Wasted space: covering Leykis, his ilk

WHY would The Times feature a story about the likes of Tom Leykis (“The mouth of misogyny,” by Bob Baker, Oct. 18)? I suppose if Hitler, Cromwell or Bin Laden had a talk show, The Times would promote it, cleverly disguised with a query as to whether their beliefs are for real.

Brenda Welsh

Los Angeles

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THANK you for your puff piece on Tom Leykis. I was afraid that you were so busy trying to look like the New York Times you had forgotten your self-appointed mission of mainstreaming pornography.

You savaged Dr. Laura for a couple of disparaging references to homosexuals (she deserved it). But you fawn all over Leykis, who daily denigrates women on a much greater scale.

Gwen Freeman

Los Angeles

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IT is a cheap trick to exploit dormant sexism (or racism, anti-Semitism, etc.) and claim that this is what listeners want to hear, especially when there are no meaningful alternatives.

Indeed, it is telling that there are no fiery socialist DJs on the corporate airwaves, entertaining listeners with vitriolic speeches excoriating the world’s capitalist bloodsuckers. While this type of rhetoric would elucidate social reality in a far more relevant manner than Leykis, Limbaugh, et al., its implications would threaten the interests of the media’s corporate owners and sponsors.

Until the public controls the airwaves that they in fact own, we will be condemned to listen to the dangerous scapegoating of cheap, ignorant demagogues, of which Leykis is just one of many.

Joshua Sperber

San Francisco