Mail from our readers
Minor Star
Kudos to Margot Dougherty for her superb story (43, Dec. 7) on
America's newest comedy star, Macaulay Culkin. Rarely have I enjoyed
a movie as much as Home Alone, and Macaulay was the main reason. It
would be great if the Academy Award people would award a special
Oscar to Mack for his performance; it's that good.
John Michael Bucci
Millersville, Md.
I am 14 years old and I have a subscription to your great
magazine. I wanted to write to thank you for your article on Macaulay
Culkin. I've seen Home Alone, and I think Macaulay is destined to be
a huge star. Your article on him was great! But I don't totally agree
with the review that you gave his movie. I thought Home Alone was
much better than the critics made it out to be.
Todd Rohal
Dublin, Ohio
The War on Porn
If the statement attributed to Attorney General Dick Thornburgh in
your article ''The Feds' Secret War On Video Porn'' is true, he should
be forced to resign or be fired. As top man in the Justice
Department, Thornburgh's comment about pursuing large-scale producers
of ''illegal hard-core pornography'' is making him judge and jury
without trial and is totally unprofessional. If the government has to
go into the Bible Belt to get a conviction and force the
fundamentalist right's values on the rest of us, there should be a
congressional hearing on why millions of our tax dollars are going
for entrapment publicity trials.
Jeff Satkin
Plainfield, N.J.
Glove Me Tender
I, for one, am not ''cheering on'' Michael Jackson's wild contract
negotiations (News & Notes). The gloved one is already the
highest-paid recording artist, thanks to Thriller. If CBS/Sony gives
in to his demands, it will be difficult for the company to generate a
profit from his future recordings, and we know who'll pay for these
losses: we, the consumers. While I am in no way denying Jackson's
talents, sans Thriller his album sales have been no greater than
those of Madonna or Janet Jackson.
Patrick M. Smith
Lafayette, La.
Madonna Saviors
Was reviewer Steve Simels cranky from staying up too late watching
''Justify My Love'' on Nightline when he gave Madonna's video-hits
compilation a D+? Madonna reflected the '80s, she didn't create them.
And porn, unwanted pregnancy, and narcissism were around long before
Madonna bared her lucky star. Enjoy the videos for what they are:
four-minute fantasies that tweak the funnybone and the libido. It
wasn't the Reagan-Ciccone ticket that mangled the last decade!
Mark Reilley
Strongsville, Ohio
I commend you on a normally excellent magazine. Issue43 was no
exception, apart from Steve Simels' review of Madonna: The Immaculate
Collection. Simels obviously knew he would write a biased review
before even viewing the tape. If it is his preference not to like
Madonna, that's fine, but it isn't what his review should be based
on. Steve Simels needs a spanking.
Greg L. Morris
Brunswick, Maine
