Everyday Hamptons

Norah Lawlor’s “In Hollywood East, It’s a Wrap” (Sept. 6) shared the name-dropping shallowness of the latest Woody Allen movie. Viewing “The Hamptons” in these terms is like talking about “Hollywood” as an industry, or a small group of self-important celebrities, instead of a real place.

That Hamptons, also the subject of a Page 1 story the same day, is actually a string of six or seven towns with a permanent population of probably 100,000, and swells to many times that during the season. It dates to the early 1600s, as do some of its families. The 50 or so names Lawlor drops don’t amount to much, measured against all those who live there permanently, or come to enjoy the beaches, the weather and the beautiful farm scenery.

The visitors also include a lot of “real” celebrities: artists, writers, business and government leaders. The great majority of these permanent and summer residents don’t get invited to the drugged-out parties, go to the overpriced “in” restaurants to ogle each other or look for new ways to exhaust themselves expensively at 3 a.m. Nor do the more sensible of the Hollywood or New York “celebrities” who aren’t as much into themselves or their celebrity as those Lawlor listed.

EARL GANDEL

Pacific Palisades

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Lawlor’s article brings to mind the days of my youth when “celebrities” out there had true talent rather than mere money, and “society” was best defined by its interest in horticulture. The ruin of this lovely, fragile place has led me to resettle in Pacific Palisades where, gratefully, there is not a whiff of what goes on at the other end of Sunset.

DAVID TAYLOR JOHANNESEN

Pacific Palisades