Andrew O'Hehir writes, "I see Carrey as the greatest film comic of our generation, and perhaps the finest physical comedian since the silent era of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd."

What kind of hyperbole is this? In addition to physical comedy, the aforementioned were shaping consistent screen characters, comedic film language and techniques -- in a very explicit manner, and for the silent screen. Has Carrey reached the level of visual poetry that was Chaplin's?

For expert physical comedy, O'Hehir should watch the films of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harpo Marx, Curly Howard, W.C. Fields and Lou Costello.

-- Charles Greenberg

Jim Carrey is among the best comic talent of our generation. I do, however, take issue with Andrew O'Hehir's dismissal of Tom Hanks' roles of late: Does anyone really think that Hanks should still be making comedies like "The Money Pit" instead of dramas like "Forest Gump," "Apollo 13" and "Saving Private Ryan"? O'Hehir is spot on with regard to his assessment of Robin Williams' recent career, but he does a disservice by including Hanks in that same category.

-- David Bzdak

Blackballed
BY SALLIE TISDALE
(12/07/99)

Sallie Tisdale's review was heavily burdened by her preoccupation with the supposed mysteries underlying black dominance of the NBA and white dominance of other sports. "I've been called a racist myself simply for asking the question," she tells us at one point.

Blacks came to dominate basketball because basketball is an inexpensive sport to participate in -- all you need is a space to act as a court, a basket, a ball and young bodies full of energy. Cities across the United States created courts in inner cities because the overhead is slight and it gave kids something to do. This created a proving ground for black young men, a place to sharpen skills in this one sport. And of course, from this competition the most talented often rose to NBA stardom.

I grew up as one of those black kids with one organized sport available to me. In suburban communities there are also basketball courts -- but these facilities are not alone. Hockey, figure skating, tennis, soccer -- all sports requiring more infrastructure (and therefore more money) -- are often all supported at the same school. Inner city kids (mostly black and Hispanic) rarely have such a cornucopia of choices.

-- Dwayne Monroe

Sallie Tisdale is another Salon writer who believes that it takes courage for a white writer to discuss "taboos" about race. Don't these people read newspapers, watch television or go to the movies? Performing one-sided rants about racial "taboos" is the easiest gig in town, and minorities are assaulted by hostile and inflammatory commentary on an around-the-clock basis. Even more insidious are the tough-love opinions offered by those who are hypocrites in their own lives, and who never discuss "taboos" about other ethnic groups, including their own.

-- Ishmael Reed

Sallie Tisdale states, "He sees unspoken racism ... in a woman's glance at a black man jogging by." The phrase is troubling because, Tisdale makes all women white women. This is the kind of historically "invisibilizing" language we who speak and write about race must look for, diligently, in our own thoughts and communication.

-- Elizabeth McNeil

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