Who Knew?
To the Editor:.
This week Action News 5 “investigative reporter” Rudy Koski discovered naked women dancing in Memphis topless clubs, complete with concealed camera footage. It must be sweeps week.
I have to laugh every time Rudy comes on. I suppose when he went “undercover” for his hard-hitting report he hitched up his tie and donned a sports coat to hide the suspenders. If this report is any indication, I suspect we can expect more startling exposes in the future.
Koski discovers thousands of fish living just below the surface of the Mississippi River.
Koski finds poor people living in Memphis slums.
Koski uncovers thousands of fleas living on a junkyard dog.
And finally, be sure to tune in as investigative reporter Rudy Koski gets behind the scenes at a city-owned prison for wild animals in Overton Park.
The funniest part is that Rudy seems to take himself so seriously. At least [Channel 3’s] Mike Matthews seems to understand that he’s only playing a reporter on TV.
Bob Koenig, Memphis
Liberal Hypocrisy
To the Editor:
It’s nice to see that liberal hypocrisy has overtaken conservative hypocrisy with this week’s Eminem flap and the recent Viewpoint column (February 22nd issue) against a state lottery.
So let me get this straight: Marilyn Manson is okay, even lauded, when he attacks and scares white suburbo-conservatives. But when Eminem does the same thing targeting a liberal cause all hell breaks loose. I thought it was just music. I thought the things we see and hear on TV and the Internet and in movies don’t really affect behavior.
Never mind that Eminem explains the whole thing is a persona/joke more than Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, or Manson ever did. He even comes out in favor of gay marriage on one track. It’s hilarious to see gay activists and liberals occupying the same moral ground as Adrian Rogers and Dr. Laura.
Along those same lines, here comes the moral left to save us all — well, the poor and minorities — from the evil lottery. The last time I checked, no one holds a gun to your head and makes you buy those tickets. Whatever happened to defending choice and expression even when those things might be dangerous, such as drinking, smoking, gambling, or legalizing marijuana?
(And don’t even get me started on the underrepresentation of whites, Asians, and Latinos in the NBA players association.)
Chris Wood, Memphis
The Real B.S.
To the Editor:
In reply to Mark A. Nolan’s comments (Letters, February 1st issue) on the “B.S.” of police and jailers in Shelby County, I would say the real blight on the city is that Memphis is the true crime and bankruptcy capital of the free world. I have retail stores in eight Southern cities and the crime we endure in Memphis is 10 times more frequent and severe than any other city. Half the people of Memphis are working hard. The other half are working hard to rip off the first half.
I’m sure most of the police in Memphis are very professional. They are just overwhelmed with the volume of crime and the lack of respect. I agree with Nolan’s statement that we need more jails and better paid jailers. However, we also need zero tolerance for criminals and more rights for victims.
Bruce H. Carlock, Music City Record Distributors, Nashville
Boomers Rule, Dude
To the Editor:
In Chris Herrington’s review of the Beatles’ classic movie A Hard Day’s Night (February 15th issue), he writes: “I’m sick of the never-ending cycle of baby-boomer nostalgia cluttering a culture that should be more concerned with the here and now.”
Perhaps the “here and now” isn’t offering very much in popular music, unless one gets off on recycled sociopathic rap or over-produced lightweight teen acts. Today’s disposable music scene is sadly lacking in originality, excitement, experimental musical innovation, and social importance.
When it comes to rock-and-roll and generation-defining youth culture, baby boomers pretty much wrote the book. Most musical trends since the 1960s youth and musical revolution pale in comparison. That is why the music of that era is called classic rock — it transcends generations and keeps on having an impact on present day youth.
Randy Norwood, Memphis
Corrections: In last week’s Steppin’ Out interview with Dave Hickey (“Arousing Dissent”), a paragraph by writer David Hall was not italicized, which gave the impression that it reflected the thoughts of Hickey. The paragraph in question began: Well, I know the Memphis art community is rather inbred. There is often a relationship between getting one’s work in the marketplace and having some other kind of credential. …
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