A Fork in the Road
Describing the gender-bending plot of “Gumsimao” (“Deception Cloaked in Tradition in ‘Gumsimao,’ ” July 12), Philip Brandes tells us to “think ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ with chopsticks.”
Be careful with glib one-liners; they reveal more about the reviewer than the play reviewed.
According to such reasoning, why shouldn’t we rather think of “M. Butterfly” with fork and knives?
Stereotyping is bad enough; racist thinking (intentional or not) is worse.
Besides which, analogies are meaningless unless they add meaning. Just review the play and leave the cutlery out of it.
OLIVER MAYER
Studio City
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
