irm i out
Humor is subjective
To the E ditor :
Dear Jennifer:
hank you for your recent letter, we appreci
ate you taking the time to share yixjr
thoughts (“An Open Letter to Balloons on
Broadway,” Oct. 17).
We at Balloons on Broadway have spent the
past 12 years developing a unique and humorous
mix of cards and merchandise that is irreverent hy
intent and potentially offensive to some. But big
oted and racist? Our pnxluct line certainly is not.
If you are familiar with our merchandise,
then you’re aware that we not only stock sar
donic greeting cards poking fun at many stereo
types (because, of course, most stereotypes are hy
their nature inaccurate and baseless) hut also
cards representing black-positive images and
celebrations. We have found that humor is one
of the must effective tools at breaking down
those stereotypes. The bottom line is to get us all
to laugh at ourselves and take life a little less
seriously.
Humor is such a subjective and personal
thing. We believe our responsibility as shop
owners is to provide as wide and balanced a
selection as possible, and leave it up to the indi
vidual to determine what he or she perceives as
humorous. Many customers enjoy shopping at
our store because of this diversity.
We do understand that you’re uncomfortable
with our pnxluct mix and that you’d prefer to
shop elsewhere. Still, we appreciate you taking
the time to express your opinion.
T
R on P itt
G ary H opping
Balloons on Broadway
Hie race card
To the E ditor :
feel that I need to respond to a rant against
Balloons on Broadway published recently in
your “Speak Out” section.
First, let me say that I can’t think of another
store in Portland where I have been treated as
well as at Balloons. Although just another cus
tomer in the d(xir, 1 have always been greeted as
a friend; had new and sale merchandise and the
clerk’s current “faves” pointed out to me; and
had any questions answered. Opinions and
requests have always been listened to. And the
record shows that Balloons has always been a
proud sponsor of gay and lesbian events and
charities. This is what determines my patronage
of a store.
Secondly, the card that these ladies take
exception to is hardly new— the card and the
series has been around for years. And it’s not
exclusive to Balloons— 1 could name two other
gay-owned stores that carry it as well; I’m sure
many straight-owned stores sell it also. Perhaps
these ladies would he better served expressing
their objections to the company that produces
that card— as well as the writer, the photogra
pher and the African American model who
posed for it.
Thirdly, 1 would remind everyone that
humor is extremely “subjective” and very often
targets some sort of stereotype. The ancient
Greek plays are frill of such jokes. Balloons on
Broadway also carries cards that make fun of
hillbillies, cat lovers and old people— which are
bought and enjoyed every day. Tire clerk was
correct in stating that the store also carries cards
that depict gay men as sex-starved size queens
and gay women as flannel-wearing tixil toters;
these cards are meant for gay people to give to
other gay people so thflt we can laugh at our
selves. If one doesn’t find them funny, one
should simply put the card hack on the rack and
move on.
I
Finally, I have to point out that Liking an
African American co-worker hack to a store
where she, in fact, hadn't been a customer in an
effort to somehow give more credence to the
argument sounds a little like “some of my best
friends are" and an objectifying of said co-worker.
I would urge everyone to stop hy Balloons on
Broadway and make up their owns minds about
whether they care to patronize this friend of the
community. And I would say to these two ladies
that, if they really wish to shop where their sen
sibilities won’t be offended, there’s a Hallmark
store at Lloyd Center.
C
e r t i f i e d
P e r s o n a l
T r a i n e r
‘ A merican C ouncil O n E xercise
S03-S97-a71 6 I ETHELDIESELCPMSN.COM
B a l l y
T o t a l
F it n e s s
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> 503■ 25S■
I 1 H2
LINNTON FEED & SEED.
D onald F inch
Portland
Trust the small guy
To the E ditor :
I wonder what would have happened if the
editor of Just Out, when approached about
placing an ad for Portland General Electric in
the last issue, had told the gay sponsors, “No ad
lauding that scum-sucking Enron subsidiary is
ever gonna be in my paper." Yet in the same
paper we are faced with a letter to the editor, in
the form of "A n Open Letter to Balkxins on
Broadway,” a gay-owned business, bringing it to
task for having an allegedly racist greeting card
and requesting a boycott.
I often wonder, when I notice things like
this, how the influences of money and power
come to affect the result. Will I take the word of
two women, one of them African American,
that the card is racist and join a boycott? Can 1
boycott PGE/Enron? Will I change my vote on
PGE/Enron because they use fellow gay people
to sway my vote? Do I think the gay employees
are just pawns in a larger game? Do I think gay
employees are
misguided
tor backing
PGE/Enron, or are they just worrying about
their jobs?
I think the ad for PGE is hill of scare tactics,
lies, damn lies and half-tniths. I was a customer
of a consumer-owned utility for many years, and
the power was cheaper, the service more effi
cient, and I got to know the people in it, and
they knew me as an individual. I’m all for the
change. I can go to Balkxms on Broadway and
see the card and make my own decision about
the card.
Basically, I’m going to trust the small guy.
Someone 1 can go to, see what I want and make
my own decision.
PGE/Enron is not interested in being a
strong supporter of the gay community. As all
have seen who are paying attention, PGE/Enron
is only interested in money and lots of it; despite
the image they try to project, they could give a
shit about being a member of our “community.”
T
♦
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HILLSDALE VETERINARY GROUP
6359 S W Capitol Highway
Portland, Oregon 97239
(503) 246-4660
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NEW CLIENTS
M E N T IO N T H IS A D
F O R A FR E E EXA M .
A ll o f us at
‘Bridgetown ‘J(ealty
congratulate
Just Out
on tfieir
20tfi Anniversary.
K im B aller
O ak Grove
‘Tfian/f you fo r
here
fo r our community.
Absolute pow er
To the E ditor :
very area in this region that has public
power instead of private power pays less
than those living under PGE’s greedy thumb.
Yet some people quoted in articles and ads in the
last Just Out would have us believe it hurts the
queer community to support a PUD (“Queer
Energy: Two Views,” Oct. 17).
I disagree since I and many other queer peo
ple live in the district now “served” hy PGE. I’m
a gay person who had to pay $180 electric hills
last year when I lived in a two-bedrixim house
with electric heat— and that’s from only heating
the house half of the amount it would take to
make it a comfortable nxim temperature. I’m a
E
Continued on Puge
7
— ‘Deborah Betron
‘Presideti t Principal ‘Broker
O ffic e : 5 0 3 / 2 8 7 - 9 3 7 0
www.bridgetownrealty.com
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