Time to hear from the other half

I loved Carina Chocano’s article [“Where Have All the Funny Girls Gone?”]! As a 46-year-old male viewer, I abhor the loser straight guy mentality that infuses all of today’s studio fare, and I hate that the few films with female leads are contemptuously dismissed as “chick flicks.”

I hope your article serves as a clarion call to studio executives, writers and directors to start viewing and depicting woman in new ways. Movies cannot survive unless they do.

Scott Slaven

Los Angeles

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THERE are many movies since “My Best Friend’s Wedding” or “Clueless” in which the woman is a protagonist -- consider “Miss Congeniality,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Legally Blonde” and “13 Going on 30.” As for women being scolds, nags and ciphers, you will not find that in any of Drew Barrymore’s comedies such as “50 First Dates,” or in Julia Roberts’ “Notting Hill.”

Barrymore, Roberts, Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock have probably sold a half-billion dollars in tickets in the last five or so years. Hardly a funny women drought.

Eric Cooper

Santa Monica

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WHAT’S so new about the “schlub / stunner syndrome”? Remember Gene Wilder stumbling around with Richard Pryor in “Silver Streak,” while the lovely Jill Clayburgh supposedly lusted after him? Or how about pudding-faced Billy Crystal winning the ineffably cute Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally”? And if that isn’t enough, how about Charlie Chaplin nearly 70 years ago, with the truly stunning Paulette Goddard, in “The Great Dictator”?

Subjugating talented beauties to ugly schlubs is nothing new, and no more credible than it ever was.

William Santoro

Santa Barbara