Volumes spoken about the way the world sees America

[namkcuR]

Appeal by Pretty Woman Star Perplexes Palestinians
Jan 6, 10:08 AM (ET)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - He's been a prostitute's rich beau, an officer, a gentleman and a gigolo, but Palestinians can't fathom Richard Gere's latest incarnation as a cheerleader for their elections this weekend.

Well known for his vocal support of Tibet's Dalai Lama and celebrated for his captivating good looks, Gere urged Palestinians in a television commercial broadcast ahead of Sunday's poll in the West Bank and Gaza to get out to vote for a new president to succeed Yasser Arafat, who died in November.

"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world. We're with you during this election time. It's really important. Get out and vote," Gere said in the advertisement.

But many voters, already struggling with the labyrinthine politics of the West Bank and Gaza, say they have never heard of the actor who swept Debra Winger off her feet as a dashing Navy officer in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and were even less interested when they were told he's an American.

"I don't even know who the candidates are other than Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), let alone this Gere," Gaza soap factory worker Manar an-Najar told Reuters on Wednesday.

[size=+4]"We don't need the Americans' intervention. We know who to elect. Not like them -- they elected a moron." [/size]

Arafat's death has stirred international hopes of ending more than four years of Middle East violence. Moderate Fatah faction candidate Mahmoud Abbas is the front-runner to succeed him in the first Palestinian election since 1996.

The Gere spot, sponsored by grassroots Israeli-Palestinian peace lobby One Voice, recalled ads put out by Hollywood notables to support Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry in November's U.S. elections. He lost to President Bush.

 

[U2democrat]

 

[cardosino]

Let's hope they don't elect a terrorist like Arafat.

 

[strannix]

I probably think Bush is as big a moron as anyone, but I have to say, I don't understand why one quote from a single Palestinian in response to a Richard Gere ad speaks volumes about anything.

In fact, I'll go so far to say that this is an irresponsible quote for Reuters to publish. It's irrelevant for one thing; it has nothing to do with how Palestinians view Richard Gere. And for another thing, it reinforces the stereotype of Palestinians as a bunch of America-hating zealots, which is almost certainly not as true as our media likes to portray.

 

[sharky]

It also shows that sometimes, maybe we as Americans and American celebrities in particular should not put their noses where they don't belong. I mean, has Richard Gere ever been to Palestine? Is a tenth Palestinean or something? It's one thing to have American Richard Gere talking about American politics. It's another to have American Richard Gere try to get out the Palestinean vote. Would you have liked it if Jude Law or Hugh Grant or Sean Connery did an ad during the American elections to tell us to get out the vote? Hell, I didn't even appreciate P. Diddy and Paris Hilton telling me to "Vote or Die" and they're Americans!

 

[BAW]

"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world. We're with you during this election time. It's really important. Get out and vote," Gere said in the advertisement.

Wow...an American actor claiming to be the world's spokesperson.

 

[deep]

good intentions
gone astray



more red meat
for red staters

 

[deep]

Wow...an American actor claiming to be the world's spokesperson.

cool
all bases are covered now

W speaks for God.

 

[cardosino]

It also shows that sometimes, maybe we as Americans and American celebrities in particular should not put their noses where they don't belong. I mean, has Richard Gere ever been to Palestine? Is a tenth Palestinean or something? It's one thing to have American Richard Gere talking about American politics. It's another to have American Richard Gere try to get out the Palestinean vote. Would you have liked it if Jude Law or Hugh Grant or Sean Connery did an ad during the American elections to tell us to get out the vote? Hell, I didn't even appreciate P. Diddy and Paris Hilton telling me to "Vote or Die" and they're Americans!

Wasn't Gere one of the millions who swore they'd move to Canada if Bush won the election ?

 

[strannix]

Wasn't Gere one of the millions who swore they'd move to Canada if Bush won the election ?

Maybe he's moving to Ramallah instead. It would explain his interest in doing this ad.

But seriously, in defense of Gere, it's not like he did this on his own. As the article explains, he was approached by OneVoice to do it.

What would you have done if someone told you that you could make a difference? We can all agree it's a worthwhile goal. Of course he looks silly, but that's more OneVoice's miscalculation than Gere's. The dude was just trying to help.

 

[cardosino]

Maybe he's moving to Ramallah instead. It would explain his interest in doing this ad.

But seriously, in defense of Gere, it's not like he did this on his own. As the article explains, he was approached by OneVoice to do it.

What would you have done if someone told you that you could make a difference?

A modicum of Homework.

 

[cardosino]

cool
all bases are covered now

W speaks for God.

No, that's Pat Robertson. I don't believe W ever said he speaks FOR God, Pat Robertson routinely tells the world God has spoken to him and wants his "message" passed along.

 

[strannix]

A modicum of Homework.

Well, I agree he looks foolish. But he's not doing a bad thing.

 

[deep]

No, that's Pat Robertson. I don't believe W ever said he speaks FOR God, Pat Robertson routinely tells the world God has spoken to him and wants his "message" passed along.

W has said the freedom is a gift from God

and now he is killing in Irag to give Iraqis freedom

he was asked if he talked to his father
about a war in Iraq

he answerd he had a "higher father" he talked to

 

[whitehead]

I'm still missing the "volumes"...

 

[beli]

namkcuR, are you getting upset about a comment made by one soap factory worker? (the text highlighted in red)

 

[indra]

namkcuR, are you getting upset about a comment made by one soap factory worker? (the text highlighted in red)

Actually, I think he's agreeing with it.

And yeah, we do look stupid and pushy and obnoxious, but that's nothing new.

 

[beli]

Actually, I think he's agreeing with it.

And yeah, we do look stupid and pushy and obnoxious, but that's nothing new.

Okay, thanks. I'll leave now. I really hate threads were a quote is made, and a leading title is offered, and we have to guess the opinion of the poster. Im foreign and dont know half of the context of these things.

 

[pax]

Beli, it's okay. Maybe we all in FYM should be a little more careful about thread titles...

:: considers a sticky ::

:: loves making stickies in FYM ::

 

[verte76]

Just because one factory worker doesn't like this doesn't mean no one likes it. I think Gere means well, but this is really naive and crazy because Palestinian society is far more conservative than ours is as far as the whole celebrity thing is concerned. I'm sure they don't give a rip what an American actor thinks of their elections. If I were Palestinian, hell, I wouldn't either. It's their country, they'll talk to each other about it and decide from there.

 

[indra]

Okay, thanks. I'll leave now. I really hate threads were a quote is made, and a leading title is offered, and we have to guess the opinion of the poster. Im foreign and dont know half of the context of these things.

Start some funky Australian threads and confuse the hell out of us...it could be great fun.

 

[Angela Harlem]

hahahaha you said funky and Australian and put them next to each other! hahahahaha

 

[beli]

Ang and I have started some funky Australian threads and theres usually only Ang and myself, plus some Euros who take pity on us, who post.

 

[Angela Harlem]

We need another boat to spend 6 years floating around Christmas island so we have a reason to start a thread.

 

[indra]

We need another boat to spend 6 years floating around Christmas island so we have a reason to start a thread.

If that happens we'll know who did it.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

Richard Gere... I can't imagine who would want this man to represent them. I hope he enjoys Ramallah or Canada or wherever he's going, since it's where he belongs. How are people supposed to think of Bush opposers as patriotic when so many like Richard Gere are talking about leaving the country if Bush won?

 

[verte76]

Personally, I never felt like I had to leave the country if Bush won or whatever. But I don't think the people who are leaving for this reason dislike America; they dislike the government. If you're patriotic, you want the best for your country. If someone sincerely thinks that too many things are screwy with it, and has the money to live in another country and all of that jazz, then I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a choice. I need to live in a temperate climate due to health reasons. Some countries would kill me with their cold or rainy climates. No thanks.

 

[all_i_want]

id like to know one thing about the whole conservative point of view on bush.. if he ran against some other republican would you still vote for him? or did you just vote for him because he is republican?

 

[Salome]

I think that on avarage Bush is considered a moron outside the USA

about 90% of the people who would state this don't even know much about politics in their own country though
which doesn't exactly mean that Bush isn't a moron, but yes

 

[A_Wanderer]

I think that Gere "misunderestimated" his celebrity appeal among PLO Arabs. Hopefully he will be keeping up his good work on the forgotten occupation of Tibet.