Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pluto]

Within leftest circles of actors, musicians, partying demonstrators among others, a strange phenomenon has been occurring. Certain Hollywood stars have been revering Mao while making movies about Che Guevara. What I find so interesting is that Mao and Che hated artists and would not have hesitated to imprison them or even shoot them.

As for all the leftest protests in the world, where there are nice pictures of Che galore, what do you think Che or Mao would have done to them? Do you seriously believe either Mao or Che would partying with their lot? What do you suppose the draw is of these murderous thugs that certain quarters of the left are drawn to?

Although, I suppose, there is a certain irony to all of this. Two communist tyrants ending up as marketing superstars in free societies is probably not how these two imagined their post-mortem legacies.

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[Gopher]

C. Diaz's story only reaffirms my long-held conclusion that Hollywood leftists are purely superficial and remain utterly ignorant on actual historical patterns and ground conditions here or there in the world.

Sendero Luminoso was brutally Maoist and waged a terrible insurgency to which the govt responded harshly throughout the 1980s and 1990s. And she had absolutely no idea about any of it. She merely followed the latte-guerrilla crowd without asking any questions -- including questions of who her simplistic leftist slogans might hurt.

And to add insult to injury, a Canadian promoter hired her to participate in a show treating "Peruvian culture...???"

[Pluto]

Still makes you think... WTF?

Does anyone in Hollywood understand the politics of Mao and Che? I can't understand, especially within their professions, why Diaz or Del Torro would idolize such figures. Sometimes I think the only one with a clue in that town is Clint Eastwood.

[Gopher]

No. They show no signs of comprehending what would happen to them under a totalitarian system, under Soviet-style "socialist realism" in art or under Chinese-style "cultural revolutions" or what-have-you.

I think they (a) hear simplstic "power-to-the-people!" slogans and repeat them becaus they remain fundamentally childish a la P. Hilton and B. Spears; and they (b) want to show how "cosmopolitan" they are by claiming that they have embraced someone such as Mao or Che's politics -- note that it is implicit that they are very studious world-travellers who know all about it in the first place.

As a reward, they cultivate a sophisticated image -- even defiant, such as S. Penn. On the other hand, they usually say things like S. Stone and the Chinese earthquake whenever they start simply saying what is in their heads.

I just do not get it, Pluto. But, then again, I lack C. Diaz and C. Sheen's astute grasp on the world situation...

[JMO]

As far as I've heard, (a review and interview on the 'Filmspotting' podcast), the Che picture is a pretty even handed account of his life. It is shows rather than tells was the gist of the review.

People wear mao t shirts everywhere not just actors. I don't think this is an endorsement of his actions or views, but just a display of ignorance. The ajumma collecting rubbish outside my house this summer, probably doesn't like the 'Stones' but she wears the t shirt. She doesn't know what it means.

http://www.filmspotting.net/

episode #241 second one down.

edit: remember also these are actors. They live their lives in a fantasy world. They are the last people that people should take political, medical or religious advice from.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Let's see...Godfather I, II, III, Scarface, Goodfellas, etc...what trend does that indicate? But the one I'm most concerned about is 'Legally Blonde'. I tremble at the thought of bright blonde women taking over the world.

[JMO]

[soviet_man]

Without the USSR as a counterbalance to the excesses of US policy, the global political pendulum over the past 15 years has swung hard to the right, without much opposition.

In such a climate, people look to historical figures such as Che and Mao as being symbols in which to express their dissent.

Many people, particularly in the developing world - have an overall positive assessment of Che and Mao, including me to an extent.

I think when you have 80% of humanity (around 5 billion people) living on less than $10 per day - eventually people do reach "non-capitalist" conclusions and around 16 countries today are communist or have communists in governing positions.

The absurdity is when Hollywood stars (eg. the other 20%) of mainly white, westernized, ruling class people, try to attach themselves to socialist icons. I agree that it is bizarre how that could be reconciled with their reality of life experience.

[VanIslander]

we just got W. about George Bush and Frost/Nixon... they'll get around to doing Reagan

[On the other hand]

[Captain Corea]

I watched part one of Che and thought it was a decent flick - it didn't make me want to wear him on a shirt though.

[mises]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/27/del-toro-walks-away-from-questions-on-che/