Calendar Letters: The role of racial responsibility
Regarding “Hollywood, You Can Do Better” [April 9]: Had an Asian actress been cast for the lead in “Ghost in the Shell” she would have been presumably unknown to American and European audiences, which would have guaranteed an even bigger box-office failure. Furthermore, don’t blame Hollywood for casting Matt Damon in the lead role for “The Great Wall.” Chinese Director Zhang Yimou was quite persistent in casting Damon, as was, I imagine, Chinese executive producer Zhang Zhao and China’s Dalian Wanda Group’s Legendary Entertainment, which partly backed the film. “The Great Wall” is not exactly a Hollywood movie. This isn’t about whitewashing, it’s about casting top A-list actors who have significant influence on the deal-making process: The bigger the actor, the better is the lure for investors.
Giuseppe Mirelli
Los Angeles
Hopefully, the tepid response to “Ghost in a Shell” indicates that we are tired of Hollywood’s needless whiteface presentations of ethnic characters.
Thomas Einstein
Santa Monica
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I would like to say how much I appreciated the comments on “Ghost in the Shell.”
Even after reading Justin Chang’s review of the film, I had been stewing about the film’s casting and its producers’ world view.
An important point you raised is that the problem is not just with the film producers: the actors who are accepting the roles that were originally written about people from underrepresented groups have responsibility too.
Claudia Holguin
Los Angeles
Hillary Clinton in the spotlight
I am a 70-year old baby boomer and longtime subscriber to The Times and have never written a letter to the editor before, but Charles McNulty’s commentary [“Tonys Need a Role for Hillary,” April 12] moved me to tears.
As a lifelong Democrat and Hillary supporter in the election, my heart has been heavy, even before the election, as I watched the scorched-earth policies of the Trump campaign shred any decency and dignity in the political process in my beloved country.
My heart, along with many others, I know, gets broken and broken again, almost daily.
This commentary soothed my soul.
Bonnie Kampmeyer
Burbank
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The absolute best prospect for a Tony-winning play is obviously the 2016 debacle of Secretary Clinton losing to the clown who is now our president. Why wait? Start writing today, this is the greatest opportunity of all time.
“President Donald Trump.” The title alone exudes hours of unbeatable comic gold.
Rick Mervis
Porter Ranch
Fox News and rampant sexism
I want to thank you for Lorraine Ali’s commentary [“Fox News’ Sexist Pattern,” April 8]. I always wondered why these women looked like dolls and/or Stepford wives until I read “The Loudest Voice in the Room” about the life of Roger Ailes. I cringe when the old men at my gym invariably turn on Fox News to watch when doing cardio there. And it’s always the old guys who turn to that channel.
So frustrating and infuriating.
Anyway, I wanted you to know I appreciated your column today and that I generally find whatever you have to say in the L.A. Times most interesting.
Christina Legg
Rolling Hills Estates
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When one doesn’t know the truth about what Bill O’Reilly did, the unsubstantiated allegations imply that he was guilty. Is that fair?
A little more objectivity may be needed and less personal bias.
Terry Williams
Valencia
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Such a fuss about beautiful young women in “figure-revealing outfits and low necklines” on Fox News, as if they stand out from other networks. How about seductive TV weather-girls? Sex sells, even the weather.
Miriam Jaffe
Thousand Oaks
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I turned to Page E5 to finish reading and there was a headline, “Is Fox News Misogynistic?” After I finished laughing I thought I would respond with: “Is the Pope Catholic?”
Kathleen M. O’Neil
La Mesa
Stirring concert, spot-on review
Mark Swed’s review [“A ‘Late’ Sibelius Is Better Than Ever,” April 8] of the All-Sibelius program by the L.A. Phil, powerfully conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, was spot-on. Sibelius’ music is so unique, stirring, enigmatic yet engaging and is music of the future with those proto-Minimalism repeated figures. I was in a Finnish musical daze for days.
Matthew Hetz
Los Angeles
