Posted on 08/10/2005 3:49:46 PM PDT by Cecily
It's easy enough to understand Latin superstar Ricky Martin's desire to get politically involved. The number of high-wattage celebrities publicizing their cause celebre is soaring... and understandably so. The press eats it up.
In recent headlines, actress Angelina Jolie has been hailed as a virtual Mother Theresa for her work with the UNHCR, singer Bono of U2 is hounded by politicians for his stamp of approval and glorified for his charitable work in AIDS-ravaged Africa, and the band Coldplay and musician Bob Geldof have attached their faces to the cause of fair trade. It's certainly a positive and laudable use of one's status.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
While exercising your right of free speech one should always remember that someone else may be listening.
Of all the people who Ricky could possibly defence....ARAB YOUTH?
I've never seen a group of people for whom "stereotypes" are so accurate.
I am wondering if he voted for Bush in 2000 since he sang in Bush's (delayed) victory party on the election night. Some people contributed his appearance there for the fact that he never made a hit anymore.
Didnt Martin grow up in USA?
Had family in Puerto Rico?
Seriously though...his world tour coming up ....give me a break. He is such a has been, if he even was a been in the 1st place.
In fairness to Martin, the entire article, since the JP doesn't have to be excerpted.
Ricky in a sticky situation
By MIRIAM A. SHAVIV
It's easy enough to understand Latin superstar Ricky Martin's desire to get politically involved. The number of high-wattage celebrities publicizing their cause celebre is soaring... and understandably so. The press eats it up.
In recent headlines, actress Angelina Jolie has been hailed as a virtual Mother Theresa for her work with the UNHCR, singer Bono of U2 is hounded by politicians for his stamp of approval and glorified for his charitable work in AIDS-ravaged Africa, and the band Coldplay and musician Bob Geldof have attached their faces to the cause of fair trade. It's certainly a positive and laudable use of one's status.
But when Latino superstar Ricky Martin decided to help eradicate misperceptions about Arab youth - not two weeks after the deadly bombings in London - several onlookers questioned his choice. The decision looked like a PR disaster in the making - and it didn't take more than five minutes for him to make his first official snafu.
"I promise I will become a spokesperson, if you allow me to," he announced to young Arab teens at a youth conference in Amman. "I will defend you and try to get rid of any stereotypes."
After announcing his mission as well as his empathy ("I have been a victim of stereotypes; I come from Latin America..."), he posed for photos with fans with a Palestinian kaffiyeh over his shoulders. On it, an image of the Dome of the Rock appeared beneath an Arabic slogan: "Jerusalem is ours."
The image of Martin in this politically loaded kaffiyeh quickly spread across the world, and had many thinking the pop star was living la vida loco.
As it turns out, Martin was just a victim of a "wardrobe malfunction." He met with Israel's consul general, Arye Mekel, in New York last week in an attempt to correct (again) any misconceptions.
Martin said children had put the keffiyeh on his shoulders during a concert in Jordan, but that he hadn't realized what it represented. He insisted he was taken advantage of, and that as a special gesture he planned to play a concert in Israel on his next world tour in spring. During their meeting Mekel suggested that Martin collaborate with Israeli artists, and Martin replied that he would be happy to do so.
In an attempt to further patch up relations, Martin told Mekel that he learned several Hebrew words from his friends in Los Angeles. He then turned to Mekel and said "my dear" in Hebrew.
Mekel summed up the meeting by saying: "especially in these times when we are busy with issues like disengagement and the Shfaram murder, Martin's arrival in Israel is both a breath of fresh air for issues over and above the conflict, issues that we are interested the media cover."
It is a very good idea not to wear clothing containing slogans in a language one does not understand. I recall seeing a beautiful lady at a Tokyo ballet performance wearing a rather expensive-looking jacket that spelled out in perfect English "Who The F*ck Needs Art?"
After announcing his mission as well as his empathy ("I have been a victim of stereotypes; I come from Latin America..."), he posed for photos with fans with a Palestinian kaffiyeh over his shoulders. On it, an image of the Dome of the Rock appeared beneath an Arabic slogan: "Jerusalem is ours."
Oh - one last thing - that's an interesting "arabic slogan": "Jerusalem is ours." Didn't they learn to share in kindergarten? Guess Not.
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