He’s No Stranger to Multicultural Laughter

Re “Multiculturalism Gets Whacked By Popular Culture,� Voices, July 28: When James Solomon equates Fox Sports promos featuring foreign “sports� like blindfolded clubbing, dirt diving and competitive face slapping with mean-spirited xenophobic behavior, he overlooks a simple fact of life. Humans are still tribal. We laugh at exotic behavior. It will be forever thus until everyone speaks Esperanto, enjoys eating gusanos with guacamole and appreciates Bill Maher.

At this very moment, millions of mean-spirited folks are gathered around their satellite TVs in Kabul, Constantinople and Chichicastenango, guffawing derisively at professional log tossing, tractor pulling, ice hockey brawls, XFL reruns, the “X Games,� “American Gladiators,� arena football or two World Wrestling Federation guys or gals banging each other over the head with folding chairs. Anybody named Solomon should have the wisdom to understand this.

Hal Greenfader

Los Angeles