Dear Mr. [X],
I had the great fortune of attending this night's concert of the Arcade Fire and LCD Sound System at Thanksgiving Point (September 26, 2007). The show was very good and you should be commended for programming these two extraordinary bands.
My evening was spoiled, however, by the overly zealous security that proclaimed my Nikon D40x camera as "too professional" to be allowed into the venue. This surprised me, as my friends who had compact cameras (which the Nikon D40x is not) were allowed into the show. Many of these cameras were of higher resolution than mine. While they were allowed into the show, I, in the mean time, had to hike back to the car and secure my camera, thus missing the majority of the LCD Sound System's set. I might note, that I am a fan of the LCD Sound System, and feel somewhat robbed by that experience.
I would have left my camera at home, but, after checking the Thanksgiving Point web site as well as my ticket I saw no notification that cameras of any type were barred. I took my camera in good faith that I would be allowed to take pictures of what I experienced and of my good friends' enjoyment of the show and of Thanksgiving Point.
Was I mistaken? Are certain cameras allowed and others are not? Why was such a distinction not made public? Why was it not posted on your web site?
Honestly, I am really not certain where the distinction in cameras s being made here. As most people who attend concerts, I only take photos of things I want to remember, and if I share them on the Internet (as my friends who brought compact, higher resolution cameras have already done) it is only for the purpose of sharing my experience with my friends. The arbitrary rules excluding my camera or other such digital single lens reflex cameras at Thanksgiving Point seem out of place in our day and age.
Can you explain to me why I was forced to 1) not be able to take pictures that would advertise the beauty of your venue to my friends, and 2) miss a substantial portion of the show that I paid $36.00 for in order to secure a camera that is of lower resolution than cameras that were allowed into the show?
Sincerely,
[Theorris Boonasty, Esq.]
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Pulling out all the rhetorical tricks
Rather than waiting for today to write my email to TgP folks, I decided to take it on late last night. I'm rather pleased with my tone in the following letter. I sound like someone straight out of 1875:
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First of all, that is just bullshit.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, this is a great letter. We need to write more letters to correct the wrongs of the world.
Thirdly, I went to this show at the Hollywood Bowl and I hate to say it but LCD Soundsystem kicked Arcade Fire's ass (and I'm a big Arcade Fire fan). You was robbed!
Fourthly, here's an unrelated letter I found online regarding the same event:
Dear Sir and Madam,
I am so sorry that a giggling, smiling four year old and myself were blocking your view while you ate your dinner and drank wine in your boxed seat at the Hollywood Bowl last night. I thought that when my girlfriend bought me tickets for my birthday and we drove with her daughter from San Diego that the price included my right to stand and/or dance in said purchased space. It was also my understanding that LCD Soundsystem's music encourages movement, possibly even inspiring people to rise out of their chair. It was unfair of me to think that you might not be a huge LCD fan just because you looked like you were in your late 50's and would be content to simply watch two huge video screens which we weren't blocking. I hope you didn't think less of us when I denied your request to stop dancing with references to the 1984 film Footloose. I thought that the band you paid to see would maybe want as many people to dance as possible but since you hissed at how incosiderate we were in between songs, you obviously felt that your right to relax at a rock show was more important. You had every right to get a security guard to ask us to sit down. I'm sorry that it didn't work. I hope you enjoyed the show anyways, especially when 17,000 people all stood up to block your view of the Arcade Fire.
Sincerely,
Adam Gimbel
Sorry to clog up your comment page, but I thought this was pretty hilarious.
I agree about LCD Soundsystem, Condiment. I wasn't exaggerating in my overly stuffy letter by saying I felt robbed.
ReplyDeleteThat letter is a hoot. I would have been more snide in mine, but I don't want to give the dude who has to answer it any reason to believe that I am not dead serious in what I wrote.
Agreed--bullshit. The D40 is being discriminated against, and you are being robbed. Send the letter, by all means. I think we should begin a project of collecting substantial letters of complaint. There's a whole lot to complain about.
ReplyDeleteLame! Good letters both. I love LCD Soundsystem. I want to dance to them live. But me think they're not coming this way...we'll see.
ReplyDelete