Over the line

IT’S appalling to me that in 2005, and in a paper that toes the P.C. line, I could read “using a tone of wistful regret normally reserved for a fat girl with a pretty face” as a description of people reacting to the topic of Robert Downey Jr.

This was written by a female too, helping to perpetuate the image of Angelenos as being body-obsessed freaks. Especially for women, if you have flaws and live here, you can feel excoriated. Bottom line, being “fat and pretty” deserves shame and pity heaped your way, not acceptance.

Shame on you, Calendar.

KERI L. SCAGGS

Pacific Palisades

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WHEN a film, a book or a play contains a character who is gay, why is that character’s sexual orientation often remarked upon, while that of the other (supposedly straight?) characters is not identified? If there is a need for us to know that Val Kilmer’s character in Robert Downey Jr.’s upcoming movie “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” is gay, is there not as well a need to know the sexual orientation of the remaining characters?

MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Palm Springs