Calendar Letters: Unscripted TV versus real news
‘Reality’ versus reality
Regarding “Unreality TV Is Born” [Jan. 23]. Thanks so much for Lorraine Ali’s well-written and thought-provoking article. Many of us are very afraid that the real news will be silenced and that we will be left in the dark.
Marianne McNabb
Spring Valley, Calif.
Why must Times staff writers bash what the Trump administration does, such as the “Make America Great Again” concert that Ali refers to as a “dud”? Get over it, as you have four years to go.
Donald Yvaska
Anaheim Shores
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Regarding “Obama Years Saw a Nation Split” [Jan. 18]. Meredith Blake’s television review of “Divided States of America” concluded that the two-part “Frontline” program provided “a detailed breakdown of how we got here, but not necessarily why.” I believe that part of the answer is explained by Jane Mayer’s book “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.” Mayer describes how since the 1970s, exceedingly wealthy people’s hatred of big government and taxes has “bankrolled a systematic, step-by-step plan to fundamentally alter” our education, economic and political institutions.
Victoria Shere
Marina del Rey
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Regarding the L.A. Chargers and Donald Trump. It will be interesting to follow The Times and see which section continues to show the most bias — Sports against the Chargers, or News or Calendar against Trump. Keep up the “fair” reporting.
Peter Lynch
Culver City
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I got a charge out of Randall Roberts’ cheeky piece on the laughably thin musical lineup for the inauguration festivities [“Key of Trump: Inaugural Players and Their Obama Counterparts,” Jan. 19]. However, I differ with his comment about Jon Voight being “repeatedly ignored” in the awards derby. The talented actor won an Oscar for “Coming Home” and Golden Globes for “Coming Home,” “Ray Donovan,” “Runaway Train” and “Midnight Cowboy,” which happens to be my favorite movie ever.
Eric Lindbom
Silver Lake
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Regarding “Narrow View of Nation Onstage” [Jan. 21]. It is perhaps a telling example of Mikael Wood’s anti-Trump prejudice that Wood decries Tom Barrack’s “It’s not the venue” response as to why Kanye West was not invited to perform during inauguration festivities but fails to mention the pressure put on black entertainers not to perform at the events. Spike Lee’s announcement that he would no longer consider using the music of Chrisette Michele in an upcoming television project because of her decision to perform at an inaugural ball [“Quick Takes,” Jan. 20] and the backlash Jennifer Holliday received before backing out of performing [“Quick Takes,” Jan. 18].
Michael Dragotto
Los Angeles
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In regards to “Ambition Made in America” [Jan. 22], that’s a very apt comparison between Ray Kroc in “The Founder” and the new president. Through relentless drive and ambition, they have both effectively poisoned a nation.
R.C. Price
San Clemente
Two cases and two viewpoints
This slam on Casey Affleck is beneath Calendar [“Privilege, Race and a Troubled Past,” Jan. 20]. There is a clear difference between Affleck’s case and Nate Parker’s. In Affleck’s case, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment claims were filed in civil court. Affleck denied the claims, and the cases were settled out of court. In Parker’s case, sexual assault charges were filed against him in criminal court. Parker was acquitted on all charges. Shame on Calendar for trying to make this a matter of race versus privilege and connections.
Bill Royce
Cathedral City
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Your article on Parker and Affleck was a nuanced, thoughtful and even-handed detailing of both men and their alleged actions.
Tim Silvestre
Pacific Palisades
Lucas a force for art — or is he?
I was pleased to learn of George Lucas’ decision to build his museum here [“A Story Idea That Falls Flat,” Jan. 22]. Christopher Knight, feeling that this museum is an incoherent, misnamed vanity project, would prefer that Lucas donate all his artworks to existing Los Angeles museums. First, it would be highly unlikely that those works would go solely, or even mainly, to L.A. museums. Second, from what I’ve seen, this looks to be a fun, eclectic collection of mostly popular culture objects. Similar to J. Paul Getty, Eli Broad, Norton Simon and Henry Huntington, Lucas has the means to acquire art he enjoys. And, like those men, he wants to share his acquisitions with the public by putting them in an architecturally creative building with his name on it.
Laura Owen
Pacific Palisades
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I enjoyed Knight’s intelligent and well-written article on the unfortunate and ill-conceived Lucas Museum that looks to be coming our way, like it or not. My first thought on seeing that awful utopian schematic was: “Oh, no.” My second was what could have been done with so vast an amount of money to actually serve the people, the city and art itself. This, instead of Lucas’ abundant ego.
Jeff Denker
Malibu
