No Doubt of Her Depth

Steve Hochman was quite off the mark when he said that Gwen Stefani and No Doubt “are largely surface, and there is little of the depth one wants from a true cultural hero” (“At a Mostly Sublime Time, the Girls Replace the Grrls,” Jan. 13).

The problem is that the depths plumbed in Stefani’s lyrics don’t have much to do with Hochman’s personal experience. But ask any teenage girl who’s ever been harassed by an “admirer” if “Walking in the Spiderweb” has depth. Or any girl who’s sick of being regarded as an ornament if “I’m Just a Girl” has depth.

The resonance of Stefani’s lyrics are not borrowed from the pages of antiheroes awash in pharmaceuticals. She finds enough depth in everyday life. She does not whine about stardom, glorify failure, wallow in self-pity. Her inspirations come from the frightening psychodrama of growing up a teenage girl in “The Tragic Kingdom” and finding herself wishing for something better, for herself and her fans.

WINSTON STEWARD

Los Angeles