BIGFOOT DEFENSE SQUAD

RE: “Discovering Bigfoot Is a Bigfoot Documentary Made by a Bigfoot Hoaxer” [Film, Oct 26], Ciara Dolan’s film review of “a molasses-paced slog through anonymous backcountry forests (presumably in Canada, but who knows) led by director/star Todd Standing.” “According to the very trustworthy-sounding blog Team Squatchin’ USA,” Dolan continued, “those in ‘Bigfootdom’ have some serious doubts about Standing. Apparently he’s known for sharing ‘evidence’ that’s obviously fake—in other words, he’s a hoaxer!”

Please post an apology for your hit piece on Todd Standing. I have never emailed an author like this, but your attack on him is cruel and inappropriate. Please go meet him and do the honest work of learning about the work he has done and what his credentialed peers have to say of his expeditions.

Then write a thoughtful article on the topic. If you disagree with him, fine, but at least you could be minimally intellectual about it. I can barely imagine your embarrassment upon learning the truth about the person you’ve viciously attacked.

God bless you and good luck.

Greg Thomason

ALL THIS TERRIBLE TWADDLE

RE: “The Death of Satire,” Courtenay Hameister’s latest entry in her column, What’s She Mad About Now? “In my last column, I attempted to satirize people who were upset about our new texting and driving law. I called the new law ‘total bullshit’ and lamented the loss of the single most effective tool in avoiding thinking about my fucked-up life in the car: unfettered access to my smartphone,” wrote Hameister. “Now, you can absolutely believe that the column wasn’t funny—but how in the name of fuck do you not know that it was satire?”

While I was one of the ones that “got it,” I was shocked to see the overwhelming response of people for whom it went straight over their heads. It was good comedy, and even better commentary—though perhaps in the future, you’ll have to be even more extreme so as not to scare the shit out of the soccer mom community.

Aurelius141

The lines separating absurdism from fact have become nearly impossible to discern. There’s such little respect for verified factual information that it’s become the norm to state opinion as evidence and have an entire community agree—not because it’s the truth, but because it resonates with their own vision.

Is everything we read now so ludicrous that we’re living in a post-satirical world? I can’t tell, but I hope all this terrible twaddle reaches a tipping point and our collective vision of what’s important extends to a place where all of us learn to listen better and not take the clickbait that’s offered, only to spit it back for the next sucker in line.

Sean P. Lambert

ANTI-HOMELESS BULLSHIT

Re: “North Portland’s Piedmont Neighborhood Is Warring Over a Nonexistent Homeless Camp” [Blogtown, Oct 25].“No one’s proposed a camp or shelter in Piedmont, but that hasn’t stopped fierce debate,” wrote Dirk VanderHart, adding that proposed bylaws, pushed by Piedmont resident Ryan McCarthy and others, would forbid the Piedmont Neighborhood Association from endorsing or negotiating with proposed homeless camps or shelters. The Piedmont Neighborhood Association did not adopt the bylaws.

This is community shunning. Takes NIMBY to whole new dicked-up level.

Bobby Turkualino

Ryan McCarthy is embarrassing the entire neighborhood with this nonsense. Not only is there no proposal for a camp, but his bylaws would prevent our neighborhood association from having input if one were created. This is anti-homeless bullshit.

flamegarden

Sean, you win the Mercury’s letter of the week, along with two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater—one of the best places in Portland to briefly escape our joyless, post-satirical world.