It's the Process, Jon & Kate
Our unedited letter to the Los Angeles Times regarding the theatrical release of "Hound Dog."

Dear LA Times (Susan King),

I expect more of Hollywood's hometown newspaper than providing cover for Industry apologists. We make movies here, Susan, and we understand the process, which begins with "the script." A schoolteacher who presented this "Hound Dog" script to a 6th grade class would almost certainly be terminated and probably prosecuted. Dakota Fanning spent 7 weeks in North Carolina doing this film...seven weeks of living this part. It's the process, Susan, involved in making of a film like this to which we object. Who is going to protect Dakota in the years to come?

Parents who put their children up for sale are not to be trusted (are you listening, Lynne Spears?). Writers who claim 1st Amendment rights but have to hire a child to act out their fantasies are just not covered by the Amendment, Susan. The impact of the process on children is not what it is for adults. North Carolina has no laws to protect kids in Entertainment, and their film commission brags about this absence. That's why edgy films like "Bastard out of Carolina," "Lolita (the 2nd one)," and "Firestarter" with the very young Drew Barrymore were shot in that state. Of course, you can't break a law when none exists, can you?

What's happened to the footage that was shot but doesn't appear in this version of "Hound Dog?" Can you imagine the internet trade and predictable YouTube videos when the "bonus footage" is added to the sure-to-come DVD? Heavily-edited footage means that there is more to this experience than will ever be seen, yet Dakota was there, Susan. She did the work, acted out the part, and she was not yet a teenager! Look at the person beneath the character, please. Consider the history of Jodie Foster whose stalker nearly killed our President, or Brooke Shields who was the victim of a stalker for nearly 20 years. Think about the internal workings of a gifted young actress whose job is to make you "believe." Can you understand how in the process of making the role real this young actress might be affected? Do you have any idea what this sort of notoriety can bring…forever?

Dakota Fanning will be affected by this experience her entire life, believe me. We must be more careful with our children. The process can be lethal, and for Dakota this film will attract entirely the wrong kind of attention.

It's Show Business, Ms. King...not Show Art.
Sincerely,
Paul Petersen,
Founder,
A Minor Consideration