Coarse Language
Being an avid reader of your magazine, I couldn’t understand why the need to print the offensive language in the Soundcheck: Five Questions with M.A.Q. [October 2018]. Coarse language in being tolerated at an increasing level in everyday conversations. It’s a shame your magazine has given in to this trend.
—Kevin Hite, Metairie, Louisiana
Whether we like it or not, the language used in this piece sort of goes hand in hand with rap music, and we preferred to keep responses true to the interviewee’s culture without censorship.—Ed.
Burlesque
Thanks for the article on burlesque [Jan Ramsey’s September 2018 blog post “More Burlesque, If You Please”]. I’ve always wanted a club with an attached burlesque museum. This has been something I’ve talked about and discussed with businessmen over the last 15 years. While some have taken interest and even started initial planning, nothing ever stuck. But being a native myself, and observing the things that happen in New Orleans and the things that don’t happen in New Orleans, a dream like mine starts to become hopeless.
The New Orleans Burlesque Festival is known as one of the top burlesque festivals in the world, and many claim it’s the top. We had 2,500 people (locals and visitors) experiencing world-class burlesque this past weekend. Bustout Burlesque, my classic burlesque show at House of Blues, has been called the one of the top burlesque shows worldwide by Travel Channel. We have people lined down the block and around the corner every show.
I have a vast archive of burlesque memorabilia stored away in boxes. I have vintage burlesque costumes, photos, ephemera, films, personal items, glassware, letters, videotaped interviews with the old stars, and more.
While I have a great vision for a burlesque club and museum, I don’t believe it’s shared by the money men who can make it happen. The forward thinking is not there.
Thanks again for your article, and shining a spotlight on burlesque in OffBeat.
—Rick Delaup, New Orleans, Louisiana
Print advertising
The following letter is in response to Jan Ramsey’s Mojo Mouth column titled “I’ll Be Brief…” (October 2018) indicating that OffBeat will be expanding digital-only content.—Ed.
I’m saddened that advertisers, especially in this case music clubs, feel that social media is preferable to print advertising. I’ve seen this trend over the past five or eight years in numerous cities. Although one can’t argue with the cost of using social media as your only form of advertising, I wonder what the results are. I like having print advertising in publications at my disposal. I don’t want to have to subscribe to an e-mail list or “friend” on social media for every single club in the city. I don’t want daily updates on who is there each night. I like being able to pick up a publication and thumb through and look at ads and see who’s at a club over the next week or weeks at a quick glance. I’ll look at ads for places I may not usually go and they may have something that interests me. And I like to see ads for events that may be coming up weeks in the future that I want to have on my radar. And yes, I can scan a printed page with numerous ads and print content faster than I can scroll.
Additionally, I agree with you that print offers a wider range of news options. While reading print I may read an article I glance at but wouldn’t click on and read if only offered a headline. The browsing aspect is lost. I may be reading an article and my eye wanders over to one on the next page or the bottom of a page and it only takes a matter of seconds to read it.
Best wishes in the brave new world. And by the way, I like the redesign of the website. It’s one of the nicest online versions of a print publication I’ve seen. It’s comprehensive and easy to navigate. So kudos on that!
—Gerard Guidoni, New Orleans, Louisiana
OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.
