Recent reader
responses to online-only articles and sneak previews from upcoming issues.
Comments, questions and criticisms can be directed to .
Note: All
letters to the editor are considered for publication, and may be edited
for length and clarity.
TOO
DAMN SEXY
Re: Fox's Video Rampage
June 2000
I'm glad Brill's Content decided to report on the disrespectful media coverage (of the Central Park assaults), however, i think that your magzine needs to go much further with the analysis...
The media coverage by many mainstream networks, including NBC's Dateline,
of the sexual assaults in Central Park is horrendous, disgusting, and
potentially very harmful. This country needs to fight sexual assault.
We need to help and support victims, but Dateline's coverage
of the tragedy in Central Park puts us a huge step back. Not only did
Dateline show explicit amateur video clips of the women being
assaulted, but they further disrespected the women by strongly implying
that they were at least partially to blame. We all know that it is never
the victim's fault. Sexual assault is a crime; it's against the law.
For mainstream media sources to justify the assaults -- saying that
the women have some responsibility for them -- is grossly inaccurate
and not upholding moral ethics.
The real problem
is the voyeuristic media and its anti-feminist rhetoric that blames
women for being too damn sexy -- you know the argument, those guys were
just oversexed and the day was so hot, they couldn't help assaulting
the "scantily-clad" women. Sexual assault is not about sex, it's about
power. I am livid that Dateline, and other mainstream media sources
(Fox news, etc.), covered this tragedy in an exploitative, disrespectful,
violating, and hurtful manner. Something needs to be done immediately
about the injustice that these women have faced not only from their
assaulters, but also the press.
--
Kara Johnson, high school activist
INSIGHTS
Re: Teen Gurus
July 2000
I am 28-years
old, and this article is almost the story of my life. I didn't manage
to make my skills into a publicly-traded company, but I'm comfortable
with my wife and five children as a database programmer.
I've owned and
run several businesses, ranging from a move in desperation as "handyman"
to the owner of a local computer store. This article is amazingly accurate,
giving me insights into myself. Thanks.
--Benjamin
Smith
KNOWLEDGE
Re: Teen Gurus
July 2000
I am a 42-year old sysadmin (systems administrator), I have a LAN in
my house, and a 15-year old son who I worry about. Fortunately, the
son spends most of his time gaming and his interest is in keeping the
computers up and running. However, he is showing signs of boredom, which
suggests that he might take my advice and start a little programming.
Knowlege is power.
The current generation of kids may grow up and discover that some of
them know something useful, and will be employed and wealthy; while
others will grow up and dicover that they are utterly useless. Will
they accept their status, or will social discord wreck everything?
I am working for
a local university as a sysadmin, and I deliberately hired some young
and inexperienced people, who I am training. I wanted a diverse group,
but I got a 100% white, 100% middle class, 84% male, 50% Jewish. Maybe
I am not representative, in fact I hope I am not representative because
I have knee jerk liberal values.
--
Jeff Silverman
BASEST INSTINCTS
Re: Summer of Surveillance
June 2000
I feel compelled to voice my disgust with CBS for importing such a poor
excuse for entertainment. If sociologists over 30 years ago were publicly
condemned for unethical experiments involving student-volunteers, what
can be said about the reduction of human beings to trained seals? Mr.
Roemer and his ilk ought not to be given a welcome in this country,
for they pander to the basest instincts in human nature. I commend your
staff for an outstanding article on this subject.
TOYS
Re: Teen Gurus
July 2000
That teenagers know more about computers and technology than their
parents is completely unsurprising. They have endless time to experiment
and, to them, these devices are toys. Mom and dad, on the other hand,
have complex lives that preclude long hours of discovery. The computer
to them is a tool, one they want to work without further complicating
their life. If their hard drive crashes, they are likely to lose something
valuable -- files from work, or reports they may not have backed up.
There is something to be said for teenagers playing some sort of useful role in the family. Whether that role is computer knowledge or the keeping the family cookfire properly stoked isn't as important as the accomplishment of mastering a complex body of knowledge through self-learning.
But that mastery by teenagers causes problems when it tips over into a desire for them to impose their will on the rest of us.
