Rascoff's Criticism Is Misdirected

In his most recent column, Samuel J. Rascoff makes an excellent point about the cyclical nature of inner-city poverty and the way it is documented in the documentary "Hoop Dreams" ("Losing Life's Game," Opinion, Nov. 18, 1994). Unfortunately, I must take exception to his implications that the three film-makers, Steve James, Frederick Marx and Peter Gilbert, exploited the two players, Arthur Agee and William Gates.

Film-makers, reporters, journalists and others whose job it is to portray the truth and provide factual information are always confronted with moral dilemmas about to what extent they should allow themselves to get personally involved. Rascoff basically blasts James, Marx and Gilbert for not feeling any morals in the situation of the Agee family blackout.

Of course, does he even recognize that they should not even be forced to make any decision concerning the dilemma? They are in the Agee home to document. If they decide to help out financially, that's great. If not, they are not in a position to be blamed for any wrongdoing.

James, Marx and Gilbert have faced many moral issues since their film was released to critical acclaim, as well as good box-office revenues. One such issue is whether Agee and Getes should be allowed to cash in on the financial success of "Hoop Dreams."

While their family wallows in poverty, Agee and Gates, both Division 1 players, are not allowed to accept any royalties due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations. The three film-makers obviously feel that Agee and Gates should be allowed to accept money; they are currently petitioning the NCAA to permit the exception. Of course, this petitioning is done after the film was completed, leaving the documentary itself and its subjects unaffected.

Rascoff makes a lot of good points in his column, but he wrongfully points fingers at the film-makers. Whether or not they get involved with their subjects should not be a point of moral debate. Perhaps it may be a controversy within the film industry, but a columnist shouldn't judge three professionals for the moral dilemmas they faced, that include ones Rascoff has no idea about.

The public always criticizes the media for being biased, but perhaps the media feels a moral obligation to its public, which can be misconstrued as bias. However, if the media were totally impartial, they should not be subject to criticism, just as Steve James, Frederick Marx and Peter Gilbert should not. For the record, the film-makers did help pay the Agee family's electricity bill. But even if they didn't, they weren't in the wrong. Hayle Chun '98