Dribbled Off
The years having mellowed me somewhat, so that I had begun to sympathize with the protesters of the CBS plan to once again cast the Appalachian populace unfavorably.
That mellowing was stymied by the lack of concurrent protest by the Knoxville area's residents to the network's local affiliate's decision to usurp the Dan Rather/Saddam Hussein interview with a meaningless roundball game. If you did not contact WVLT with your complaint regarding their programming decision regarding this abject dereliction of a broadcaster's duty to serve the viewing public, you have no standing in regard to this missive. This is also true if you did not set your VCR to tape the delayed (3:07 a.m.) broadcast.
I hope the network gets the new "The Beverly Hillbillies" into production soon enough for it to be in reruns and broadcast daily in the not too distant future. They say that "Laughter is the best medicine" and I'm not getting any younger.
Thomas Schiavone
Knoxville
Histrionics Snubbed
First, let me say that I am a fan of Metro Pulse and of Paige Travis. Metro Pulse gives needed coverage to many area non-profit arts organizations and I appreciate your attempts to educate the public about what is available in Knoxville's arts community.
That said.... Your article on the "State of the Arts" focused entirely on the largest, best-funded institutions, and neglected to mention the dozens of small, struggling arts organizations that make up the core of the Knoxville arts community. The state of the arts in Knoxville doesn't include any theater companies at all? What about dance...traditional music...visual arts outside the hallowed halls of the KMA?
Your article left the impression that the arts are doing just fine in this uncertain economic climate, which is incorrect and misleading to your readers. Government funding has been cut, corporate and individual donations are down, and performance space is priced far beyond what most performing arts organizations can begin to afford. Perhaps the title of the article was a little far-fetched and over-reaching? We're all glad that the opera, the symphony and the KMA are doing well, but "the arts" in Knoxville include so much more than these heavily endowed organizations.
To make matters worse, after ignoring theatre completely in "The State of the Arts," on the very next page the editors give us a somewhat snide and unresearched piece on what is wrong with the Knoxville Area Theatre Coalition awards. Had Paige been working up to her usual high standards, a little research would have revealed to her that some of the theatre companies she finds missing from KATC nominations are not members of the coalition. A company must be a member in order to be considered. KATC cannot force every company in town, even Paige's favorites, to participate. And just for good measure, Arms and the Man was produced by Tennessee Stage Company, not Actor's Co-Op as stated in the article. A little more homework is in order before stepping up to the bench in the black robes to judge.
Brandon Daughtry Slocum
Tennessee Stage Company
Strawberry Plains
Protest Plethora
Just wanted to say that I have traveled many places here in Tennessee. I have found that when I tell people I'm from around Knoxville, I get a reply: "Isn't that where protests happen all the time? They protest everything there, don't they? Even the mayor does, I heard."
I personally don't have anything against protesting. But three or four times a week?! I think people and the media are getting burned out on it. Have a couple of large protests a month, make your point. And move on! Don't jump the media because of the lack of coverage. Eat too much of the same cake, you get sick of it.
The Creator knows I have had my share of protests. Some were good, and some were bad. But after a while [a protest] will lose its effect on people. To those who are protesting now, I wish you all good luck in your efforts. I am sure down the road I might be back out there. But for now it's Nashville [the Legislature] working to get a voice back for our Native American people here in this state.
Carl Two Feathers Whitaker
Knoxville
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