BEASTLY

The article “Meet the Beasties--Again” (by Soren Baker, Aug. 30) included this little piece of “journalism” as its lead paragraph:

“You might say the Beastie Boys were in the right place at the right time--much like another famous white boy, Elvis Presley, in an earlier era.”

The slur is as obvious as the syntax is awkward. I cannot ever recall seeing Chuck Berry referred to as a “black boy,” nor Ritchie Valens as a “brown boy,” nor Russell Means as a “red boy,” nor Jackie Chan as a “yellow boy.”

The use of terms that belittle individuals on the basis of their skin color is never acceptable, regardless of what color that skin happens to be.

LOUIS CASA BIANCA

Santa Monica

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Re Sean Lennon’s quoted comparison (“Meet the Beasties--Again,” by Marc Weingarten):

Beatles? Beasties? In the same sentence??!!! Please, Sean, you know better than that! Record label or not, the only thing the two have in common is . . . uh . . . well . . . give me a minute. . . .

MICHAEL J. HAMERNIK

Chatsworth