WEEDED OUT
Re: Glasgow Fabulous While I applaud your anti-war stance feel the constant references to so-called recreational" drugs undermine The List's moral authority. The Glasgow Fabulous strip has mentioned drugs for at least the last two issues. perhaps more. It's all a big JOkO. until someone dies — like Leah Betts.
Andrew Hands
Via email
SMOKE SIGNALS
Re: Clyde and seek (464)
In Steve Cramer's article on Caroline Paterson he refers to his 'affected and arty MarlbOro lights'. ls art not supposed to appeal to the senses? Smokers become steadily less pleasmg to the eye as their fingers and teeth get stained and their hair and faCral features coarsen.
Pleasing on the ear? Well, while I'm a big Tom Waits fan. I'm not so keen on those women in Corrie wrth Cigarette- harshened veices.
Smell? Smokers stink. Taste? I wouldn‘t try tasting something smelling that bad. Touch? Well. if y0u're wanting to get intimate wrth a long-term smoker there may be a problem: smoking is the leading cause of male impotence.
Still think y0ur Marlboros are any. Mr Cramer? As yOu proudly cast them onto the table I'm afraid there may be more than a few folk spotting an inseCure. sad. smelly. rapidly phySrcally-aging but emotionally very immature indrvrdual.
Lucy Reynolds Via email
LAST LAUGH?
Re: Johnny Vegas (463) What does a comedian do when he becomes a Success and his whole act has been based on being an abiect failure? The answer is he relies on audience banter and badly rehashed elements of prevrous acts to entertain people whose
2 THE LIST 10—24- Apr 2003
Letters
React, The List,
14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE
or React, The List,
at the CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD
Or email react@list.co.uk
idea of a Wltty heckle is to shout monkey!” at him.
I feel sorry for the five people who confessed to Johnny that they were there as a Xmas present. At least I saw him when he was funny.
Lynn Bradley Via email
MINOR DEBATE
Re: School’s out (464) Undoubtedly some under-188 are far more politically aware than some of their older vote- holding fellow Citizens. However. if we ever needed proof of why minors are not given the vote. the letter written by 'G' in your last iSSue w0uld be rt.
If you are gomg to complain that TOny Blair does not listen, then do so by prowng to him that yOu have SOmethrng valid tO add to the argument. Use if as an opponunity to show that you grasp the issues involved and hence deserve to have a mice. It would appear that 'G' believes punching a police officer is more likely to impress.
The overriding tone in his/her letter is anti-police/authority more than that of political discussion.
Children of Scotland. if you want to protest then good on you. but do it peacefully and in your own time. The kind of behavrour described in G's letter and his misplaced pride do little to promote yOur cause.
‘For us. it‘s vrctOry 0r death.“ No pal. for you it's double maths or an afternoon in the sunshine and a chance to stick two fingers up to that policeman who caught you sticking a traffic cone on the Davrd Hume statue last week. Tom Via email
DOING IT FOR THE KIDS
Re: Romeo and Juliet (464) On page 31 you have a lovely bold advert for Scottish Youth Theatre's production of Romeo and Juliet by One William Shakespeare. Yet the c0verage of it is on page 91 in the Kids section. The yOung people I
know go to the Cinema. concerts. comedy. clubs and buy books. comics. records. games. Videos and watch TV. All of which you cover in yOur magaZine. But theatre seems to have a speCial age limit on it. Why?
In this case the playwright is pretty well known so it can't be that. The company, SYT, is established and reasonably well funded. It's on at the Citizens' Theatre. Glasgow and the Edinburgh Festival Theatre so preSumably the management of both these theatres thought it worth putting on. So why sh0uld it be conSrgned to the kids section of The List?
Now I'm not entirely unbiased in this matter. For instance I produced the Lyceum Youth Theatre
production of Pa'ple. i); Jon Fosse, which has rust plawd six successful shows at the Open Space Theatre. Oslo. Nomay. What (:()\.erag(‘: did i.‘.e get in the press for being invited to go? None. Again a celebrated writer. One of Europe's greatest. A tittilotlglll‘. profeSSional approach by the entire company. A proper grown up theatre With grown up audiences. But as I said, no press coverage at all. Why 1’ Where are the theatre audiences. performers. writers. techniCians. directors. set designers. critics gorng to come from if we don't take young people seriously? If you treat them like kids then that's how they'll behave? And who can blame them? Steve Small vra email
LETTER OF THE ISSUE PLANS UP IN SMOKE
Re: Fire goes out on Beltane (464)
I had heard the rumours that the Beltane festival was cancelled. but was unwrlling to believe them. Seeing the news in print actually made me weep this morning, as it falls on the eve of my wedding anniversary and it has become traditional for me and my husband to go up there and enroy the night.
It seems typical of this c0unCil to veto something that they make no profit from. The concerns about public safety are totally ridiculous; I have never seen any Violence in the crowd that attends the festival. In general. the crowd. while having a tendency to love the flames a little more than other crowds. is peace loving and senSible. If the police have no objections to it going ahead. then why do the COunCil?
Having settled here more than 13 years ago because I loved this City. I find myself Wishing to remove my taxes from the c0uncil's coffers by movrng away. What is ironic is that the c0uncil wrll find themselves haVing to pay an unplanned-for bill to the police who Will undoubtedly be instructed to stop peOple going up the hill anyway. They wrll try to go. yOu know.
Chrissie Williamson vra email
We share y0ur frustration, Chrrsse. so we 're sending you a case of 80/ to cheer you up. Happy anniversary.l
THE LETTER OF THE ISSUE WILL RECEIVE
A CASE OF SOL BEER
EVENTS cum: CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher & General Editor
Robin Hodge Editor Mark Fisher
EDITORIAL
Deputy Editor
Brian Donaldson Assistant Editors Maureen Ellis. Miles Fielder. Mark Robertson Research
Helen Monaghan iArtl, Maureen Ellis Comedy 8 Sport). Henry Northmore (Film 8. Rock). Anna Millai On; Life. Dance 8 Theatrel. Ruth Hedges iClassical. Folk. Jazz 8. Kidsi
SALES AND MARKETING
Sales 8. Sponsorship Director Amanda Mungali Media Sales Support Barbara Crichton
Senior Media Sales Executives GOrdon Eldrett Carol Ferguson 8 Racnel Shields
Media Sales Executive Bfigld Kennedy Promotions Manager Sheri Friers
PRODUCTION
Art Director
Krista Kegel~Dixon Production Manager Simon Armin
Designer Lucy Reeves Production Assistant Graham Clouston Subeditor Richard Rees
ADMINISTRATION Accounts Manager Georgette RenWick Accounts Assistant Manager Donna Taylor Reception Suzannah McMicklng
Edinburgh Office Diana Dignan
Glasgow Office
Jane Hamilton,
Elaine Graham
New Projects Director Mharrr Mackenzie Robinson IT Andy Bowles
SECTION EDITORS Art Helen Monaghan Books Brian Donaldson City Life Anna Millar, Jane Hamilton
Clubs Henry Nonhmore (With Johnny Regan) Comedy Maureen Ellis Comics Miles Fielder Dance Kelly Apter
Film Miles Fielder
Food Barry Shelby Games Iain Davrdson Gay Jane Hamilton Kids Ruth Hedges Music Mark Robertson fwrth Norman Chalmers. Carol Main, Kenny Mathreson 8. Fiona Shepherd)
News Ruth Hedges Shopping Maureen Ellis Sport Maureen Ellis Television Brian Donaldson Theatre Steve Cramer Travel Anna Millar Video/DVD Miles Fielder