Richard Gere, Causing International Hooplah Yet Again



For someone so mild-mannered, downy-haired and aggressively in-your-face Tibetan Buddhist, Richard Gere sure causes a whole lot of fucking hooplah. Nah mean? Every couple of years Gere makes some sort of wild-ass International "Look at Me" power play that is oh-so-very-not-Buddhist, thank you very much. But we will not entertain the possibility that Richard Gere, Tibetan Enlightened One reeking of Frankincense, Needs that goddam media attention; heaven forfend -- that would be too Materialistic, absolutely shattering that studiously manufactured media image (tm) of Eastern calm and exquisitely false lovingkindness.

Instance one of "Shut the Fuck Up Richard Gere": He tried to influce Palestinian elections. Leave that to the Pro's, Dick (The Corsair can call you dick, can't we?)

Instance Two of "Shut The Fuck up Richard Gere": He humiliated the Japanese Prime Minister by taking the lead in an impromptu dance, thereby making the Serene Leader of Nippon effectively his "Bitch" (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment), and -- worse -- his ... "Private Dancer".

From the Beeb (link via defamer):

"Actor Richard Gere has sparked protests in India after kissing Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty at an Aids awareness rally in New Delhi.

"Demonstrators in Mumbai (Bombay) set light to effigies of the Hollywood star, while protesters in other cities shouted "death to Shilpa Shetty"...Public displays of affection and sex are still largely taboo in India."

Granted, this is the last blog that you will find anti-internationalism, but Richard Gere clearly milked the episode and was playing on the prudishness of the Indian media. It's like as soon as International flashbulbs flash, he goes into Madonna-circa-1987 mode ("Those who can't do, shock.")

And we will not entertain the possibility that it adds on to his International Box Office.