Love And Hate Mail
If it used to have a face, don’t eat it
More Jews than ever before are enjoying the benefits of vegetarian eating (“Kosher Veggie Tales,” Sept. 1). Not only is eating vegetarian meals a healthy alternative, it’s also an easy way to oppose animal abuse.
Egg-laying hens are confined in tiny wire cages too small for them even to flap their wings, while chickens raised for meat are selectively bred to reach market weight so quickly that their organs and legs often can’t keep up with their enormous size, causing painful illnesses and disorders. Cattle are de-horned, branded and castrated—all without painkillers. And it’s important to note that these practices are forced on animals whose meat, eggs or dairy products are labeled “kosher.”
As Jews, we have an ethical and religious obligation to show compassion toward animals. Leaving them off our plates is a good way to fulfill that obligation.
Josh Balk
The Humane Society of the United States
jbalk@hsus.org (Washington, D.C.)
All turned around
I read Edd Hurt’s article about Big Star with great interest, having been somewhat involved with the band and their subsequent post-BS recordings (“Mod Lang,” Sept. 1). With all due respect to Mr. Hurt, he and many others didn’t quite read between the lines of Jovanovic’s bio. Big Star was Chris Bell’s band, period, and if there was any single person who epitomized power pop it was Chris, not Alex. Before meeting and working with Alex Chilton, I was duped into thinking he was the one responsible for the style and greatness of Big Star, and I apologize for whatever contribution I have made to furthering this lie. Ardent Records wanted to make Alex the center of attention as he had an exploitable history as singer in the Box Tops, and Chris Bell was too artistic, intelligent and volatile to be depended upon to do the do. The only reason Big Star’s second album had any kind of power pop resonance was Chris’ presence on the recordings (he had long since left the band by the time the album was issued), and by the time the third (Sister Lovers) album was underway, Alex was trying to emulate Lou Reed—any Beatles references were long gone.
After the group broke up, Chilton dismissed the entire power pop canon as “pukes” (as in regurgitating Beatles) and had no interest in this kind of music until Big Star suddenly loomed large as power pop icons and there was an opportunity to cash in. My own struggles recording Chilton in 1975 made it very clear to me that Alex had no interest in making records that were pop (or even coherent, unfortunately), and although I was able to cobble together a record that had some resemblance to his previous acclaimed work, he was determined to bury his past. Which does link up nicely with Hurt’s quote from Michael Bane regarding Memphis. So should we expect anything tuneful or life-affirming from a post-Chris Bell Big Star? There’s a lot of greatness in the first two Big Star albums, but nothing since has substantiated the iconic treatment of the group or Chilton solo. He got the kudos for the Box Top’s success when the bows should have been taken by the great Dan Penn. Likewise him stealing Chris Bell’s thunder with Big Star, but dead musicians can’t take any bows or complain.
Jon Tiven
jontiven@comcast.net (Nashville)
The little club that could
I appreciate Tracy Moore’s inclusion, in your College Survival Guide, of East Nashville venues in tips for catching great live music (“College Soundtrack,” Aug. 25). But she missed a key player in the area—The Lipstick Lounge. We’ve worked hard to make the Lounge a venue for great live music. In the last year alone, we’ve had performances by Jonell Mosser, Mary Gauthier, Mindy Smith, Lauren Ellis, Chris Mitchell, Halcyon, Kentucky Thunder, Steff Mahan, Diana Jones, Kristi Neumann, Jen Foster, Essra Mohawk, Jason Ricci, various Girls With Guitars members and many more. The Sunday Night Music Special is dedicated to original music, mixing known and unknown performers to help expand their audiences and introduce listeners to great new artists. Just because we’re little, don’t count us out.
Cathey Stamps
Maybe99@aol.com (Nashville)
Here’s a quarter…
The Scene should be ashamed of its article on WSMV general manager Steve Ramsey’s death (Desperately Seeking the News, Aug. 25). I thought mentioning Ramsey’s support to air the story in which a prostitute was paid $22 to do an interview was in poor taste. It was highly inappropriate to use past controversy to punctuate what will likely be one of the last articles written about him.
I’ve remained silent about my report on the Metro Police Department’s paying informants to have sex, to let the controversy die. But the Scene has taken several opportunities since February to breathe new life into it. Perhaps it’s still unclear that the seed to pay was planted by a news manager in an editorial meeting. He spoke boastfully about once doing a similar story in which his top market station paid for a prostitute’s interview.
The Scene’s article repeated that news director Andrew Finlayson, and anchors Dan Miller and Demetria Kalodimos, considered paying for the interview a reportorial lapse. If so, the concern apparently wasn’t strong enough to kill the story. The station knew three hours before the report aired at 10 p.m.
The station promoted the report to increase viewership, and the unusually lengthy segment aired repeatedly during the morning show. The station’s graphics department even improved production by adding read-a-long captions for the noon show.
Even an ethics expert at The Poynter Institute, a school for professional journalists, didn’t consider paying for the interview a reportorial lapse. Furthermore, it’s important to note that my out-of-pocket expense was refunded, and I was never reprimanded.
The Scene’s write-up on Ramsey stopped short of criticizing his support to air our story. Bottom line, I say our fearless leader stood up for what was clearly a station decision. So, let’s allow Ramsey and this controversy to rest in peace.
Darian Trotter
WSMV Reporter
Darian.Trotter@wsmv.com (Nashville)
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