Michael Hart
Denver
Every week I look forward to Peter Gilstrap's Jesus of the Week--only to be disappointed. Now, please don't get me wrong. When I first discovered your weekly, JOTW was great. Each week I would grab the latest issue and flip through the cosmetic-surgery ads and the free-hot-sex stuff to arrive at your latest installment. I would soon find myself awash in recollections of sweet junior-high humor, brought back to the days when poking fun at the obvious seemed novel. You know, back when each of us were convinced that we were the discoverers of the underarm fart noises. Oh, how simple life was back then...
Alas, we Coloradans have come to expect so much more from cutting-edge Californians like Gilstrap. Sure, the thinly veiled bitterness is still exciting, but if you're going to spoon-feed us, why not consider an addition to your paper? Include that Buddha guy sometimes--now, that's a character! He's always so fat and jolly. And how about some pictures of those blue-skinned Hindu gods? What, with the flaming war chariots, the bristling weaponry and those terrific sex scenes, you could surely get a lot of laughs.
Please, Peter. Not only could you float to unexplored levels of hip "journalism," but you could also advance Colorado's education on how to behave as we follow your wake into uncharted popular culture.
Quinn O'Keefe
Aurora
Music to Our Ears
With the recent move of Michael Roberts out of the Backbeat section of Westword, I wanted to make two things known. First, Colorado's hip-hop community owes Mr. Roberts an enormous debt of gratitude for his continuous and insightful coverage of the genre. While almost every other media outlet ignores the art form, Westword has embraced hip-hop and turntablism, thanks primarily to Mr. Roberts.
Also, to all the bands who think they will get signed by majors and embark on world tours now that Mr. Roberts has shifted gears: I'm sorry--you still don't sound any better.
Craig Smith
via the Internet
Editor's note: As Michael Roberts reported in last week's Feedback, he's moving on from his role as Backbeat editor--and up to the front of the paper, where he'll write about assorted topics, including the media. Laura Bond is Westword's new music editor; her Backwash column debuts this week on page 93.
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