_______________BACK IS BEAUTIFUL BY ERIN J. AUBRY (07/15/98)
	First you run David Horowitz's spew about Camille Cosby's racism, then you proceed to publish Erin Aubry's less vitriolic but no less biased piece about Jennifer Lopez. Just because Aubry is African-American doesn't mean she can speak with authority on behalf of all minorities. And when it comes to Hollywood's big brown fear, she's way off base. One of the major issues facing Latinos in Hollywood is their own racial ambiguity. Unlike Asians and African-Americans, Latinos are solely an ethnic minority. Our features vary widely, from blue eyes and blond hair to kinky hair and dark skin. Chalk that up to the "multiculturalism" that is rampant throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. When a film like "Waiting to Exhale" or "The Joy Luck Club" is casting, no director would even consider using Marisa Tomei or Winona Ryder, and yet when major films based on Latino culture are made, the starring roles invariably go to Caucasian actors. Directors say it's an economic necessity or that they saw plenty of white people in the region and that's accepted. Meanwhile, when ethnically nonspecific roles (read white) are cast, once again Winona Ryder gets the call. Where does that leave Jennifer Lopez? Too ethnic to play white and yet too ethnic to play Latina (explain that one). Contrary to the knee-jerk response that playing "white" is bad for a Latina actress, I'm glad she's crossing over and becoming a star. Anything that isn't Gwyneth Paltrow is a good thing. Meanwhile, let's examine Ms. Aubry's own racial misconceptions. Plenty of Latinas are not hotheads who go around in tight red dresses and sing "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom." Does she bandy-dance around the office? Lopez was playing a federal marshal, not a showgirl. That, and not her ample posterior, dictated the clothes she wore. And while George Clooney has an Irish name, look closely at him. Not quite the watered-down, corn-fed, blond farmboy she paints him to be. Plus, she completely overlooks Ving Rhames. He played the most sympathetic character in the film, a criminal with a heart of gold who tells his sister everything. Of course, the fact that he's black didn't fit her tidy summary of the movie, and he got ignored. Get over yourself, Erin. As a minority, Aubry must know that discussing such matters is futile. And yet Salon presented her as an "expert" (based, as far as I can see, on the fact that she's black) and let her rant on, ignorantly, about Jennifer Lopez. This all may be a tempest in a tea cup. (Jennifer Lopez's ass isn't going to save the world, you know what I mean?) Still, if you're going to do a piece on Latinos in Hollywood, find one. Most of us do speak English, you know? -- Dina del Valle In her article on Jennifer Lopez's butt, Erin J. Aubry asks whether Lopez's newfound stardom might cause her own backside to finally get the recognition it deserves. She writes: "Would James Brown be called out of retirement to record a '90s version of his signature new-social-order anthem titled 'Say It Loud, I Got Back and I'm Proud'?" Erin, don't sell the Godfather of Soul short. He gave you props more than 20 years ago. Just a few years after releasing "Say It Loud," he recorded the equally inspirational tune "For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes!" -- Jesse Drucker New York Erin Aubry's "review" of Jennifer Lopez's acting and the movie "Out of Sight" was a blatant example of using race where it doesn't belong. I don't think Steven Soderbergh really thought about how he should use Lopez's butt to appropriately appease women with large rear ends -- ethnic or not -- when trying to adapt Elmore Leonard's book to the screen. Aubry's article also was a tired instance of using certain facts to support her case while leaving out ones that do not quite back her story. She claims that all the virtuous outlaws were white, while the vicious ones were black, and conveniently leaves out Ving Rhames (black), the nicest of all the criminals, and the only one who gets away. This type of journalism is not only inaccurate, it's boring. -- Brian Hunt While I agree with many of Erin Aubry's points about the portrayal of nonwhite sexuality in Hollywood (though the subject matter is a little on the lightweight side), she does herself and her arguments a disservice by not mentioning Ving Rhames in the virtuous outlaws category while including Zahn and Brooks. If "virtuous outlaws" are the ones who are brave and don't sell out their friends, then I'm at a loss to see how the addled Zahn and white collar and wimpy Brooks fit in that category. Meanwhile, Rhames sticks by his partner no matter what, helps break him out of prison, feels guilty over being a criminal and is generally the only crook besides Clooney who isn't either pointlessly violent, stupid or both. Creating generalizations where, at least in this case, she has a difficult case to make, serves to make Aubry's point of view substantially less compelling. -- Jim Coley You "print" a generally fine magazine, so please, please, please, no more tawdry articles like "Back Is Beautiful." Camille Paglia and your various sex columnists are one thing, but one New Yorker is quite enough, thank you. -- Matthew Frey Waltham, Mass.
_______________HOG HEAVEN BY DAVID KOHN (07/03/98)
	Just a note to congratulate David Kohn on his coverage of the Memphis in May International World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest. He captured the very serious silliness of it all, and it sounds like he ate well too. Reading his article made me smell the wonderful scent of smoked pig flesh ... oh wait, it always smells like that here. -- Lisa Jennings Memphis
_______________"LIGHT MY FIRE: MY LIFE WITH THE DOORS" REVIEWED BY PETER KURTH (07/07/98)
	Peter Kurth's review of Ray Manzarek's book about his life with the Doors was interesting, but he made one insupportable statement. The Doors had many more hits than just the three he listed -- "People Are Strange," "Love Me Two Times," "Hello, I Love You" and "Touch Me" are Top 40 staples that come quickly to mind, and quite a few others, like "Five to One," "The Unknown Soldier," "Roadhouse Blues" and more were certified FM turntable hits then, and for that matter, now. Without all these hits, the Doors, who were widely disliked by critics in their own time, would never have made it as far as "L.A. Woman" and "Riders on the Storm." -- Francis Volpe Carlisle, Pa. SALON | July 22, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| ROTTEN BANANA BY BRUCE SHAPIRO

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