Letters – Episode 27 2017

Below are the letters from Episode 27 2017. Click Here to Watch our Panel discuss these topics and share your thoughts on the letters below.

Dear Mitch,

Like everyone else in the world, I’ve been inundated with Princess Di newspaper, radio and TV stories 20 years after her tragic death. I was only 10 when she died and it came as a huge shock to me then. My dad said it was like his experience when Elvis died and my grandmother said she felt the same sorrow when JFK was assassinated.

After watching, listening and reading so much in the last three months, I’m a little confused, to be honest. I had held Princess Di in awe but now after learning so much over these many weeks, I’m not so sure. She almost brought down the British Monarchy. She manipulated the press and in turn, was manipulated back. She was hounded by them to her wasteful death. I have no doubt she was a loving mum to two beautiful boys and taken far too early, I’m simply confused now as to whether her legacy was a good one or a confused semi contrived one. How does the panel see Princess Di’s legacy 20 years after her tragic passing?

Samantha, West Torrens, SA

Hi Sweet and Sour,

I’m only 22 but I’d like to think I have good ethics and getting better. I don’t know what I can say to someone like my brother who I feel is just a user of people. He’s going out with two girls at the moment. Neither knows the other one exists and he keeps telling me that he doesn’t know which one he likes in preference. It’s awful and I certainly would not like to be one of the girls who both seem very nice and whom I met before he told me he was dating them concurrently.

So here I am having this discrete conversation with my mum without revealing who I’m talking about (and if she knew it was her son I know she would just die) when I notice the TV programme the Bachelor is playing on the television in the background. Sure enough, there’s this male character at the centre of it all, kissing away with numerous girls and it struck me that this disgusting behaviour is being normalised by these shows.

How do I convince my brother that his obligation and everyone’s for that matter is to be honest and fair with others and not lead anyone on, when here is this top rating, highly promoted TV show promoting gutter ethics? What chance has this world got when the advertisers and multinational corporations are promoting love as a consumable and disposable. How do we get people like my brother to be mindful of their proper obligations to other humans?

Siena, Preston, Vic

Hello Sweet and Sour,

My husband is an avid reader and so am I to some degree but not to the same level. He loves it and devours everything that he can get his hands on. Sometimes it’s history, sometimes it’s a raunchy novel and that’s all good but I’ve only just realised that he will read in preference to having an experience himself.

He’s actually quite miserable when we are travelling on holidays and often begrudges the time it takes away from reading. As knowledgeable as he is, he’s not worldly and in many ways, he’s quite insular. When it comes to dealing with people despite him having read so many of these management style books, he’s not so good. I’m starting to think that the old line that my mum always told me, ‘there is nothing better than experience’ is the truth.

My husband says that we simply can’t enjoy and indulge ourselves all the experiences life has to offer, yet we can learn so much from the books we read. So, here’s my question to the panellists, can we learn as much by reading as we can through experience? The older I become the more I come to understand all those sayings that my parents would rattle off at me. That is by experience I’m understanding far more now of what they had to teach me back then and that’s been invaluable. Books or Experience?

Norrie, Mindarie, WA