The same people who remade “Hawaii Five-0” are behind the latest installment of #HawaiiSoWhite (“’80s Opens in a new tab TV hit ‘Magnum’ tapped for Opens in a new tabreboot Opens in a new tab,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 23).
These are the same guys who passive-aggressively forced Asian-American cast members Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park out of the show when the stars asked to be paid salaries commensurate with their Caucasian counterparts.
I don’t understand why we are still making shows about or set in Hawaii that have nothing to do with Hawaii and with predominantly mainland casts.
“Magnum” was an ’80s TV show about a Vietnam veteran/private detective from Detroit and a stuffy ex-British Army sergeant major romping around Hawaii, fetishizing local culture and (particularly) local women.
After seven years immersed in local culture, the “Five-0” showrunners couldn’t figure out how to write an original script about Hawaii? This unique and diverse state has so much to offer; our artistic representations need to move beyond trite and superficial caricatures.
As much as I appreciate the jobs and economic boost these shows bring to our state, they do so much more harm than good.
Brooke Nasser
Downtown Honolulu
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Stop with monetizing residential districts
My reaction to the commentary from the Oahu Alternative Lodging Association is that its strategy, as always, is to support regulations that are difficult to enforce and to oppose regulations that are easy to enforce (“Strive Opens in a new tab for reasonable balance in vacation rental Opens in a new tabregulations Opens in a new tab,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Oct. 26).
This enables its scofflaw members to continue monetizing and degrading Hawaii’s residential neighborhoods while driving up rental costs for those not fortunate enough to own their own homes. Homeowners who need more income should rent long-term, or move to resort-zoned areas.
Neil Frazer
Kailua
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Multi-generational homes bring tumult
Gretchen Gould is wrong (“B&Bs Opens in a new tab are overtaking our Opens in a new tabneighborhoods Opens in a new tab,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 22).
Has she visited Coconut Grove in Kailua? Halela Street is jam-packed with cars and trucks lining both sides of the narrow street. It would be impossible for a fire truck to fit in the middle of the gauntlet of vehicles.
What’s overtaking our neighborhoods is multi-generational homes (out of necessity) and the accompanying numerous vehicles and humongous trucks, along with accessory dwelling units and their effects. That’s blight.
Unlike a bed-and-breakfast, you have all levels of noise, barking smelly animals, junked cars lining the street, unkempt homes and yards 24/7/365. I’ll take a B&B neighbor any day. They’re not booked 24/7/365. And yes, they all absolutely should pay transient accommodation and general excise taxes.
Lisa Adlong
Hauula
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Trump is missing decency, integrity
I think Steve Dang hit the nail on the head — this truly is what bothers me the most about our current political situation (“Mind-blowing Opens in a new tab that many still Opens in a new tabpro-Trump Opens in a new tab,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 15).
It’s now expected that President Donald Trump will act in a way that is a major embarrassment to our country. This is not good, but the hardest point of all is that millions continue to rally behind him.
How is this possible? What happened to moral decency, integrity and just plain common sense? I’m not talking about political correctness either — this is beyond that.
Trump is a narcissist and bully in the true sense of the words. When have you ever heard a sitting president refer to his IQ, saying it is higher than someone he works with? When have other presidents tried to wipe out everything a past president has accomplished? When have you ever seen such hypocrisy: Trump was the first to criticize President Barack Obama for playing golf, signing executive orders and doing nothing. Guess what? That’s all Trump has done. Nothing.
Tricia Kezeli
Captain Cook
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Arizona Memorial deserves solemnity
The staff at Pearl Harbor cautions everyone to quickly board the boat to the Arizona Memorial (no picture-taking and no talking are allowed on the ramp) and to be respectfully silent while at the memorial itself.
Unfortunately, too many visitors ignore these directions. On the ramp recently, some people kibitzed; others stopped to take selfies and scenic photos, even after a staffer repeatedly reprimanded them. At the memorial, there was a lot of chattering, from toddlers to grannies, despite frequent warnings from the staff.
The short time at the memorial was more festive than funereal. Whatever happened to civility?
Stan Satz
Waikiki
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Artistic freedom is in line with anthem
Jerry James objected to playing the national anthem at symphony concerts (“Symphony Opens in a new tab no place for national Opens in a new tabanthem Opens in a new tab,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 27). The great pianist, Van Cliburn, used to start each of his concerts with a vigorous rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Unlike totalitarian states, we Americans enjoy freedom of artistic expression precisely because we live “in the land of the free and the home of the brave.” It is fitting and relevant that we recognize this by playing our national anthem at any public gathering.
Rhoads Stevens
Hawaii Kai
