Letters to Calendar: Shining a light on predators

Targeting the problem

Producer Mike De Luca is quoted in Rebecca Keegan’s article as asking himself “Do I seek out other white men?” in response to a lack of women in front of and behind the camera in the TV and film industry [“Hollywood Takes on ‘Bad Business’ of Gender Bias,” Dec. 2]. On Oct. 9, when speaking at the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles chapter’s “Powerful: Women Leading Design” conference, I was asked what is the main obstacle to achieving gender diversity in the design profession. My response was “White men,” to which I received a rousing ovation by the hundreds of women in the audience.

This same response is pertinent to the TV and film industry. What flavor of Kool-Aid do white men need to drink to fully understand that diversity, inclusion and equity are positive contributors to maximizing our human capital? Hopefully the private meeting of industry leaders will lead to real change in the TV and film industry.

Philip S. Hart

Los Feliz

Shining a light on predators

I wanted to contact you after viewing the film “Spotlight.” At the end of the movie, the audience was silent. The credits rolled and no one moved. The lists of the other cities in the U.S. and in foreign countries that had been impacted by predators in the Catholic Church had not appeared yet. I heard three men in various areas of the theater crying.

The following day, a friend viewed “Spotlight” at the same theater. At the end of the movie, she said, a man stood up and loudly announced that abuse had happened in one particular city “and no one did anything.”

This certainly may not be the first time you have heard this kind of a reaction to “Spotlight.” It is my heartfelt wish that the actors know what a cathartic film they have made, possibly with the ability to reach a hand out to those still suffering in the shadows. Just like 911, the abuse should never be forgotten.

Susan Spatafora

Monrovia

English as a foreign language

One has to wonder what the producers of “Legend” were thinking when they released this film without subtitles. The London East End accent was virtually indecipherable and nobody in our group, young or old, had the faintest idea what they were saying. I don’t know whether to fault the filmmakers for cluelessness or callous disregard for American audiences, but the upshot was that we left after 40 minutes. I will say that the experience gave me great insight into the plight of the hearing impaired.

Richard McCurdy

Burbank

‘The tragedy of triumphalism’

Mark Swed, in his review of Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic’s “revelatory performance” of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony [“Solar Prominence: Apollo Is the Center of Attention in an Illuminating L.A. Phil Show, Nov. 30] was spot on when he described it as “the tragedy of triumphalism” and “a Greek tragedy.” All through the performance, I felt a sense of foreboding despite the gorgeous sounds from the orchestra. When the Finale blared forth, the all-too-solid underlying bass drum hits told us that this was not bombastic praise of the Soviet system but an anguished requiem for the agonized Soviet people.

At the conclusion, people all around me leaped to their feet in frenzied applause, while I sat, tears in my eyes, overcome by the realization of that anguish and agony. It was indeed a “revelatory performance.”

Carl Pearlston

Torrance

Sport of boxing takes a hit here

RE: “Tackling the NFL Head On” [Nov. 29]: Can anyone explain how one national sport, football, is spending millions of dollars to prevent head concussions, while another national sport, boxing, advocates punching the head in its sport, which are a prime cause of concussions?

David N. Hartman

Santa Ana

Shakespeare gets short shrift

Exciting! A new film production of Macbeth [“‘Macbeth’ Turns Golden Up On the Silver Screen,” Nov. 29]. The ad in The Times lists nine producers, two writers of the screenplay and the fact that it’s “a film by Justin Kurzel.” Nowhere is there mention of a fellow named Will Shakespeare. Did he have nothing at all to do with it? Or perhaps, is it just that he needs a better agent?

Gerald Schiller

Newbury Park

Just go directly to the source

RE “They Really Can Be Lasting Impressions,” Nov. 22: Nice piece. I appreciate the shout-out to Harry Shearer and “Le Show”! Often brilliant!

Impressions are great and all, but really, with the likes of Trump and Carson, we need go no further than the source.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Peter Ryan Little

Monrovia