LETTERS

LETTERS

Please send your letters to: Mail Dept., CREEM Magazine, P.0. Box P-1064, Birmingham, Ml 48012.

TIPPER GORE: KUDOS TO MENDELSSOHN AND EXCELLENT MAGAZINE FEATURING BRILLIANT COLUMN

Dear John Mendelssohn:

Finally! I was beginning to despair. There seems to be a grain of understanding in your June Eleganza entitled "Bring Back Yours Truly.” I love music, I particularly love rock ’n’ roll. The normal sex and sensuality of rock ’n’ roll is not my beef. I just don’t like to see the combination of Big Business and some shameless performances utilizing the lowest demominator of graphic sex and violence to sell to (my) kids! I don’t like to see them take good ol’ rock ’n’ roll too far. They don’t have to make their lyrics and their performances so explicit that it’s pornographic! The Dead Kennedys don’t really have to bring it to 11-yearolds, do they? Well, they’re gonna get a fight bringing it to mine, and that doesn’t automatically mean I’m an uptight prude who wants to ban rock. I don’t. Of course I don’t. That whole idea is absurd. I grew up on rock, like millions of my generation.

I think that to protest the current excess by a minority of powerful artists is a responsible action, especially since our proposed solution of printing lyrics is in no way abridging the artists’ rights. But consumers and caring parents have rights, too, especially to know what they’re buying. People just want to be able to make an informed decision in the record store. I want my children to love and enjoy the best that rock has to offer. I resent the fact that some artists and record companies cynically abuse their power over the young kids to blatantly commercialize brutality and explict sexual references, complete with moans and groans. It particularly fosters a degrading attitude toward women. Where is the romance in that? These ‘‘Torture Rock” artists have introduced the element of sadism, killing, rape and profanity into a truly great genre of music. And they’ve introduced it in lyrics, visual imagery and live performances. And most parents have been completely ignorant about it. Is it so surprising that reasonable, yes, even liberal people are beginning to get upset? It’s these artists that are guilty of smearing rock! Not the responsible rockers and music lovers who are also parents and feel responsible for the nurturing of children, who are naturally attracted to this medium and who find it very easy, at a young age, to

go from Sesame Street to MTV, to give a tape as a birthday present in the third grade. These are new demographic facts. But everyone can do their own thing. So let’s just be able to keep the hardcore stuff away from the younger kids, if individuals choose to do that. The industry should give some help in the form of consumer information. This ideally will enhance individual freedom of choice.

By the way, I never use hairspray. I prefer to be natural. And thanks. Sincerely yours,

Tipper Gore

Carthage, TN

FISH FRY FO’ GOTTEN??!

I would like to express my concern about a song that has recently hit the charts. It’s the Madonna song, something like “Papa Don’t Preach.” In that song she confesses that “I’ve made up my mind, I’m eatin’ my baby.” Now I’m for most food groups, but eating your own baby is not something one ought to be singing about. Sure, small children have tender bodies that—when baked thoroughly with just the right seasonings until their hides are tender—well, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. I think I’m going to suggest this treat for the next Critter Dinner.

“Please don’t stop lovin’ me, Daddy, I know I’m eatin’ my baby.”

Philip Simmons

Dunbar, WV

DUDE UNSURE OF CREEM’S GREATNESS!

I am going to say this in the nicest way I can. Your magazine sucksU John Mendelssohn is an asshole. Awhile back he had an article entitled “The Name Game” in which he cut down the Scorpions. Nobody, but nobody, cuts them down. He also cut down other bands, which I’m sure people would be mad about: Crue and Van Halen to name just two. Not only do I not find any pictures or articles on the best band in the world for eight issues in a row but, when I do, you’re cutting the Scorps down.

I used to buy your METAL magazine every time it came out, even though there were no Scorpions in them. Now, no way. I’m never going to buy it again and neither are my friends. I’ll stick to the better magazines, Circus and Hit Parader. And I know you’re not going to print this letter because you’re all a bunch of pussies. If I ever do find John Mendelssohn I’ll kill him.

Shawn Florez

Brookfield, Wl

NO SMUT HERE!

I’ve been reading this oh-somarvelous-Rock-’n’-Roll-rag for 10 years now (my first issue was the July ’76 “Rock Revolution” poster issue with the awesome KISS pullout which I still cherish). And at no point have I or any of my “God fearing friends” found CREEM to be pornographic, as claimed by some reverend who recently appeared on my local news. I was impressed by Mr. Altman’s statements during his brief rebuttal to the reverend’s accusations that CREEM was pornographic. What is pornographic is that these socalled “moral metersticks” have actually influenced (or threatened with heavenly reprisal) several convenience store chains into removing magazines such as CREEM, Roliing Stone, Circus, and, of course, Playboy and Penthouse from their shelves. Censorship is pornographic, and any group or person who supports censorship or controlling what others read, write, or see should be locked in a room with Casey Kasem, Barry Manilow, and Debbie Boone and forced to read Rolling Stone and like it.

Frank Gibson

Little Silver, NJ

LEVEL-HEADED ASSESSMENT OF MAG A PRIZE-WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS, CREEM!!!! You have finally got your act together and in so doing have become THE BEST rock magazine around! I used to practically hate your magazine because it was much too heavy metal oriented and wrote mostly on bands that I (and most discriminating rock fans) consider garbage. But lately (I guess since the change in ownership) I’ve been picking up every issue and have been very pleasantly surprised. In fact, more so each issue. I was absolutely stunned by the August issue. I just could not believe it—an article on the Church!!!! They’re my favorite band of all time and one that most of the other rock magazines have criminally neglected. And not only did you do an article on the Church, it was a truly GREAT article! My congrats to Bill Holdship. He’s a WONDERFUL writer and obviously a man of very discriminating taste in music. He expressed my own sentiments on the Church EXACTLY. It was so wonderful to hear that someone else out there feels the same as I do about this band. They are just so special that I can’t even put my feelings about them into words. But Bill Holdship sure did a good job of that!

And besides the Church, you’ve been covering a lot of other good bands lately, such as the Alarm, the Waterboys, U2, the Cure, Gene Loves Jezebel, INXS, the Call...just to name some! It’s great to see these bands being covered, because the other mainstream rock mags don’t have the courage or the foresight. Your articles are usually long, thorough and informative, and often humorous as well. I congratulate you on your staff of writers. Obviously a GREAT bunch of people and they have my highest regards. Additionally, your album reviews are usually right on target.

Well, I could go on and on for pages about how great your magazine is now, but I won’t bore you. I’m sure you realize how great you are. But let me just tell you that my subscription check is in the mail, and also that I’ve been passing the word to all my friends about how great CREEM is now, and they too are buying it and raving about it. You may just end up becoming the “Thinking Rock Fan’s” favorite magazine. THANKS!

Diane Perry

Walnut Creek, CA

READER FINDS CIGARETTES IN GRIPPING, COMPLEX TALE!

Is this the best you can do for letters?! I know it’s not your fault that these readers are boring and actually think that people care about what they have to say (Sept, issue, letters about Sun City, Julian Lennon and Rush—blechh!!). When I was a teeniboppy I lived for the stupid, immature letter section in CREEM. What happened? These are people who would say the Replacements would be a fine band if they didn’t drink at all. These people are boring!

I’m disgusted (and a bit intoxicated). Anyway (where’s my cigarettes...)...the article about the Reps was pretty good, although it’s weird that they’re famous enough to actually get into CREEM magazine sandwiched between articles about (puke) Bob Seger (and I’m from Ann Arbor so I can bitch about old BS) and Judas Priest. Don’t get me wrong, but old Bob and the Priest have been in CREEM 10 billion times already—we already got the idea, OK? Nothing against Rob Halford (“You Got Another Thing Cornin’ ” is a fab video), but this is 1986. Pay attention to the Midwest, because something seems to be happening in Cornland for once—Soul Asylum, Death Of Samantha, Ferrets As Pets, Outta Rhubarb—we’re stuck in the middle, but CREEM comes from Birmingham, Ml, so show some pride. (There are my cigs, yay!).

CREEM! Don’t go down the drain! Get some real readers and find out what it’s about. I’m sick of seeing pix of Stevie Nicks and her stuffed animals. The captions are still OK, but where’s the gutsy journalism? I loved it when you were rude to your readers cuz we were rude back (sob, memories)—that was camaraderie!!

I LOVE the Replacements and your article was good, though you were wrong about Bob’s whereabouts—he was at KMart with his cousin Barb. Please get wise.

XOXO,

Bippy & Sprout

Ann Arbor, Ml

This humble note inspired by Nine-a-Mallet

Print it!

(Drunken stupor)

(Excuse)

Print this, too, make me look stupid, please.

P.S.: CREEM Dream centerfold of Chris Mars (not “Morris,” idiots!).

PLEASE...(drummer for Reps if you’re too thickheaded to get it).

(We regret the error. Holdship and Kordosh were, as stated, drunk. They’ll never do it again.—Ed.)