Letters

Butt Out
That was a nice piece of city color on billboards ("Where the Coppertone Girl and Carl Lewis Roam," Unspun, Feb. 12), but -- what's this? More cigarettes and booze? Free ads for Lucky Strike cigarettes and Absolut vodka (not to mention Ford, Las Vegas, and other purveyors of arguably harmful products and services) right in a news story?

You guys still don't get it, do you? We SF Weekly readers can't buy anything from our coffins. How about a story on billboards from the last turn of the century?

By the way, last I knew, the plural of the butt brand with the round logo was "Luckies," not apostrophe-anything. Look it up in your Brown & Williamson ad file. Cough!

George Androvette
Duboce Triangle

Think Again
I am writing to report an odd journalistic tic on the pages of SF Weekly: The reviewers are always telling me to "think." In the Jan. 29 issue, a review of Marilyn Manson ("Christ on a Crutch," Music), a "competent but almost completely uninteresting" band, told me to "Think Barb Wire. Think Tuff Turf." Then, a review of a "middling folk-country-rock hybrid" recording by Amy Rigby called Diary of a Mod Housewife (Recordings) said to "Think here of the Sex Pistols' excruciating reunion" and to "think of Elvis on one knee." A restaurant review of the Beach Chalet ("Surf's Up," Eat) suggested that I "[t]hink Chestnut Street."

If I wanted to think, I wouldn't read these reviews. No, all I want is 10 or 15 minutes of free reading on the Muni metro.

Peter Weverka
Noe Valley

Force Feeder
Why was it necessary for Michael Sragow to review a 20-year-old movie that most of the country has already seen ("The Force Is Almost With You," Film, Jan. 29)? Furthermore, why did he find it necessary to rip the movie apart? Star Wars is a unique cultural phenomenon and therefore deserves to rise above such petty criticisms about what makes the movie work and what doesn't. Sragow has completely missed the point. Star Wars should be revered for what it has become, not vilified for what he believes it isn't.

Caresa Capaz
Nob Hill

The Morgue Lives
As a librarian in these watershed times for our profession, I greatly appreciate any coverage of the endangered treasures of our cultural heritage. The Oakland Tribune situation ("ANG Angst," Unspun, Jan. 29) certainly reflects that growing crisis. The handling of the collection at the San Francisco Public Library is yet another example.

As a point of clarification, I was at no time part of the "crack team" that developed ANG's Visitron system. I don't want that product to diminish my reputation as a librarian.

Steven Lavoie
Oakland

Correction
A review of the Bay Area Theatersports tournament ("Teamwork," Stage, Feb. 12) should have identified Kurt Bodden as Rafe Chase's skit partner.