Salon | Letters to the editor

_______________ CAMILLE DOES THE OSCARS BY CAMILLE PAGLIA (03/24/98)

One wonders if it is possible for Camille Paglia to write a column that does not contain the word "postmodernism" or "poststructuralism." I made it through her review of Oscar night, survived all the cheap-shot sour-grape nit-picking that passes for her "pagan ritual" with amazement that I hadn't seen one of those two words. Alas -- the last sentence ruined it for me. Sigh.
-- T. Henderson
Funny that Camille Paglia should refer to Kate Winslet as "Rubenesque" in her story about the Oscars. Even Kate Winslet would have to gain about 40 pounds to be anywhere close to "Rubenesque." Maybe she's "Hollywood Rubenesque" (meaning that, unlike the average Hollywood actress, she isn't emaciated), but that is quite another thing. If Camille were really the astute social critic and surveyor of the arts she claims to be, perhaps she would realize the extent to which popular culture has distorted her own views of the female figure.
How frightening that we've become so accustomed to models and actresses looking like concentration camp victims that an actress at a healthy (though not overly heavy) weight looks as plump and fleshy as a Rubens. I realize that the term "Rubenesque" was not meant as an insult in this article, but people who don't know what an artist's work looks like should refrain from referring to it in print; and people who are so accustomed to skeletal supermodels that a woman at a normal weight looks as fleshy as a Rubens painting should stop pretending to be sharp critics of contemporary culture and get back to reading Vogue and watching the Oscars.
-- Rebecca Ransom

_______________ WELL, WHADJA EXPECT? THE TRIUMPH OF ART? BY CINTRA WILSON (03/24/98)

I have to wonder if any of you folks at Salon took the time to actually read Cintra Wilson's bizarre Oscar column. It was, I must admit, mildly entertaining reading paragraph after paragraph of her loony rantings. What a surreal party Ms. Wilson must have thrown for herself, although I do wonder why she even bothered. In any case, make sure Ms. Wilson checks up on her medication before the MTV Movie Awards or, God help us, the Daytime Emmys.
Benjamin Scuglia
If Cintra Wilson hated the Oscar ceremony and its commercialism as bad as she expressed in her review, I wonder why she continued to watch it at all? Is it only because she had to write a review of it for money?
Get over yourself, Cintra. Go give away all your money, paint the Mona Lisa for free and maybe I'll take what you say more seriously.
Gary Schnitzer
SALON | March 26, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| WHY SUBTITLES STINK BY CYNTHIA JOYCE

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_______________ CAMILLE DOES THE OSCARS BY CAMILLE PAGLIA (03/24/98)
	One wonders if it is possible for Camille Paglia to write a column that does not contain the word "postmodernism" or "poststructuralism." I made it through her review of Oscar night, survived all the cheap-shot sour-grape nit-picking that passes for her "pagan ritual" with amazement that I hadn't seen one of those two words. Alas -- the last sentence ruined it for me. Sigh. -- T. Henderson Funny that Camille Paglia should refer to Kate Winslet as "Rubenesque" in her story about the Oscars. Even Kate Winslet would have to gain about 40 pounds to be anywhere close to "Rubenesque." Maybe she's "Hollywood Rubenesque" (meaning that, unlike the average Hollywood actress, she isn't emaciated), but that is quite another thing. If Camille were really the astute social critic and surveyor of the arts she claims to be, perhaps she would realize the extent to which popular culture has distorted her own views of the female figure. How frightening that we've become so accustomed to models and actresses looking like concentration camp victims that an actress at a healthy (though not overly heavy) weight looks as plump and fleshy as a Rubens. I realize that the term "Rubenesque" was not meant as an insult in this article, but people who don't know what an artist's work looks like should refrain from referring to it in print; and people who are so accustomed to skeletal supermodels that a woman at a normal weight looks as fleshy as a Rubens painting should stop pretending to be sharp critics of contemporary culture and get back to reading Vogue and watching the Oscars. -- Rebecca Ransom
_______________ WELL, WHADJA EXPECT? THE TRIUMPH OF ART? BY CINTRA WILSON (03/24/98)
	I have to wonder if any of you folks at Salon took the time to actually read Cintra Wilson's bizarre Oscar column. It was, I must admit, mildly entertaining reading paragraph after paragraph of her loony rantings. What a surreal party Ms. Wilson must have thrown for herself, although I do wonder why she even bothered. In any case, make sure Ms. Wilson checks up on her medication before the MTV Movie Awards or, God help us, the Daytime Emmys. Benjamin Scuglia If Cintra Wilson hated the Oscar ceremony and its commercialism as bad as she expressed in her review, I wonder why she continued to watch it at all? Is it only because she had to write a review of it for money? Get over yourself, Cintra. Go give away all your money, paint the Mona Lisa for free and maybe I'll take what you say more seriously. Gary Schnitzer SALON \| March 26, 1998