4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 28, 2003 OP/ED Ulbe Stru~n aU 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 letters@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 LOUIE MEIZLISH Editor in Chief AUBREY HENRETTY ZAC PESKOWITZ Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. NOTABLE QUOTABLE (We're going to have the battle between the Christian right and the right Christians." - The Rev. Al Sharpton, in Sunday's Democratic presidential debate in Detroit, when asked about Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin's remarks casting the U.S. struggle against terrorism in religious terms. I on COLIN DALY TEICi N-H Ic-A-cN. DALY f $ =ue ei S FORWARD.,. A SIC-4 N -CEi to ... T 1-A 2tC11D ,. 19L$ RAIN EJMI IA N -,, RBlg L {N H13 muc, Eis OURH5K STOP& To T'Rl 1S NOt)RtSIfi 1w,, a ., ,: Attn. snobs: I love rock and roll, Hrithik, Jimmy John's AUBREY HENRETTY NEUROTICA spent a good number of my playtime hours last summer watch- ing "reality" television and Bollywood movies. Usually back to back: a little "Paradise Hotel," a little "Kabhi Khushi Kab- hie Gham" and a whole lot of subtitles and cry- ing. And I am not ashamed to admit I loved every second of these viewing experiences. I loved every cheesy profession of love or loyalty, every musical number, every kissing-spree montage (especially the one they showed right after the hotel whore swore to her longtime boyfriend that she'd only locked lips with one PH boy - dramatic irony at its finest), every indoor close-up of Hrithik Roshan in which his hair billowed as if caught in a mysterious indoor breeze or the path of a large stationary fan placed just off-camera. Massive structural differences aside, PH and K3G occupy similar spaces in the enter- tainment world. Both are products of huge profit-driven industries and both appeal to our most basic human interest: the interper- sonal relationship and the many ways in which it can go horribly, horribly wrong. Critics roll their eyes at the strict adherence of each to its genre's conventions and result- ing relative predictability, but fans wouldn't have it any other way. I suppose there is one other stand-out similarity between "reality" TV and Bolly- wood fare, and believe it or not, this is some- thing they share with science fiction, Star- bucks, pop music, chain restaurants and mys- tery novels. Something about their mass appeal makes people hate them. I'm not trying to suggest that some people don't loathe "reality" TV because watching it for more than 10 seconds at a time makes them want to reach right through the screen and throttle the next cast member to say "playing the game" with a straight face, or that some people don't scorn Starbucks because Starbucks coffee tastes remarkably like freshly burnt rubber. These are valid complaints. What's missing from them is the word, "hate." It takes something very special to elicit active hate from otherwise laid-back individuals - especially for something as benign as a TV show or a song or a double tall mocha - and a quick conversation with any given hater is all it takes to see what that special something is: snobbery. Yes, the true pop-cultural haters are noth- ing but a bunch of stuck-up sourpusses, a humorless band of elitists who insist that nothing good is ever popular, that nothing popular is ever good. And they are every- where. You'll find them in every facet of life, from the literary ("Oh my God, is that a Stephen King novel? Don't you realize that William Faulkner exists, you poor slob??) to the culinary ("Excuse me, did you just say Jimmy John's sandwiches were delicious? But they use white bread and pre-sliced meat! Don't you have taste buds?"). They're expert martyrs, too, perfectly capable of questioning your taste and attacking your character in the same breath. They'll tell you you're not allowed to con- tinue to like what you once liked if too many other people now like it. I hate to keep coming back to Starbucks (mmm ... burnt rubber), but say you happened to like Starbucks coffee. If you lived in Seattle in the '70s and that was the case, fine; it was a successful local business back then, God bless it. But no more. Shop there now - i.e. drink the coffee you have been enjoying for the past 30 years - and you're a selfish, corporation-lovin', homogeny-pushin' sell- out. You lose. If you had any kind of moral backbone whatsoever, you'd buy coffee from the little coffee shop across town - the one that serves the coffee you don't like - so that others will have a choice. I think this reasoning is self-evidently ridiculous. But that is a side issue. What I suspect is really going on with our friends the snobs is that they - like the adolescent tormentors they are trying so desperately to move past in their minds - are so helplessly concerned with being the coolest of the cool that they've forgotten how to have fun. They'll never be able to point and laugh at their own silly problems (the lies they've told and been told, the stu- pid things they've said in the presence of witnesses) as re-inacted in prime-time by "real" people on tropical islands. They'll never appreciate brain candy. The rest of us should pity them, but never judge. After all, there is no accounting for taste. I Henretty can be reached at ahenrett@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Hanink oversimplifies lack of African Nobel laureates TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response to Johanna Hanink's column (Nobel neglects black Africans, 10/27/03) regarding the lack of black African Nobel Prize winners. There are several incorrect assertions put forth within her article. First, Hanink seems upset that this problem has existed since the award's beginnings in 1901. However, she fails to realize that for a good portion of the 20th century, many African cultures had no written language to speak of. The fact that the Nobel Prize committee subsequently had less African writers of international standing to choose from is not entirely its fault. Sec- ondly, there are authors who represent the situation of post colonialism quite well who have won the award. V.S. Naipaul is per- haps the most eminent of these authors, but his recent Nobel Prize seems to strike Hanink as worthless, merely because he is not a black African. Lastly, there is the issue of the Nobel Prize committee's selections in general. There have been some questionable selections in recent years, to say the least. The lack of black African winners, then, is not the result of some conspiracy perpetuat- ed by a racist, Anglocentric Nobel commit- tee. Many authors have been overlooked by the imperfect Nobel regime, not just black Africans. Yes, there is a dearth of black African Nobel prize winners in literature. But there is much more to the issue than meets Hanink's eyes, especially given her admitted "minimal research." DUSTIN ZACKS LSA senior Reader proposes a pact with football coach Carr TO THE DAILY: I have been a frequent and vocal critic of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr. I feel that Carr is oftentimes too conservative in his play calling, does not motivate his players as consistently as he should and has underpre- pared his team for critical moments. There are a litany of examples which I could cite concerning each of these charges: In this year's loss against Iowa, there was a point was an impressive display of coaching ability and deft preparation. Defensive coordinator Jim Herman devised a devastating defensive scheme, the Michigan offense was balanced and sufficiently daring when needed and the special teams were excellent. There are, of course, coordinators and subordinate coaches who helped to improve the Wolverines, yet it is always the head coach who is ultimately responsible for his team's failures and thus should also get credit for its successes. I was proud to be a Michigan man on Saturday and was pleased by the coaching effort that trans- lated into fine play. However, I was unfortunately not born yesterday, and thus have an enduring memo- ry of many Michigan teams whose sensation- al play certain weeks only made ensuing letdowns that much more difficult to accept. So, I would like to propose a pact into which Carr and I can enter. Lloyd, I will relent in my criticism and give you the benefit of the doubt more often if you prepare your team well enough to avoid yet another meltdown fueled by arrogance and too many press clippings. The pact will go into effect now and can be reevaluated around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. I am one of those who feels that this current Wolver- ines squad is too talented to have lost twice already, yet I suppose that I will give you a chance to prove that it is not your ineptitude that has gotten the team to this point of lowered expectations and lost opportunities. Please don't make me regret this choice. JOSEPH LITMAN Alum Photo and article exemplify problems with public health To THE DAILY: While it may be unconventional to sub- mit a letter to the editor referring to a pho- tograph, I could not let my response to All in a day's work (10/21/03) go unspoken. The photographer's capture of a University Health Service paramedic's smug expres- sion while his cohorts attended to "resusci- tating a homeless man" (in caption) deeply disturbed me. I don't want to blame the paramedic, though. Perhaps it was simply a stroke of bad luck that a passing smirk and a camera shutter snapped simultane- ously. Despite three other paramedics crouched around the victim, his apparent calmness mirrors apathy. Can the reader construe that injustice exists among emer- ing availability, affordability and safety with public health. This case illustrates how low-income housing options are often a contentious point between real estate sales and government. We entrench the idea of second-class citizenry while sacri- ficing the well-being of others. Homeless- ness commands sensitivity. Equal access and a sense of medical urgency should be bestowed upon all, smirks or not. As an aside relating back to the picture, it's quite peculiar how the arrows on the street sign behind the paramedic's head could be interpreted as devil's horns: a subliminal insinuation? AMY PETERSON School of Public Health Ann Arbor residents should vote 'yes' on Proposal B To THE DAILY: Ann Arbor voters should pass Proposal B on Nov. 4, which among other things, will authorize funds to preserve and pro- tect the parkland in and around the city of Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor isn't now, never has been nor ever should be a city like other major urban centers. New York, for example, is known for its sprawling metropolis of skyscrapers, shops, restaurants and businesses. It is not known for its beautiful green fields and diversity of plant species. Ann Arbor, however, isn't New York. Ann Arbor is a different kind of city that prides itself on its preservation of green space, beautiful flowers, and diversity of all kinds. This proposal will both continue and protect this tradition for future generations. For the past three years as a student at the University, I have enjoyed running through Nichols Arboretum. This preserva- tion, only a minute walk from campus, is possibly the most stunning area in Ann Arbor. I enjoy running there because it is away from all the traffic, away from all the students and their cigarette smoke, away from all the noise and away from school; it is simply a place with both splendid sights, and serene quiet. This is my main reason for supporting the proposal, but what about the things that reside in this city that don't have the liberty to vote like I do? This proposal will also protect things far more important than my Sunday afternoon run through the Arb. It will first of all do the city's part in preserving the diversity of nlatcinthe i Tnited State~c.While neonle may 6 6 0 Li WJU W Lti~ PJX~~1I~13L~Y .4~ aI . :1 j I. Aftj