A Good `Spanky'? -- Song From Popular New Movie Glorifies Violence Against Women

Editor, The Times:

Madonna is without a doubt one of the most versatile and talented pop artists in the charts today. I have always been a big fan, but found myself taking offense at her new song, ``Hanky-Panky,'' which is being popularized with the release of Warren Beatty's new Dick Tracy movie.

As I listened to the lyrics, in which Madonna sings that she prefers a good ``spanky'' to intimacy, it rapidly became clear that the song glorifies sado-masochism and other forms of violence against women.

I spoke with a disc jockey who basically said that because it was No. 2 in the charts, it had to get airplay. He did tell me that his station had apparently received a few calls from women who had been raped and for that reason, the song was not getting airplay during their morning show.

Restricting airplay to evening hours does not address the real issue here, which is that we need to be socially responsible. People of the Pacific Northwest are educated and progressive enough to realize that playing this song hurts people.

Who cares if it's No. 2 on a national chart? We are smarter than that. If younger audiences don't object to the song, perhaps it's because they don't realize what a horrible thing violence against women is.

Madonna certainly had no intention of promoting violence against women by doing the song, but taken out of the context of building up a fictional character in a movie, it does just that.

Seattle could really take the lead and show the nation that it cares about the well-being of our society by voluntarily boycotting this song and replacing it with other songs from the same album/soundtrack.

Led Zepplin's ``Staircase to Heaven'' is a great song, and they'll never pass a constitutional amendment to outlaw flag burning because freedom of speech is freedom of the mind.

I've never considered myself a feminist and I despise censorship. I'm just another 30-something baby-boomer who had to speak out about something that is terribly wrong. I'm sure I won't be the only person to switch stations when I hear ``Hanky-Panky'' again.

- Benjamin Hu, Renton