Letters to the Editor
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tom, I must disagree
You and Ms. Havrilesky are plying entirely different crafts. Your use of an obviously extensive knowledge of television as a medium and of the industry to create your own cynical take on culture is often impressive and well written. Potentially even more effective if not laced with the venom that seems to blind you to what many readers appreciate in Ms. Havrilesky’s contributions.
Heather watches what TV reflects about us and then (I like to think), fighting off nausea, disgust and shock, puts together a riff that seems generously (considering the material) biting and humorous and shot through with (I hope to God what is) facetiousness and irony.
She doesn’t wish for her infant’s wonder and innocence to be transformed to a forced choice between angry cynicism and delusional optimism. She wishes that she could hope for more than that. Robot monkeys agree: Heather works this theme park for neurosis fairly well and, more importantly, in a way that allows for some therapeutic laughter.
And Heather’s continued willingness to access and use personal, inner experience and vulnerability to create and share meaning, knowing the venom and abuse it will elicit? I can think to characterize that only one way – courage.