Correspondence
sing nor whistle. Tension is growing in England over the government's plans to subsidize two rival chicken-catching machines, but in America the culturat i was relieved when People magazine reported...
...Allen's failure to come to grip s with the difficult task he set for himsel f in writing, directing and starring in a movie that seeks—in part at least—t o tell us Something Serious About Life and God...
...with circumcision, this protec-tion is lost...
...The 1950s and 1960s tonsillectomy fad is a recent ex -ample...
...or words to that effect) . The camera, looking over he r shoulder, is now on Allen in close-up . He doesn't say a word . His eyes shift to the side and he half-grins . But we, the spectators, knowing what we do about the unfaithfulness and adulter y and betrayal that have marked the af fairs of the characters in the film (in cluding the one played by Allen), se e in Allen's face not only guilty self knowledge but regret and sadness . He remains silent...
...He writes o f Allen's "list of things which make life worth living," in Manhattan, as occur-ring "at the end" of the film and then says this scene shows "Allen didn't know how to end the movie...
...mean, every time I read the Spectator I'm the editorial . Look, if I weren' t married I'd do a number on you in th e women's room at Danceteria . But sorry now, you can try and you can die, but I won't let you play...
...O'Rourke actually to try t o learn what the teachings of the Church are, on sex and other matters, as well as to read the lives, and the writings of its Saints and scholars . Even if he did , I suspect that it wouldn't make muc h difference in his thinking...
...Thomas J. Otto Flushing, New York The Hooded Conservative Look Your reference in "The Continuing Crisis," May 1986, to the recent forma-tion of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resourc e Centers as "the first stirrings of ye t another progressive movement" i n America is, I suppose, flattering but misplaced...
...National Organization ofCircumcision Information Resource Centers Corte Madera, California Woody Waugh George Sim Johnston's review of Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters was a thoughtful, if, in my view, overly critical look at a flawed but generally good movie ("Gag Me," TAS, May 1986...
...Marilyn F. Milos, R.N...
...If political labels be apt, we are obviously "conservative," intent on conserving the whole natural body...
...He quite accurately points out Mr...
...Whatever may be wrong with th e scene of Allen talking into a tap e recorder about Cezanne, Flaubert, etc . , it wasn't the end of the movie...
...Sinc e we have had intimate sexual contact where sperm has passed between us, I feel it is only fair that I tell you that I have found out I have AIDS . I am most sorry to tell you this . I suggest you have tests made to make sure you're OK...
...Starstruck Hi Dude, You got something in for me...
...We support the view of the American Academy of Pediatrics which in 1984 said,"The glans at birth is delicate and easily irritated by urine and feces...
...Third, the subject of circumcisio n always evokes nervous laughter, and it is tempting to ridicule health profes-sionals who want to "save the foreskin" (as you put it...
...The circum-cision rate in the U.S., the only coun-try left that circumcises for non -medical and non-religious reasons, ha s dropped from 90 percent in the 1960s to 65 percent in 1984 and even lower i n some states like California and Texas . While that's admittedly not as good a s the 20 percent rate in Canada or th e one percent rate in Great Britain, w e are making progress, particularl y among well-read educated parents, n o doubt many of your readers . Finally, you erred in referring to me as "Miss" rather than "Mrs...
...What is more, once Mr...
...It would, I suppose, be futile to ad -vise Mr...
...Slowly the word is reaching parent s on this painful, moderately risky, an d very unnecessary surgery...
...I f she goes to London, he argues, she will meet new men, forget him, and their affair will be finished...
...Indeed, the end of Manhattan is among the most memorable sequences in modern American film . Allen, confronting the very young girl with whom he had an affair (and who is about to embark on a trip to England), begs her to stay...
...The American College o f Obstetricians and Gynecologist s reached a similar conclusion in 1978 . Our non-profit group, NO-CIRC, is simply an information center fo r parents, physicians, and health car e professionals who wish to obtain up -to-date medical brochures an d videotapes on the subject . Second, you erred in depicting th e movement to keep American boys in -tact like their grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and brethren in Britain , Canada, and elsewhere as "pro-gressive...
...O'Rourke numbers the Church among lunatic fringe groups, makes the sweeping declaration that its teachings on sex are wrong (an assertion he attempts to verify by way of a juvenile anecdote about an alleged sexual escapade with a "nice" Irish Catholic girl), and im-plies that not only many Catholi c I Bishops and religious are, but probably even St...
...That honor must go to the pres-tigious American Academy of Pediat-rics which first in 1971, then again i n 1975, declared that there is no medical , health, or cleanliness justification fo r neonatal circumcision, an American post World War II fad that is dying a slow death...
...The foreskin shields th e glans...
...Last year $200 million was wasted on unnecessary circumcisions, money that could be better used to save the lives of newborns in America, a country which ranks an embarrassing 16th in infant mortality...
...I am the mother of three boys, all of whom were circumcised in the 1960s when we didn't know better, and I am now the grandmother of one little boy who is happily intact, like his ancestors of an earlier generation...
...Our view is that, absent a religiou s reason, if the human body ain't broke, don't fix it by removing a healthy, func -tioning body part...
...Finally, in London the other Spectator and Mr...
...But there are two points raised b y Mr...
...Tension is growing in England over the government's plans to subsidize two rival chicken-catching machines, but in America the culturat i was relieved when People magazine reported that before bestowing his final kiss on Miss Linda Evans in "Dynas-ty" the late Mr...
...Paul and other Saints were, homosexuals...
...The girl counter s with "What's the matter, don't yo u have faith in people...
...Allen's ability and his strength as a film-maker...
...Taki Theodoracopulos, our noctiflorou s European editor, were successfully sued for libel by a nulliparous lady who in a free society could not possibly b e libeled . —RET...
...Rock Hudson gargled repeatedly and used a formidabl e "spray...
...Johnston that seem to me to mis-judge Mr...
...What words can com municate to the young woman th e knowledge he has gained through self inflicted wounds ? It is a beautiful moment and "ends" the film with exactly the right image — Allen's discovery of the unbridgeabl e (continued on page 48) THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR AUGUST 1986...
...Like-alas!—too many other people, he seem s to prefer basing his opinions on Catholicism, and religion in general, o n garbled childhood memories, and the novels of Andrew Greeley et al . In any case, I hope it isn't futile to I ask that, in future, you will exercise bet-ter judgment in choosing what appear s in the pages of your magazine...
...Bye . —Madonna (purportedly) Los Angeles, California RET (purportedly) replies: It is typical of your milieu that you would at once be ignorant of the se-quence of the scortatory pursuit and assume that disparagement is a manifestation of carnal longing for your person . If you want to be pub-lished in The American Spectator, suggest you send us your poetr y through conventional channels where it will be judged on its merits indepen -dent of your salacious suggestions . Elegance and Squalor I can't remember ever reading anything so penetrating, and so elegantly ex-pressed, as Maurice Cranston's "Brit-ain in Squalor" (TAS, May 1986) . Too much of it, unfortunately, coul d be applied to the United States as well . —Frederic Wile New York, New York No Laughing Matte r It was disappointing that The American Spectator—from which I've come to expect incisive, thought-provoking commentary—should have seen fit to print so flippant a piece a s P. J. O'Rourke's on the passage of s o seriously disturbing a piece of legisla -tion as the so-called "Homosexua l Rights Bill" in New York City ("Man -hattan Swish," TAS, June 1986...
...CORRESPONDENC E...
...But it was worse to discover the piece use d as an opportunity for gratuitous, an d sophomoric, ridicule of the Catholic Church . In a single paragraph, Mr...
...In such cases, the glans and especially the urinary opening may be -come irritated or infected . The foreskin protects the glans throughout life...
...Hi," the letters exhaled in the characteristic insouciance of poofter prose, "this note shall remai n anonymous for obvious reasons...
...But we do ourselves and, more importantly, our children a tremendous disservice if we perpetuat e harmful fads once we have the medica l evidence to know better...
...Hud-son learned that he had the disease for which his name has become epony-mous he had an amanuensis send hand-written notes to former boy-friends warning that they too might have AIDS...
...This is quite a feat...
Vol. 19 • August 1986 • No. 8
