Message, bottled

JAMES VERINI’s piece on Craig Dieffenbach’s promotion of a vodka he has labeled Hendrix Electric [“Pouring in a Purple Haze,” March 31] is a bad sign for all of us, including The Times. Dieffenbach’s creepy insinuation of himself into the Hendrix family and estate matters after the death of Jimi Hendrix with the ulterior motive of making money from exploiting a considerable artistic legacy is particularly reprehensible in view of Jimi Hendrix’s untimely alcohol-related death in his 20s.

In this time of intensive alcohol promotion and resulting deadly binge drinking by youths, Dieffenbach should feature on his bottles, instead of an electric Jimi Hendrix head shot, a young man with an unlimited future choking to death on his own vomit.

If we want to see amoral promotion of celebrity and product in place of services once appropriately called news and criticism, we can more easily watch television than read a newspaper.

BART BROWN

Los Angeles