Messianic mess
Re: "Transformer" (Metro Times, Sept. 13), if I were convinced that I was Jesus Christ, trapped in the body of a middle-aged white male, would you: a) be interested enough to dedicate five pages to me, pandering to my narcissistic obsession? b) wholeheartedly and without question be accepting of my newfound identity? c) wonder why I was not under lock and key, or at least sitting on the steps of the Pontiac Mission with the rest of the dregs?
You'd probably choose c).
Pandering to Tom's newfound personality only reinforces his mental illness and makes every reader of the Metro Times a victim. I can't imagine telling a teenage anorexic girl, "You're right. You could lose a few pounds."
An article about the sexually dysphoric, self-loathing and cruelly narcissistic Tom Ness, though it may be entertaining on some juvenile level, is not newsworthy. For Brian Smith to promote Tom's blog, detailing the loss of his anal virginity, is disturbing, but not as disturbing as having to hear his wife Sue make excuses for years of emotional battery, brainwashing and years of sexual predation by that creep. If anyone needs a mommy to hold her, it's Sue. —Jim Edwards, Sterling Heights
Lurid portrait
After reading your cover feature on Tom Ness-Steffie Loveless, I'm mystified as to why the story of this obviously troubled individual deserved any attention at all, much less the cover and five pages. Though Tom Ness once may have been a semi-significant local activist, neither he nor his new alter ego appear to presently be socially or culturally important to this region. Your "portrait" provided only some disturbing and often lurid snapshots of the deterioration of an unfortunate person. With all of the other serious issues facing both the country and the Detroit area right now, I frankly question your motives for publishing such a piece at all, much less featuring it on your front page. Nice photo, by the way. Why did you stop short and not scatter a few dildos around the picture for added effect? —Jack Poma, Shelby Twp.
Important story
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. WOW!
I'm an acquaintance and admirer of Steffie's. I know her, but now I know her better — because you took the time to do the same, and because you're an excellent writer. You've done something very important, very well. Thank you.—Cyndi Summers, Birmingham
Court without class
RE: Jim McFarlin's recent column on Judge Mathis ("Judgment day," Metro Times, Sept. 13). Jim, I wholeheartedly agree with your summation. I stopped watching the show about a year ago when his sweeping judgments and insults just plain got on my nerves! I can attest that there isn't a "real" judge in this country who would subject his constituents to such cruelty and run their courtrooms the same way. I've been saying that anyone who so obviously is annoyed by his job as he is should look to move in another direction.
Stick to Judge Judy, she's about as real as it gets. —Melanee Marshall, Detroit
Baby, let's wait
Re: Your Backslash column on abstinence-related Web sites (Metro Times, Aug. 30), I couldn't help notice that you seem to subtly poke fun at those who believe in chastity until marriage. That's unfortunate, as it's a very positive thing to save sex for your spouse. Sex is great, no doubt. But people should give abstinence until marriage a chance. And please know, I'm not a prude at all. Just someone who believes that God's plan for sex is better than what we as fallen humans have in mind. If you'd like to become more informed on the issue (from a Catholic perspective), listen to Christopher West's "Theology of the Body." It gives great insight into why we really should wait.
God bless you. —Michael Edward Miller, Ferndale
Feeling clipped
After returning home from a nice two-week holiday in California this past weekend, I went through my usual routine of picking up the Sunday Oakland Press from my local convenience store. As always, I quickly turned to the op/ed page only to discover the usually insightful verbiage of longtime local Neil Munro has been replaced by several syndicated op/ed columnists and a local politician. I then wondered if Munro was away on a late summer holiday like myself? I phoned the Oakland Press editors on Monday and a new guy named Gilbert left me a voice mail stating the paper had taken on a new format and that Neil had been gone for a couple weeks. No reason given. What the fuck? Apparently this all happened about the same time my plane left for California. Ironic, since while I was away I enjoyed digesting the local dailies there. And I counted myself lucky that D-town still had a paper like The Oakland Press, which replaced the News and Free Press as my daily soon after some close friends lost their careers there in the '90s. Now I discover The Oakland Press is to be added to my list of useless rags in my hometown.
It's sad, because for the past few years I held The Oakland Press as the last daily I could still read in good conscience. I am afraid to say my wife's most recent conviction finally becomes 100 percent true: The major dailies in metro Detroit are good for one thing and one thing only — the coupons. —Mark Otto, Rochester Hills
Music, not murder
A quick anecdote in relation to Keith A. Owens' story "Is New Orleans The New Detroit" (Metro Times, Sept. 6). I recently got back in touch with a pen pal of mine who lives in England after a five-year lapse. In the course of catching up we were writing about music. One comment struck me as sadly humorous when she wrote, "You do hear more about Detroit in relation to music now than murder, which has to be good." So the city's image is slowly changing outside the United States. —Allen Salyer, Troy
Errata: Our photo of esQuire and friends on page 38 or our Sept. 6 issue should have been credited to Erika Rich. Also, in our roundup of the new theatrical season's premiere plays ("Premiere theater," Metro Times, Sept. 20), we identified Mike McGettigan, whose play Whackjob is scheduled to premiere in April, as the winner of this year's Wilde Award for best director. He won the award last year, not this year.
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