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daily nebraskan
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The Columbia Broadcasting System's (CBS)
"Medical Center" began its fall season Sept. 9 and
Monday with a two-part segment that should win
high status in television history. .
The subject was transsexuality-a publicized,
but little understood condition involving gender
identification with the opposite sex.
The CBS show, about a prominent male surgeon
who seeks and is granted a sex-change operation,
was beautifuuly and courageously handled.
The plot threw a number of pitfalls in the path
of the surgeon character; any of these obstacles
would have given a less brave network an excuse to
cop out and play the story only halfway.
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The writers and producers of "Medical Center,"
hoiweTdS 1 not waver and took the operation to
rsucclSful conclusion while raising the conscious
nesses of several secondary characters.
En route, they took time to clearly explauH foe
difference between homosexuals (who are attract
ed to their own sex), transvestites (who feel the
need to dress as a member of the opposite sex) and
Tmduded in the show's dialog was a moving
and convincing argument against the macho
school of masculinity. If for nothing else, the pro
gram deserves praise for trying to np apart some
popular conceptions of what a man should be.
In contrast to the courage of the Monday
show was the American Broadcasting Company s
(ABC) craven editing of Cabaret Sunday night.
ABC took a fine piece of cinematic art and
reduced u iu w - , . " " vi&uiu
A not too skillfully the ln
j ... .f nvp1flpH .that k
scene in wmwi - - - uic
male iead has been sexually involved with another
male character. . . ',
The scene was vital to an understanding of the
film's statement. Without it, Cabaret was tinsel.
If television is ever to, be an effective educational
tool (a goal we sometimes despair of), it must elim
inate the kind of cowardice displayed Sunday by
ABC and by the season-long horror of "Family
Hour" rules. '
CBS no doubt will be deluged with angry letters
protesting the "Medical Center" subject matter.
Daily Nebraskan readers could support intelligent
television programming by writing the network
with positive feedback about the show.
Rebecca Brite
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Dear editor, ' w a .
Last Saturday, my wife and I went to our first
Cornhusker football game. We were having a lot of fun until
late"4n the fourth quarter when some pinhead hurled a
liquor bottle into the crowd.
From what I could see, the bottle seemed to smash on
the" back of some girl's head, and our little fun-loving
moron was not caught. I can't believe that nobody saw him
throwlthe bottle.
Because the Daily Nebraskan is so instrumental in in
forming UNL students, I would hope it might act as-a dear- ;
inghouse for information on this incident, i hope, also, that
the fans feel it is their duty to see to it that it is safer in the
stands than it is on the football field.
believe the bottle was tlirown from the top of section
12 or 13. It was about a one-quart brown, cylindrical
bottle. Surely one person saw somebody who might qualify
as & prime suspect, or might know about where they were
Of course, maybe I'm just an alarmist, iuu this sort of
thing is common at Big Red football games. If so, would
anyone like to buy a couple of slightly used football
tickets? RVW
Readers should laugh
Dear editor, . . "' , i
I think credit is due Ron Wheeler for the cartoon series
he. did on "people" last week in "Ralph." I would like to
remind you that he did not pick on any one group; he hit
them all-black, white, men and women.
As a white, female employe, I could have taken great
offense at the "assets" or "fine points" described on the
females applying for the secretarial job. As a former
"farmer's' daughter, I could have been upset with him
portraying young men coming off the farm as blundering,
overweight, backward idiots. And I could also have been
offended to think my father could be considered a "Big"
Red(neck)fodtbafl rooter. . .
I was not offended by any of these put-downs; I was
simply amused because people, no matter who they are, are
funny. Anyone who was offended by these cartoons has
a real problem to deal with, and that problem Is not mine
nor the cartoonist's. ' . , -
Let's take a cartoon for what it is; weVe gone too far
and we have too much to lose if we can't even laugh about
people.
' Connie Barry
Freedom defended
Dear editor,
Ron Wheeler should be ashamed of himself, I very
strongly object to his obviously narrow-minded, prejudiced
and bigoted view of Big Red supporters.
First of all, not all fans are overweight, nor do they all
wear little red suits and funny hats. As a Big Red supporter,
I am very much offended by this racist attitude.
Does this sound ridiculous? It is no more ridiculous than
the many examples of. irate, immature and reactionary
letters that the Daily Nebraskan received as a result of Ron
Wheeler's innocuous cartoon about football.
I agre that it wasn't very funny, but not for the reasons
given by the letter writers. It was not funny because it was
ill-conceived and poorly executed. However, in spite of
some -of Ron's failings as & cartoonist, I feel compelled to
defend his freedom of expression.
Ron was not attempting to depict all black people with
this cartoon, but all must agree that some black football
players do come from the ghetto 'and some do have thick
bps and big noses. I have a big nose and yet didn't find "
myself the least upset. -
Perhaps the most ridiculous thing of all was the mealy
mouthed way Rebecca Brite, in her acquiescing, hand,
wringing letter, made lame excuses for Ron's work. .The
most important thing an editor can do is stand behind her
staffs freedom to express a view, even if that view is not
popular. , .
Ron Wheeler's editorial impact is now so seriously com
promised that he almost has no other choice than to resign.
1 think that would be a tragic mistake.
Maybe in the future Ms. Brite will have the nerve to
resist the pressure from special interest groups and stand
behind her staff. I am not able to use my name because you
can imagine what might happen to me for defending t
cartoon that inspired so much hate. ,
"Freedom of Speech
Vine street irregulars
UNL grad students left out;
UNO firm in rnJIortc mrnof
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By Michael Hilligoss
With a roast beef sandwich in one hand and an Oly in
the other, Yossarian ushered me to a corner table at
Lebsack's.
"You know, Hilligoss," he said as we sat down, "I was
serious when I said last week that graduate students should
stand up and be counted. There's too much money at stake
.just to sit idly by."
. Yossarian explained that "standing up to be counted"
is about the only way graduate students are going to get
any kind of direct return on the student activity fees they
are required to pay every semester.
"Do you realize," he asked, "that the organization repre
tenting the 2,100 grad students at University of Nebraska
Omaha got $1350 in funding last year while the 3,100 grad
students at UNL received only- $400?
"And this year," he continued, "the UNO grads were
given $1,100 while the UNL grads didn't get anything at
ail!" s .
That's quite a discrepancy," I said. "What's the
problem?"
"Apparently the UNL grad student organization didn't
ask the Fees Allocation Board for funds for this year "
replied Yossarian. "They Just never stood up to be
counted."
"Should they really have to ask?" I questioned. "Isn't it
coming to them without their having to request it?"
"You might think so," said Yossarian.Hut you have to
realize tH official organization which represents graduate
student interests at UNL is treated as though it were ust
undergraduate activity club when it comes to funding.
"Rather titan recognizing the Graduate Student Associa
tion for what it is, the representative awembly of 3,5w
graduate students, it is apparently regarded by many ass
small club with a handful of members. It is not recognizea
that each so-called member Is a duly elected representative
of a graduate program in a department on campus, ne
observed. ,
"it's time to change that image," said Yossarian. irn
asking every Vine Street Irregular to encourage the graduaic
students in his department to send sharp, tough representa
tives to the GSA, representatives who are willing to wor
and who will stand up and be counted when our colleen
interests are at stake.'
"That's rather stirring," I said. "Do you think anyone
will listen to the urging of the VSI7" , .
"Well, I figure the GSA Is due to collect at leas two
three thousand dollars if it presents Its case properly. ij
ought to perk. up a few graduate ears somewhere ou
there," winked Yossarian as he finished the last moutiiiw
of his sandwich.
Special Message for "Hawkeye": If you had asked your
friend Yossarian, he could have told you that Carolyn on
iJ a graduate student in the School of Journalism.
appointment to the search committee for the newchanw
lor was made without consultation with the GSA or vu
the graduate senators to ASUN, however.
