I was totally offended by the film review of Basic Instinct 2 in this week’s Independent (Movie Shorts, April 12). The film critic writes, “As opposed to the sexy, enigmatic antagonist of yore, this aging nymphomaniac wears party clothes 20 years too young for her and acts more like the creepy 40-year-old divorcee who trawls college nightclubs on weekends.” The comment made about Sharon Stone is a chauvinist perspective and perpetuates stereotypes of women that are demeaning and untrue. After reading this, it further emphasized to me how your newspaper is undermining respect for women through its writing and ads. Is money winning out over promoting women in a respectful way? Last fall, one of your client’s ads for a bar had a mock photo of a baby suckling at a mother’s breast and it was presented in way that was very offensive to a mother. I happen to be a very liberal 39-year-old nursing mother who has been an avid reader of the Independent for nearly eight years. I am disappointed with this lack of awareness in a socially conscious newspaper. Justice and respect for women should be just as important as justice for the environment, people of color and animals. You would do well to examine your underlying attitudes and look at more fully aligning your values with your actual words and pictures.
Wendy Lombard
Cary
