Letter of the Day - This should not pass for entertainment! THE EDITOR, Sir: AFTER READING Melville Cooke's article 'Postmortem of a clash' in the Saturday edition (August 4, 2001) of your publication I feel compelled to share some thoughts. I am utterly disgusted at what was reported to have taken place at Sumfest in Montego Bay early Friday morning. Behaviour such as the one described by Mr. Cooke, and others should not pass for entertainment. It is not. But the so-called entertainers are not the only ones to blame. There is no way that persons like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Merciless and the like would have opportunities to assault us if we didn't allow them to, paying them handsomely at the same time (promoter and patron). Why do we allow them to continually disrespect us? But promoters, managers, producers, disc jocks, programme managers for radio stations, MCs and sponsors elevate them and their boorish, crass, coarse and primitive behaviour. Why wi tek dem mek bow a wi ches? When sponsors stop underwriting events that attract and promote these hoodlums, who sometimes command fees upward of $600,000 for one performance, then these things will end. When responsible promoters like Sumfest stop including them in their line-up it will stop. When managers like those at Shocking Vibes, who I know to be decent people, stop representing them if they continue to behave in this way, it has to stop. When persons acting as Masters of Ceremonies understand what their job really is and how to manage performers and a show, then it will end. When programme managers have better guidelines for disc jockeys and ensure that the regulations are abided by, and that records promoting what's base are not played, the artistes will feel the effect in their pockets, of course it must change. Play the scores of positive records that you haven't even bothered to look at. Please allow me to express how disappointed I am at Beenie Man and the Shocking Vibes Crew in particular. Also let me remind us all that the international media were well represented in MoBay. Who will we blame this time for the stories they have written and will write? Let the change begin with me. I am, etc.,
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