Public Comment
New: Musicians should be reviewed equitably without discriminating
Your music reviewer, James MacBean, in the best standards of journalism, appeases the public's need to know in his description of pianist Khatia Buniatishvili's evening wear, with its low cut neckline and its caress of her "hourglass figure."
In contrast, her male counterpart on the violin, Renaud Capucon, suffered egregious discrimination in MacBean's piece. True, we find out that he is short ( 5'8" or 5'9") but only to contrast his "stunningly beautiful" partner who is "tall and statuesque, perhaps three inches taller than he is." Well, yes, it happens all the time.
Not a word on the fit of his pants over his crotch or the clutch of his jacket around his abs. . By god, this is the 21st century and Berkeley no less! I demand equality for male performers (not to mention female readers) in the pages of your newspaper. If chamber music can't deliver on titillating visuals, it has no place in contemporary culture.
