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Calendar Letters: An ‘absurd’ Beatles rethinking, and politicizing entertainment

Producer Giles Martin (son of original Beatles producer George Martin) sits at the key board at Capitol Records in Los Angeles.
Producer Giles Martin (son of original Beatles producer George Martin) sits at the key board at Capitol Records in Los Angeles.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Beacon of brilliant music

It would be easy to dismiss this as just another millennial music critic’s lame attempt at bashing an iconic baby boomer album [“Rethinking the Beatles’ ‘Best,’ ” May 21]. Begin Optional trim “I’m not saying it’s a bad record” does not get Times pop music critic Mikael Wood off the hook. Perhaps “Blonde on Blonde” will be damned with such faint praise in the future. end optional trim

The main point missed is that it seems unlikely that any of the current crop of manufactured pop stars, rappers and lip-synced dancers will produce any music worthy of consideration 50 years from now. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” will still shine brightly in June 2067. It is and always will be a beacon of brilliant music from the Summer of Love.

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John Clark

Santa Barbara

::

This is the first time I have ever responded to anything in the newspaper. However, I cannot just sit here and let this slide.

The article on the Beatles is ridiculous and absurd.

It is disrespectful to a fabulous group of gifted musicians whose music was as wonderful as it was groundbreaking and is disrespectful of the real people who have loved them and “Sgt. Pepper.”

Joe Iacopino

Los Angeles

::

Nice article on an important record from that era.

The one thing I would like to know is what do the surviving band members think about the remix — particularly Paul McCartney, since he was probably very involved in the original creative process.

Hopefully, another article will shed some light on this.

Bruce Steele

Redondo Beach

::

Regarding “The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ at 50, Gets a Remix” [May 21]: Why on Earth would anyone want to remix one of the finest breakthrough albums ever made?

Oops, silly me, money.

While I appreciate Giles Martin’s intentions, his genius dad (George Martin) did his best with what he had at the time. Perfect then, perfect now. George Martin, forever the fifth Beatle.

Rick Mervis

Porter Ranch


Major misstep on ‘DWTS’

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Regarding “Perfection Can’t Save Simone Biles in Bewildering ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Elimination” [May 16]: The elimination of Biles indicates what a farce the show has become.

Don Peppars

Pomona


Don’t expect a ‘like’ for this

Regarding “A ‘Dog’ That Plays Well With Others” [May 17]: Cute show. Great title (“Downward Dog”). But the dog says the word “like” way too much. As do the humans.

Shane Hathaway

Los Angeles


Vital, lasting lesson on justice

Regarding “True-Crime ‘The Keepers’ Seeks Justice” [May 18]: Kudos to Netflix for presenting “The Keepers,” a seven-part documentary series about the unsolved 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a young Baltimore nun and teacher.

Though an agnostic, I’m praying that “The Keepers” will impart a vital, lasting lesson to all who view it: No religious institution (nor any secular one) should ever deem itself so divine or infallible as to justify shielding its staff from prosecution for criminal conduct.

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Gary Dolgin

Santa Monica


Popping that Southern bubble

Regarding “Hollywood Forgets ‘We’re All Just People’ ” [May 21]: I don’t know whose bright idea it was to dig up three entitled women to represent the South, two of whom are admitted Republicans and seem to live in their own bubble. But to have such clueless, arrogant people blather on and on about their perceptions of Hollywood while defending a party of deplorables and bragging about a friendship with an adulterer and misogynic racist is simply a waste of newsprint.

Julie T. Byers

Arcadia

::

Sorry, your writer forgets the more realistic movies with a Southern setting — the adaptations of novels by Grisham and Conroy, to start with. The fables and fairy tales writer Tre’vell Anderson lists have no more realistic connection to the South than “Fargo” has to Minnesota or “La La Land” has to California.

Joseph Cooper

Santa Barbara

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One of the Southerners claiming that Hollywood has gotten out of touch with the people says it hasn’t made anything “from a conservative viewpoint in so long” and the industry doesn’t bother to “understand [our] point of view.”

But that’s exactly the problem — treating politics as a viewpoint. Government is supposed to be a tool that practically solves problems. The best solutions don’t come from what you or I want but what actually works to fix the issue and is for the public good. It is my belief that we are in this dysfunctional mess because too many Americans think that “liberal” and “conservative” are just teams you pick.

Zareh Delanchian

Tujunga


Surely, there’s more to story

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Susan King’s piece on the history of Sid Grauman’s Chinese Theatre [“Chinese Theatre Turns 90: A Star Was Born,” May 18] was fascinating and rightfully credited Chinese artists, craftsmen and others who contributed so much to its legendary motif. But I’m still wondering why Grauman opted for a Chinese motif. Perhaps a knowing Calendar reader will tell us in next week’s Feedback.

John Morgan Wilson

West Hollywood


It’s a return to the early ’90s

Regarding “Networks Turn Back Time” [May 22]: So now “Twin Peaks” is back and “Roseanne” is set to return as well. I always suspected I wasn’t the only one who missed the early ’90s. Maybe Hollywood wouldn’t seem so much “like 1930s Germany” to Tim Allen if ABC rebooted “Home Improvement” to replace the recently canceled “Last Man Standing.” Of course, the real test would be a “thirtysomething” revival, but that would have to be renamed “pushingsixty.”

Kevin Dawson

Los Angeles

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