Letters to the Editor
Marcos22
Published Letters: 47 Editor's Choice: 11
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The Rating system is flawed, but parents do have to parent
[Read the article: Rated "R" for righteous]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The boogeyman of the NC-17 rating is something that spooks a lot of filmmakers... and forces them to cut movies so they can get an R rating and be considered "acceptable" in most theatres and get advertised. There's no doubt there is truth to that.
The content that determines NC-17 is often very poorly or certainly non-uninformly applied, and that is a legitimate point that this article, and others like Roger Ebert, have brought.
The idea for an "A" rating, which is what NC-17 was supposed to be, a movie solely for adults, isn't a bad one - but it has to some how lose the stigma surrounding NC-17 if it is to work. NC-17 is basically the same as X now; it didn't have its intended consequence.
As many people have noted, these ratings have power only because people pay attention to them, and I know my parents followed the MPAA to the T. I was 13 before they'd allow me to see a PG-13 movie in the theatre, for example.
By and large, parents do have to take an active role in what they think their kids should be watching, and they have the MPAA ratings and plenty of other web sites to consult on these matters. I think the problem with the MPAA ratings isn't what-should-kids-see... it's the impact that the 'we must cut this to get an R' has on the "vision" of the filmmaker.
Is this a major crisis of our time? no, of course not. But should the rating system be exposed to a bit more transparency rather than the secret and rather strange system we have now? Yos, I think that'd be good.
But if more theaters/studios/newspapers/tv stations/filmmmakers just ignored the MPAA system, which is voluntary, it would rapidly lose its effectiveness.
What bothers me much more than the MPAA, is parents who bring their children to movies that are totally inappropriate. I've seen adults bring their very small children to violent R rated movies or other films with very adult content. This to me is a bigger problem than whether someone has to cut out some sex scene from a movie to get the R rating ... which will be on the DVD release probably anyway.
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it's not like she's playing well
[Read the article: Girl golfer contaminates PGA Tour]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think it's fine that she's trying to play in PGA tournaments, I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is she's shooting an 81 and not playing well.
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hi speed cameras
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Possibly the only good thing is they seem to have some high speed cameras at long last. However, they seem to use them primarily on pitchers and hitters... wouldn't it make sense to point them at, I don't know, close plays at first base? or close plays at any other bag for that matter.
I admit I haven't been following either LCS that much on Fox, so maybe I just have missed the full range of their use. But the only time I saw them busted out was showing a pitcher's mechanics and a hitter's mechanics... not so much on close plays when the normal speed cameras get a bit blurry.
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Not sure who I was rooting for...
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As an Astros fan, this year's NLCS posed some problems. The Cardinals are our long standing division rival... the Mets, well, the Mets crushed our hearts in 1986 and came into the league the same year the Astros did, both NL expansion teams.
The Mets had some ex-Astros. The Cards, well, dammit, I really thought the Astros were going to catch them there at the end, make the playoffs, and ride dominant starting pitching back to the Series.
So, not really sure who to root for, I was glad it was a good game. I thought the Cards shaky bullpen was going to blow it there in the 9th, but they held on. I guess now I'm obligated to cheer for the National League... but, well, I just hope the National League can win a single game The NL has lost 8 straight WS games. Sheesh. Granted, in 2005 pretty much every game was competitive, but oh well.
The thing about baseball, that has been said is, in the the playoffs, anything can happen - the "better" team doesn't always win. Surely proof of that is the Cards, who few picked to get to the Series the way their season ended.
But, plenty of teams won the World Series who were not expected to... the '88 dodgers, the '89 reds. So, we shall see!
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props to the fans in foul territory
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Twice in the fourth inning a ball caromed near the stands down the first base line and both times the fans - instead of reaching for the ball like dolts - put their arms up and got the heck out of the way. One time the ball bounced up in the stands, the other time it stayed in play. How many times has some moron reached down for a fair ball off the ground and forced a ground rule double... often to the detriment of his/her team?
I guess in the World Series, people are paying more attention... but still, it's nice to see. On the last day of the season in 2005, a fan almost cost the Astros a run, and - potentially the game and the playoffs - by reaching for a ball in a similar situation. Fortunately, that fan missed and the run scored.
Now, if it had been a hit by the Tigers... a St. Louis fan might want to interfere to help his/her team. If you're going to interfere with balls in play, it should at least be to help your team.