Letters to the Editor
Ben Sen
Published Letters: 541 Editor's Choice: 98
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Reviewing ABSOLUTELY WILSON
[Read the article: Beyond the Multiplex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If these posts and articles are not forgotten the day after they're written, I'm afraid Mr. O'Hehir is going to have to put up with hearing from me again. I've now seen the documentary on Robert Wilson.
Mr. O'Hehir has a different idea of "reviewing" than I do. To say Mr. Wilson "believes" he had a learning disability as a child in the face of the evidence is to impugn his credibility, and shows a lack of understanding on Mr. O'Hehir's part. The movie makes clear Wilson is a perfect example of the "over compensation" that occurs so often in those who make major contributions, not only in the arts, but across the board in many fields of endeavor.
That Wilson created relationships and art with persons who had severe learning disabilities, including autism is a remarkable achievement, and humbling to those who believe there is or should be a connection between art and humanity. I think that is worth pointing out.
Maybe it isn't just about the latest "property" that has to be sold.
I have no idea where Mr. O'Hehir learned Mr. Wilson gets his inspiration from "the cultural blur of airports," because it certainly wasn't in the movie, and how he learned it from watching anything Wilson's done is beyond me. He has a lot in common with John Simon, the critic, who they put on a stool to look apologetic for his attempt to make Wilson conform to his definition of theatre. They are both literalists who insist on their interpretations.
Which brings me to the point: I find this kind of "reductionist," and ego-based reviewing of little value. I would much rather simply be warned that an artist is not for everyone, and not have the reviewer be heavy handed with me. I don't think it's fair.
I like to be informed, like Susan Sontag, when something new is being offered that may alter my perspective, rather than told it is not the sort of thing the reviewer prefers, and insinuate I probably won't like it either.
Pick on somebody else Mr. O'Hehir, leave Bob Wilson alone.
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The Efficacy of Hearings
[Read the article: The Scandal Sheet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Most of these issues are easily translated into Congressional hearings, yet Pelosi and the Democratic "Strategist" crowd has steered clear of it like a "ton of garbage on the bed."
One wonders why? In my view, it is partly the fear they have of a Republican party that has shown again and again it's ability to deliver the vote. They learned in '04 not to bait them--it didn't work just to run against Bush, even if by that time the writing was on the wall. They have decided to err on the side of caution. Hopefully, I am not giving them credit they don't deserve. Certainly, they do not see themselves in a position to challenge them at this point.
The other reason is the extent to which the party has been weakened by it's own lack of leadership and inability to count on its "core" constituency. The question is: after the election, if the nation shows it's fed up, what course will it take in the next two years? Most of the so-called Democratic agenda at this point is window dressing.
It doesn't work to insult the voters prior to an election, i.e. "you're the dumb-dumbs who gave him a second term." I agree with that, but also enjoy not having to abide by it as a letter-writer who can make observations that don't have to follow those rules. I have no nest to fill with feathers.
Eventually, IF THE DEMS HAVE THE SEATS, and the indication a new majority is starting to wake-up, it will be impossible for them to deny the efficacy of hearings. Think about it. Take the lid off what has been really happening in Iraq--and the possibility for a turn-around in '08 becomes real. Get those climate experts on the front page of the news for three or four weeks and see that happens. I simply do not believe the majority of Americans are this stupid. Find out the connection between Mr. Cheney and the oil companies. Strip away all this "executive privilege" nonsense and find out who has their hand in the till. Get to the bottom of why there was no plan for what to do in Iraq after the invasion. What was really on their minds?
What if the nation has reached a point where it wants to know what their youth are dieing for?