At 8:16 PM -0500 1/5/98, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>Sounds like your friend is wildly exaggerating Clemens's
>friendships with his "Aquarium" friends, little girls who
>acted as grandchildren for the old man.
>Some have tried to read darker motives
>into these relationships, and you might check out
>Hamlin Hill's Mark Twain: God's Fool for one
>interpretaiton.  Look in your Twain library and look for references to
>the "Aquruum" or "Anglelfish."
>
>You might tell your friend that Disney made a TV movie about one of
>these relationships, "Mark Twain and Me" based on his
>friendship with the young Dorothy Quick.  Tell your friend
>Disney was never one to bank on pedophiles, and
>certainly wouldn't make a movie based on such activity.
>
>wes britton
>[log in to unmask]

Because I am both a children's rights activist and Twain student, I have
investigated the charges of pedophilia against Clemens. I agree with Wes
that such claims are irresponsible and baseless. They are just the type of
allegation that is used to label all charges of child abuse "hysterical."
If the original poster's friend has stunning new evidence of "Twain's
pedophilia," let her produce it. If not, let her retract her irresponsible
allegations.

That said, I must respectfully disagree with part of your post, Wes. Just a
few years ago Disney released a film called "Powder" which was written and
directed by a convicted child molester named Victor Salva. The film, geared
at adolescents,  gave new meaning to the term "target audience." So Disney
did, in fact, bank on a pedophile. "Powder" would have won an award at any
NAMBLA film festival -- the none-too-subtle subtext of the feature was a
indictment of society for its prejudicial laws against child molesters.

 It is might also be helpful to remember Disney's continued lend/lease
program of its theme parks to Michael Jackson so that he may use them as a
private game preserve. Were I in the business of entertaining children, I
would sever my ties with anyone who paid seven figures to settle a civil
case alleging child molestation.

I must admit I thought "Mark Twain and Me" was surprisingly good. However,
the last Disney version of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was more
faithful to sneaker commercials than Twain's work. "Go for the glory,
Huck!" Indeed.

Why malign the dead on the basis of ludicrous hearsay when there are so
many living miscreants deserving of our vitriol?

Yours for a world safe for Twain and children,

Barry Crimmins