|
Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Adventurer

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:27 am Post subject: India court orders Gere's arrest for obscene kiss |
|
|
India court orders Gere's arrest for "obscene" kiss
2 hours, 30 minutes ago
JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - An Indian court ordered the arrest of Hollywood star Richard Gere on Thursday for kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS campaign event this month saying it was an obscene act committed in public.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gere's repeated kisses on Shetty's cheeks at an event to promote AIDS awareness in New Delhi sparked protests in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu vigilante groups, who saw it as an outrage against her modesty and an affront to Indian culture.
The order by a court in the northern city of Jaipur came in response to a complaint by a local lawyer.
The judge watched a video recording of Gere kissing Shetty and found him guilty of violating Indian laws against public obscenity, the lawyer, Poonam Chand Bhandari, said.
The court also summoned Shilpa Shetty to appear on May 5, Bhandari said, adding that Gere was also ordered to be arrested.
Gere can be sent to jail for up to three months or fined or both for the crime if he is arrested. He is not in India now but can be held if he visits the country again.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/entertainment_india_gere_col |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
igotthisguitar

Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nwise
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
Seems so crazy and like something that would only happened in a 3rd world country until you think about the US FCC imposing millions in fines on Howard Stern, Imus getting fired for a racial comment, and Janet Jackson getting in trouble for a "wardrobe malfunction".
Guess they haven't heard of the "off" button over there either. Wonder how many times the Judge had to watched the "obscene kiss" in order to determine its obscenity? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Adventurer

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nwise wrote: |
Seems so crazy and like something that would only happened in a 3rd world country until you think about the US FCC imposing millions in fines on Howard Stern, Imus getting fired for a racial comment, and Janet Jackson getting in trouble for a "wardrobe malfunction".
Guess they haven't heard of the "off" button over there either. Wonder how many times the Judge had to watched the "obscene kiss" in order to determine its obscenity? |
This is somewhat different. Gere was doing it in good humour, not meaning to offend. It is not like the attention grabbing ways of Justin Timberlake. I don't even know if Gere was on TV and he didn't kiss her on the lips, he kissed her on the cheeks. As far as Don Imus, he works for a private corporation, and he was racist against successful African women who were doing well academically, and people had the right to fire him or retain him. No one said they wanted to arrest Don Imus. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
stevemcgarrett

Joined: 24 Mar 2006
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Adventurer wrote:
| Quote: |
| This is somewhat different. Gere was doing it in good humour, not meaning to offend. It is not like the attention grabbing ways of Justin Timberlake. I don't even know if Gere was on TV and he didn't kiss her on the lips, he kissed her on the cheeks |
This is a good example of equivocation on your part. While I'm no prude and would love to give gorgeous Shetty a smooch, I would only dare do so off camera, out of the public eye, and with the hint of her approval (like that would ever happen, eh?)
What annoys the pi-ss out of me about Gere is that he's a quintessential Hollywood liberal sometime activist on Tibet (and the actor/director of an ignorant movie "Red Corner" about China) who goes around purporting to be culturally sensitive and then he pulls this stunt which he knows will clearly offend most Indians. Kissing her on the cheek is only slightly less offensive, especially in view of the relentless manner in which he did it, practically pawing her. C'mon, are you kidding?
I hope he gets a month of jail time to cool his jets. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
freethought
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
steve-o,
Gere is a practicing and from what I've read fairly devout Buddhist.
Most buddhist take the issue of tibet pretty seriously...
WHy do you always have to attack like that, as well? Are you really that angry in your life? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Adventurer

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| stevemcgarrett wrote: |
Adventurer wrote:
| Quote: |
| This is somewhat different. Gere was doing it in good humour, not meaning to offend. It is not like the attention grabbing ways of Justin Timberlake. I don't even know if Gere was on TV and he didn't kiss her on the lips, he kissed her on the cheeks |
This is a good example of equivocation on your part. While I'm no prude and would love to give gorgeous Shetty a smooch, I would only dare do so off camera, out of the public eye, and with the hint of her approval (like that would ever happen, eh?)
What annoys the pi-ss out of me about Gere is that he's a quintessential Hollywood liberal sometime activist on Tibet (and the actor/director of an ignorant movie "Red Corner" about China) who goes around purporting to be culturally sensitive and then he pulls this stunt which he knows will clearly offend most Indians. Kissing her on the cheek is only slightly less offensive, especially in view of the relentless manner in which he did it, practically pawing her. C'mon, are you kidding?
I hope he gets a month of jail time to cool his jets. |
A month in jail for kissing a lady on the cheek and holding her in some embrace imitating a movie scene he did i.e. a romantic scene?
Janet Jackson was not arrested. They are threatening to arrest Gere.
If they want to fine, which I disagree with, they can go ahead.
I don't think Gere would purposely offend Indian culture. As far as Red China, as I understand it has engaged in many serious human rights abuses. I don't know if the movie is accurate, but what they have done to the Tibetans is quite horrible. Obviously, if India was Saudi Arabia
I would understand the religious police would come out in full force, but I don't think Gere expected that. I think the judge is going overboard. There is no equivocation there. You just don't like Gere, perhaps, but it doesn't mean he should get a month in jail. That doesn't seem rational at all.
Last edited by Adventurer on Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
postfundie

Joined: 28 May 2004
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| saw a bunch or rightwing Hindu-fundamentalist groups on CNN today shouting....they need to get a life....Although Gere is a big hormone just walking around |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nwise
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Adventurer wrote: |
| nwise wrote: |
Seems so crazy and like something that would only happened in a 3rd world country until you think about the US FCC imposing millions in fines on Howard Stern, Imus getting fired for a racial comment, and Janet Jackson getting in trouble for a "wardrobe malfunction".
Guess they haven't heard of the "off" button over there either. Wonder how many times the Judge had to watched the "obscene kiss" in order to determine its obscenity? |
This is somewhat different. Gere was doing it in good humour, not meaning to offend. It is not like the attention grabbing ways of Justin Timberlake. I don't even know if Gere was on TV and he didn't kiss her on the lips, he kissed her on the cheeks. As far as Don Imus, he works for a private corporation, and he was racist against successful African women who were doing well academically, and people had the right to fire him or retain him. No one said they wanted to arrest Don Imus. |
Valid distinction about IMUS-private vs public-good pt. Really the mkt at work. Fired when sponsors bailed and public protest. You are right.
Re Stern, Jackson/Justin and Gere-don't agree with you. Just don't believe that the gov't should interfere with FREE SPEECH unless it is damaging something OTHER than someone's FEELINGS.
If the govt can decide what is wrong, ie race, religion, obscenity, etc, what will it decide is wrong next? Where does it end? I worry about that slippery slope.
Do you really trust the people in, say, the US govt to be unbaised and fair to all races creeds and religions? They haven't been in the past.
I can list countless examples as I am sure you can. But, I will confine myself to just one that I think says it all: The govt of jamestown once ruled that that the celebration of Christmas was illegal. Think I'm crazy, look it up. Google- CHRISTMAS and ILLEGAL.
Even assuming that the govt was totally above board and not biased, (an impossiblity because its made up of people with beliefs, culteral and other), whenever you restrict something from being said/done on the airwaves, you are taking someone's rights away to hear/see it.
So how do you not abrogate anyone's rights? I believe that the answer is that the govt should stay out of regulating morality/obscentiy, and let the people who don't like something vote by not watching it or listening to it. The market will eventually elimate those things not supported by the populace, just like it did with Imus.
My points are simple:
1. Govt should not legislate morality/obscenity because it has not, and, cannot do so fairly; and,
2. If you don't like something, why don't you just turn the channel?
Last edited by nwise on Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:22 pm; edited 5 times in total |
| |