Letters: Oct. 5, 1983

(5 of 12)
Indianapolis, Ind.

1941 MANY THANKS FOR THE FLATTERING REFERENCE TO MY GAUDILY CROWNED HEAD BUT MAY I FILE A GENTLE DEMURRER TO YOUR REPEATED USE OF THE ADJECTIVE "DWARFISH" IN DESCRIBING MY PERSON. ALTHOUGH I ACTUALLY STAND FIVE FEET FOUR INCHES IN SOCKS, I HAVE NEVER OBJECTED TO BEING RIBBED ABOUT MY SIZE. YOUR PET WORD HOWEVER, STRIKES ME AS INAPPROPRIATE AS IT CARRIES A CONNOTATION OF THE MONSTROUS AND STUNTED. LET ME SUGGEST THAT SUCH PHRASES AS "SMALLISH," "MINUTE," "MINIATURE," AND EVEN "POCKET-SIZE" BILLY ROSE WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY MORE APPETIZING.

BILLY ROSE New York City

1942 TIME used the words "yellow bastards" and "Hitler's little yellow friends" in speaking of the Japanese. I suggest that none of us use the word "yellow" in speaking of the Japanese, because our Allies, the Chinese, are yellow.

In this war we must, I think, take care not to divide ourselves into color groups. The tide of feeling about color runs very high over in the Orient. Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, and others are sensitive to the danger point about their relation as colored peoples to white peoples. Many Americans do not realize this, but it is true, and we must recognize it or we may suffer for it severely. The Japanese are using our well-known race prejudice as one of their chief propaganda arguments against us. Everything must se done to educate Americans not to provide further fuel for such Japanese propaganda.

PEARL S. BUCK Perkasie, Pa.

TIME emphatically agrees with Novelist Pearl Buck that raising a race issue is as unwise as it is ignoble. However, "yellow bastards" was not TIME'S phrase but the factual report of typical angry U.S. reactions. As for actual skin-color, U.S. white, pink or pale faces may well be proud to be fighting on the side of Chinese, Filipinos and other yellow or brown faces.—ED.

1943 I APPRECIATE GREATLY THAT NOT ONCE WAS THE WORD OBSCENE MENTIONED IN YOUR ARTICLE. EPITHET TOO EASILY USED WHICH ASSAILED UNANIMOUSLY THE APPEARANCE OF "INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS" BY FREUD, PSYCHOLOGIC DOCUMENT WHICH IS AND ALWAYS WILL REMAIN IN

SPITE OF ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT AND SENSATIONAL OF OUR EPOCH.

SALVADOR DALI Carmel, Calif.

1944 TIME'S STORY ON THE HOLLYWOOD FREE WORLD ASSOCIATION V. THE MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN IDEALS INDICATES NO EDITORIAL PREFERENCE FOR EITHER ORGANIZATION BUT REVEALS IN COMIC STYLE AN ANTI-HOLLYWOOD BIAS. WE FILM-MAKERS REALIZE OUR COMMUNITY IS A GORGEOUS SUBJECT FOR SATIRE. WE GRANT, OR ANYWAY MOST OF US DO, THAT WE ARE THE WORLD'S FUNNIEST PEOPLE. YOU CAN WRITE MORE JOKES ABOUT US THAN YOU CAN ABOUT PLUMBERS, UNDERTAKERS OR FULLER BRUSH SALESMEN. HOLLYWOOD IS GUILTY OF DELIBERATE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE LIVING WORLD. IT SEEKS TO ENTERTAIN, AND WE SUSPECT THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE WITHDRAWAL IS WHAT MAKES HOLLYWOOD FUNNY. BUT LET TIME MAGAZINE VIEW WITH ALARM OR POINT WITH PRIDE, BUT NOT LAUGH OFF HOLLYWOOD'S GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE FACT THAT EVERY MOVIE EXPRESSES, OR AT LEAST REFLECTS, POLITICAL OPINION. MOVIEGOERS LIVE ALL OVER THE WORLD, COME FROM ALL CLASSES AND ADD UP TO THE BIGGEST SECTION OF HUMAN BEINGS EVER ADDRESSED BY ANY MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION. THE POLITICS OF MOVIEMAKERS THEREFORE IS JUST EXACTLY WHAT ISN'T FUNNY ABOUT