Audio By Carbonatix
Way to Plug Those Advertisers
And congratulations on setting a new standard for insulting misogyny: A few days ago I had the misfortune to open New Times and read John Lombardi’s “High Anxiety” column headlined “Designa Vagina” (July 10). I’ve seen the ads for labial reduction placed in your paper (gee, what a coincidence!) and was curious to see if the article would explore the pros and cons of the procedure, as well as some of the fascinating ethical and cultural questions it raises. Nope. Lombardi’s sloppy piece didn’t alter my views on this and related surgeries — which a better-written article might have — but it did change my feelings about the quality of your publication, which I had once eagerly awaited every Thursday. I apologize in advance for the length of this letter, but I believe Lombardi’s shortcomings (pardoning the pun) cannot go unchallenged.
Lombardi’s uncritical use of the term “beautification” to describe the currently fashionable reduction of the labia minora betrays an enthusiastic endorsement of the bill of goods being sold to potential clients (your readers) — namely, that the genitals deemed representable in mainstream (white) porn and other media are the norm, and that any variation from the ideal is rightly cast as grotesque.
Comparing “oversized” pudendas to “flapping … elephant ears” was a new low in misogyny for this woman of color, and bluntly recalls colonial ethnographers’ description of African and Asian subjects’ “exotic” pudendas. In fact Lombardi’s “short history of labial rejuvenation” should really have begun with the dissected sex of the “Hottentot Venus,” a young South African woman named Saartjie Baartman. The “Hottentot Venus” was exhibited nude, in a cage, for paying white crowds on and off from 1810 until her early death in 1816. Until 1974 one could still find her labia minora on display in La Musée de l’Homme, Paris, as an example of the “too-large,” “primitive” genitalia that supposedly proved Africans’ savagery and thus their inferiority to Europeans. It would seem that the vision of female beauty championed in “High Anxiety” is not cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, SoBe chic but ironically pre-Victorian reactionary.
Should Lombardi wish to defend his choice of words in the name of satire — or just shrug, “Hey, lighten up!” — then why did he see fit to pathologize “labia minora enlargement” in a supposedly straightforward and informative paragraph? Everyone from Dr. Ruth to Dan Savage has (with some impatience) repudiated the notion that “overzealous manual and ‘toy’ stimulation” and “repeated, Olympic intercourse” can cause disfigurement of the genitals. (Should I be expecting an investigative report on the correlation between male masturbation and blindness or hairy palms?)
As for the labia itself, the assumption that it exists solely for the pleasure of the viewer “push[ing] in” (repeatedly identified as male by Lombardi) and not the owner of its nerve endings is not an innocent observation; it’s an ideological position. The meaning of bodily modifications such as tattooing, piercing, and ritual scarification has fueled recent debates on cultural relativism in anthropology (yes, the discipline now includes the ladies-who-lunch as objects of study) and most scholars can bring themselves to agree on only two things: standards of beauty are not “natural” but socially constructed, and they tend to benefit those in power, economically and politically.
Labial “rejuvenation” — as opposed to “beautification” — is quite a revealing word to use, then, since our culture does indeed fetishize the juvenile, infantilized female body and its “tight, neat lips.” What’s next, circumcision recommended for the wives/girlfriends of those threatened by the sight of the clitoris? The good doctor’s attempt to separate aesthetics from morality is an unsurprising if shrewd move. And certainly no one can deny that in the democratic United States, a consumer is free to go through with voluntary, elective surgery of any legal sort. But please, please don’t pass off an advertisement for this practice, suitable for framing in the physician’s waiting room, as anything approximating journalism.
E. Perez
Hollywood
Editor’s note: Owing to a reporting error in John Lombardi’s article “Designa Vagina” (July 10), Dr. Bernard Stern was misidentified. Stern has never been a partner of Dr. Sam Gershenbaum, nor has he performed surgery in Gershenbaum’s office. The surgeries and techniques described in the article refer to Gershenbaum alone. New Times regrets the errors.
Squawk: This Is Progress?
Parrot Jungle, in grand Florida tradition, is now a pricey tourist trap: Humberto Guida’s frank article about the travesty that is the new and “improved” Parrot Jungle is dead on (“For the Birds,” July 10). It also happens to be a classic example of the South Floridian idea of progress — more sterile, less interesting, and more expensive. The bigwigs at Parrot Jungle should be ashamed of what they’ve become — one more in a dizzying array of subpar, overpriced tourist traps.
We’ll all keep our fingers crossed for the future of the Barnacle State Historic Site in Coconut Grove!
Chenell Tannure
Hialeah
Mike Thompson:
Cork It on Campus
His intolerant propaganda is dangerous: Regarding Rebecca Wakefield’s story “Dyke vs. Mike” (July 10), I was very disappointed at what the article failed to mention. I was also disappointed with the headline itself.
The Gay-Straight Alliance at Palmetto High School fully recognizes that substitute teacher Mr. Mike Thompson has every right to hold his personal beliefs, but we also feel it is his responsibility as a public-schools employee to keep his intolerant beliefs to himself while on school property, whether his views are solicited or not. The Palmetto mission statement guarantees students a safe, tolerant, unbiased environment.
Mr. Thompson passed out several copies of his new book to students who were interested. It is also now available in the high school library for anyone who wishes to read it. Having read some of the anti-homosexual propaganda in the book, What’s the Difference? Gray Liberal Mush or Vivid Conservative Facts, I felt this material wasn’t appropriate for our school’s learning environment. I also felt such views could be a dangerous catalyst in the hands of the wrong young mind.
I hardly think such a fear is unfounded in these times.
Danielle Traveria
Kendall
Mike Thompson:
He Has His Rights
But the story was wrong: As a student at Palmetto High and a member of the class of 2003, I staunchly supported Mr. Mike Thompson. I liked him as a substitute teacher and I agreed with his right to do and say what he did in the way he did.
On the other hand, Rebecca Wakefield’s article was nothing short of a journalistic disaster zone. How can that be called news reporting? She spun more than Hurricane Andrew in her portrayal of the situation, and often spoke condescendingly of the Gay-Straight Alliance and what they were trying to do. For example, she did not bring up the instances of security guards tearing down GSA posters that had been approved by the school.
In my opinion she did not stay in the middle and accurately portray both sides. Moreover, the title itself, “Dyke vs. Mike,” served no purpose other than to fan the flames these GSA girls were trying to put out, even if they were a bit misguided in their methods.
Adam Jones
Tallahassee
Mike Thompson:
Please Act Like an Adult
Which means knowing when to shut up: As a pediatric nurse practitioner who has worked with numerous adolescents in primary care and in a psychiatric setting, I was appalled at the statements Mr. Mike Thompson made to adolescents at Palmetto High School. A few points I would like to make regarding Mr. Thompson’s behavior:
First, adolescence is a very fragile time, especially for gay and lesbian adolescents who may be struggling with sexuality issues. It has been well-documented that gay and lesbian adolescents are at an increased risk of suicide. I am concerned that statements like those verbalized by Mr. Thompson may be the spark that triggers an adolescent with sexuality issues to consider suicide to escape family or societal pressure.
Second, I am concerned about the failure of school administrators to take action when students complained about Mr. Thompson. Administrators have a responsibility to protect students from statements that may affect their psychological well-being.
Third, Mr. Thompson needs to realize that he is the adult. If he felt he was being cornered into making these statements, he should have simply exited the situation without making remarks that could later incriminate him. He needs to realize that the classroom and the public schools are not forums for his political/moral/ethical views. Even though I defend his right to free speech, the school is not the arena for this.
Last, I would like to applaud the efforts of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Palmetto High for tackling an issue that was important to them. Kudos to these students and shame on Mr. Thompson and the school administrators.
Joseph P. De Santis
Miami
Mike Thompson: Democracy in Action
These kids deserve credit for asking tough questions: As a social studies teacher and faculty sponsor of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Killian Senior High, I read with interest the story of the students at our neighboring Palmetto High. What a beautiful lesson in democracy! What better place to have a discussion of rights than in school? What a wonderful history lesson, reminding us that Dade County was the first metropolitan area in the nation (ahead of New York and California) to attempt to pass a gay-rights ordinance.
Most gay students are too busy trying to fly under the radar and make it through the day without being called a faggot, queer, dyke, or being told they’ll burn in hell. Many of them live in fear of their parents’ reactions; some even fear being thrown out of their houses. As children caught up in forces (hormonal and social) they do not yet understand, they don’t have the luxury of intellectualizing the issues. So please forgive them for being too “literal.”
As at Palmetto, our GSA is an organization of straights and gays, boys and girls. Just as African Americans received help from some members of the white community and Jews received aid from Christians, gay students need and welcome help in the struggle against discrimination, especially since they are at risk of being found guilty by association.
Our meetings are actually social events, safe zones where no one asks or cares who is who. I invite any student or teacher to attend the GSA meetings at your school. You’ll be surprised at how “normal” everyone is. You will definitely have a good time and you’ll come to understand that no one chooses to be the object of harassment.
Bravo to the students at Palmetto High for exercising their rights in a responsible manner! And bravo for not letting yourselves become victims.
J. Leath Hunt
Coral Gables
Mike Thompson:
That Would Be Me
Why am I not surprised this was a pathetic excuse for journalism: Rebecca Wakefield’s story was about as objective as I had expected. I think she misused “opine” regarding my statement that “I have one view of homosexuality and they have another.” That’s not an opinion; it’s an incontrovertible fact. “Opine” is not a synonym for “say.”
Far more serious, however, is the subheadline that described me as a “notorious” substitute teacher. That word means “something that is known for being bad.” It may fairly describe me from the petulant perspective of the homosexual students, but I doubt if a majority of Palmetto students or teachers, or principal Janet Hupp and assistant principal Carl Manzelli would describe me as “notorious.” Certainly that was not the description of me in a parent’s letter published by the Palmetto Panther newspaper, a copy of which I faxed to Ms. Wakefield but which was not mentioned in her story.
I note also that she allowed the students to allege that there was a causal relationship between my published statements and “a surge in harassment.” What proof did they offer or did she discover for this allegation? Did they report any such “harassment” to the sponsor of GSA or any other member of the Palmetto faculty or administration or security force?
I could go on but I am weary of the sloppiness that passes for journalism today. The standards were much higher when I entered newspapering in the 1960s. It is also interesting that her story pictures five of my young critics but not me. Are graphics now also exempt from balance?
Mike Thompson
Miami
South Beach: An Exciting Adventure in Music
Yes, those were the good old days: I am relieved to hear from writer Bob North that even people in the music industry are disgusted by the “trendy music” found in South Beach (“South Beach Enigma,” July 3). I was born and raised in Miami and grew up on the SoBe local scene in the Nineties, when each and every club or bar featured different flavors of music ranging from rock to disco to emerging hip-hop. Now all of it sounds like drowned-out beats with the same repetitive voices singing in the background.
I’m only 25 years old and have a need to go out, but I stay away from SoBe because I find this music is not fun and not something I want to be a part of. I always felt that South Beach was diverse in all things, including places that housed different sounds, which is what made the place unique. But I guess that was the old South Beach.
Christine Flint
North Miami Beach