To the editors:
I’m shocked and stunned by the Bill Wyman-Jae-Ha Kim critic’s war currently taking place in the pages of your fine weekly. While I agree with Wyman in principle, I must admit he does come off as whiny and somewhat vindictive in his critique of Ms. Kim’s writing [July 19]. Could he be trying to become the Madonna of Chicago music critics, creating controversy for controversy’s sake? Or is he merely upset that Ms. Kim chose to ignore such Wyman/Indie staples as the Vulgar Boatmen, Ben Vaughn, and the Posies? Maybe Wyman and Kim should leg wrestle for the right to define hip-hop. Hey, everybody, it’s only rock and roll. Or is it?
At any rate, there’s no excuse for Laura Zelenka’s (“Wyman’s Sour Grapes,” 8-9-91) excessively mean-spirited response to Wyman’s not-as-mean-spirited article. Whatever Wyman’s motives, he didn’t stoop to take cover in Ms. Kim’s breast size. Bill smiles as much (if not more) than anyone in the Chicago music community and is far too tall to suck up to Dave Hoekstra, Greg Kot, or Don McLeese. Finally, in defense of my brother, anyone who has ever read his work knows that he has an enormous sense of humor, matched only by his penis size. Dave’s writing (and penis, I suspect) differs from Don’s in the same way Don’s differs from Greg. Get with it, Laura; the only thing you’ve proven is that Jae-Ha Kim has readers more out of touch than she is!
Doug Hoekstra
Naperville