DeWolf is crying wolf

Your article about DeWolf Shaw was a fucking joke ["Angry like DeWolf," Aug. 26]. I am his ashamed son. My shame has nothing to do with homosexuality, as I have no hangups whatsoever concerning sexuality. My problems concern the fact that Mr. DeWolf Shaw is a selfish narcissist who has ripped a family to shit.

Every goddamn article I've read, from the Globe and Mail to the Mirror, all fail to portray an accurate description of who DeWolf Shaw really is and what he did to his family. I personally I haven't spoken to him for three years, since I overheard his conversation with one of his gay buddies.

He is a despicable role model for gay rights. If he is to be taken seriously, then should others take after his deceit and neglect? All of these things, an innocent family had to deal with for years. He'd disappear for days on end, spend NO time with his children, all for his personal adventures. Is this a role model the gay community wants or needs?

I didn't see anywhere in your article that DeWolf has not, at least, tried to support my mom while she tried to rebuild her life. He had millions and now he's hanging my family out to dry. Sounds like a nice man to me, huh?

You wasted a page of paper by writing an article about this man, and my poor mom wasted 27 years of her life. Maybe now you should feel ashamed as well.

--Eric Shaw

White-bred NFB

Let me get this straight: according to your August 19 article "Girls on film," the NFB wants to "empower" marginalized voices (specifically youth in this case) through a $200,000 endowment for the production of a short film. So who do they give the money to? Four upper-middle-class white girls from Westmount (from the names we can see that they form a real cross-section of our multicultural society: Brown, Gage, Goodwyn and Shamy-Smith).

Why do public institutions keep throwing money at people who already have enough in the way of wealth and family connections? A production like this will inevitably lead to further opportunities in the film industry, easier access to grants and so on--for four people who are already advantaged.

I am all for marginalized voices--being one myself--getting a hearing. But these girls are not, nor ever will be, marginalized. They will go on to live the shabby-genteel, albeit comfortable, lives of educated, middle-class art-bohemians. They will never be forced to make a living hanging off the arse end of a garbage truck or mopping floors. Why should taxpayers subsidize their careers?

--Anonymous

Miz loves company

I'm writing in response to Amy Barratt's review of Les Misérables ["Les Miz on ice!" Aug. 12], which I feel was written in great haste and poorly reviewed. As an extreme fan of Les Miz and a singer, I felt it was a shame that she was so caught up in little anecdotes on figureskating that she failed to really acknowledge the great talent in the show. Yes, it's true that the Molson Centre is definitely no place to put on a musical--but we all know that could not be avoided, so why waste space writing about it?

Robert Marien (Jean Val-Jean) was extremely good, though perhaps not as good as he was 10 years ago. Stephen Bishop's (Javert) thick, heavy, baritone voice was enough to make anyone want to sing. Also the voices of Sutton Frost (Eponine) and Joan Almedilla (Fantine), are not only beautiful but also full of pure, moving emotions that would induce most listeners to shed a tear.

Perhaps there have been better productions. Not all the singers were great and I did fear the older Cosette was not going to reach the high notes.

But for all the unfortunate strike circumstances, this show was put on exceptionally well. There are so many untalented mainstream singers out there that we should really take the time to congratulate the good ones who are not selling out to mainstream kitsch!

--Kate Brotherwood

Correction

Due to mislabelling, the photo of One Percent Free ["One in a hundred," Music, Aug. 26] was attributed to Carlito Dalceggio. The photographer was in fact GO@ of Studio Orange.