Cameron Diaz and her Maoist bag

[JimmySeal]

Haha, this is what happens when you buy items with Chinese that you can't read:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070625/ap_en_mo/people_cameron_diaz

[skylee]

I think even if she knew what was written on the bag (and probably she did because it is just common sense to ask), unless she knew about what had happened in Peru, this couldn't have been avoided.

I think the "to serve people" slogan is generally harmless.

[JimmySeal]

I think the main thing was the army-green bag with a big red star on it. I'm sure most Peruvians can't read Chinese either, but they sure recognized that symbol. Cameron Diaz can claim ignorance because the bag has characters that she couldn't read.

[Luobot]

“To serve people” sounds like the famous, old sci-fi flick, “How to serve mankind.” This was a book written in alien language and brought by seemingly helpful aliens to Earth, who had a stated mission of serving mankind. When the naïve earthling people finally learned the alien language, they realized it was a cookbook about how to serve mankind.

[roddy]

Sorry, but this looks suspiciously like a celebrity non-story to me - was anyone actually offended at any point, or did a journalist spot what it meant and phone a couple of people who could be relied upon to be offended? There's not a single named offended person in the article.

I know there's a large Chinese population in Peru - are there that many people who would recognize this slogan and be offended by it?

[gato]

From a news site for expats living in Peru:

http://www.livinginperu.com/news-4128-peru-photo-day-look-my-new-bag-cameron-diaz-cusco-peru

Cameron Diaz's olive green messenger bag has caused an uproar among international newspapers and journalists. Currently there are over 100 articles about how Cameron Diaz has "offended the nation of Peru."

While it is reported that Peruvian human rights activist, Pablo Rojas made a statement with respect to Cameron's choice of accessories, here in Peru it doesn't seem she has offended the nation.

[muyongshi]

Offended the nation of Peru....

Allow me to translate...a yodel that knew Chinese threw a hissyfit to someone that could make money off of it and at the same time make a famous person look like an idiot and then it made the news.

These people like to see others grovel because they are "sensitive". If it were my dad's generation they would say "just get over it". Where is our society going?????

I agree with Roddy on this one. Stupidness about nothing.

[JimmySeal]

Good points everyone, but it's still nice to see Cameron Diaz taken down a peg. I find her obnoxious to no end.

fyi this story has been promoted from sub-story to top story on my Yahoo! entertainment news feed. Yeesh.

[gato]

She was pretty good in "Being John Malkovich."

[imron]

I didn't even realise it was her until the end credits.

[HashiriKata]

She was really bewitching in "The Mask"

(10 years ago)

[againstwind]

Ah, I see the characters are 为人民服务.

Is 为人民服务 a political slogan?

Pardon me, why not to regard it as a slogan on commonweal or volunteer?

[JimmySeal]

Yes, it is one of Mao's most famous slogans:

http://no-sword.jp/blog/2005/03/how-to-cook-for-forty-revolutionaries.html

For more on Cameron Diaz's "volunteer" activities:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=trippin

[muyongshi]

Yah it was a political slogan but sure sounds like the motto of most governments (whether or not they actually believe it and try to follow it).

[HashiriKata]

Pardon me, why not to regard it as a slogan on commonweal or volunteer?

If you do so and not make a fuss, you'd miss out the chance to cash in on the two world-famous names: Cameron Diaz and Mao! That wouldn't be "sensible business sense" enough, againstwind

[muyongshi]

For once I wish I couldn't "follow the money".

[Huang Jialuo]

Well, I'm 5 days late to discuss the topic, haha. I live and study in Peru!

Frankly, I don't think the Star w/slogan bag should have been taken so strongly. I mean, you just need to tell her: "don't wear it", period. My guess is a few people might have been reminded of this hurtful scenario, and instead of confronting her about it, they passed the word, the media found out and acted upon it: most probably to incite people to find more about Peru, to bring the focus to this nation (I guess it really did.. ).

I can assure you however that though there is a large Chinese population here in Peru (much more cantonese than mandarin speakers), they all live in the coast of Peru, which is the left side of the country and not in Cuzco (almost the center of the country) where Cameron Diaz was seen. So, if they were hurt, it was not because of the slogan, but because of the red-star (and possibly the green color resembling the military too). I do not really remember those times of cruelty as I live in the capital, but it was a time in which a LOT of violence took place (approx 69300 dead). The terrorist group AND the military were both responsible for the massacre led by the unjustifiable hatred for the farming indigenous people.

It is quite curious, because I just had my final exam of Peruvian History yesterday.

I hope I don't fail though...

[trien27]

I doubt people in Peru really knows Chinese. It's probably of Mao's picture. I've seen this bag off line. It's not offensive [if you know all 5 Chinese characters written on it in running Traditional script: wei ren min fu wu? "To serve the people" ]

[AJBryant]

I think the "to serve people" slogan is generally harmless.

Well, so are phrases like "Work makes [you] free," but the cultural baggage of the quotation may be severely problematic. (For context: Google "arbeit macht frei.")

Tony