LETTER: Low Ratings

Yes, I'm from "Joisey," and I'm a communications major. However, I beg that you not associate me with Sumeet Goel, who in his column "Homey Don't Play That" (DP 1/23/92) failed to write either a humorous or an insightful critique of American television. Since Goel's point is unclear, I would like to pose the following questions: if satires like "Married with Children" and "The Simpsons" are so detrimental to society, then what's the value of the false realities of shows like "Cheers"? Why is the sex in "Studs" not acceptable when the alcoholism in "Cheers" and the violence in "Monday Night Football" and the PBS "Nature"-show-that-has-the-snake-eating-the-mouse are? Why is a socially beneficial profession like clowning less acceptable than being a professional athlete, a dead-end job for which too many people risk their entire lives to only possibly get? Why doesn't he watch more than one PBS show, anyway? Don't tell me to lighten up. I actually like some of these shows. However, I would suggest that if Goel were the student of communications he claims to be, then he should get off his butt, study his communications reading, go out into the world and do something about TV instead of insulting us with this useless, thoughtless nonsense. Is today's TV shit? Yeah, but have you read the DP columns lately? JENNIFER KEENAN College '92

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