Mail.(Letter to the Editor)

Mail

Underneath It All The cover of Natalie Portman is gorgeous [August]. She looks so fresh. Her eyes sparkle, and her hair is so healthy looking. I am pleased to read she is a vegetarian and loves animals so much that she does not wear fur or animal skin. Fashion is not just about what you wear. It is about compassion and how you live your life. Louise Kahle St. Petersburg, FL

I love Natalie Portman! She's smart and gorgeous and a talented actor. It saddens me though that while applauding her vegetarianism and refusal to wear fur or leather, a few pages further I see tons of animal fur in your magazine. Tika Bordelon Via email

I enjoyed your article on Natalie Portman. However, I could have done without knowing that she had a button attached to her purse that said, "It's Up To the Women: Vote John Kerry." I seriously doubt that a woman whose every other word is "like" or "you know" is qualified to tell the rest of us how to vote. I believe celebrities should keep their political views to themselves -- most of them are too pampered and isolated to have any real grasp of the issues. If they will not, it would be nice if you would refrain from printing them. After all, Allure is "The Beauty Expert," not the political expert. Gari Nywening Memphis

As a fan of Natalie Portman's, I was thrilled when I saw her on the cover of Allure. However, as a black woman, I did not appreciate her comment about "knowing what it feels like" to be a black person and then comparing it to being a celebrity. Are you kidding me? I appreciate Allure stating that her comparison was a bit of a stretch. It has made me a much bigger fan of your publication. Nicole Jones Los Angeles

Natalie Portman's comments that she identified with W.E.B. DuBois' writings on the basis of the scrutiny she endures as a celebrity completely offended me. Does she really feel kinship with a book affirming the rights of marginalized people and the need for aggressive protest against black oppression? She likens the lens of celebrity to a form of oppression? Celebrity is adoration, literally the "celebration" of a person. The scrutiny of minority groups is far more invidious in purpose and effect. The majority has always scrutinized the failures and successes of the oppressed classes as reasons for continuing the system of dominance. If you fail, it's because you're inferior (biologically, individually, as a race); if you succeed, that goes to ...