights a week of “Diagnosis Murder.”

Allen blasts Howard Stern. Did he hear [a recent] show? Stern’s scheduled guest was Julia Roberts. His sidekick, Robin Quivers, had attended a charity event hosted by Roberts, where she purchased a dress for $12,000, with the stipulation that Roberts appear on the show. Roberts made demands about rebroadcasting. They could not come to terms and she was a no-show. Quivers did not stop her check. An official from the charity called in and gave out information on how people could donate and help. The show gave $12,000 and free air time to charity, but Allen calls it filth!

Allen defeats all of his own arguments when he refers to the “electronic baby-sitter.” Mr. Allen, the electronic baby-sitter has an “off” switch.

MARK A. OVERTURF, Reseda