Kiss Kiss Burn Burn

Sometimes one event will throw another event into perspective. Some would say that the car accident involving New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine made people realize how ridiculous the so-called controversy was involving Don Imus and the three stupid words that lost him his livelihood. Some would say that yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech helps them realize what is really newsworthy and what is not.

I have something a little different in mind.

In all the hubbub over the various news stories this weekend and Monday you might have missed this one. But you should pay attention to it.

Richard Gere was in India for a safe sex rally, and shared the stage with Shilpa Shetty. Most Americans have no clue who Shilpa Shetty is, but she's an Indian film star (in "Bollywood," India's huge film industry) who was recently made into not only a celebrity but a controversial one in Britain, due to her appearance on Britain's version of the reality TV show "Big Brother." I won't go into the nature of the controversy, but suffice it to say that Shilpa Shetty on that show was subject to the kind of verbal abuse by her fellow "Big Brother" housemates that would make Don Imus sound like Malcolm X. If you want to hear blatant, unrepentant racism, we have nothing on the Brits.

But I digress.

Anyway, Richard Gere was on the stage with Shilpa Shetty, and he gave her a kiss. A stagey kiss. He bent her over and swept her off her feet. If he had done it in America, it would have been thought cute and romantic, if a little actorish. But he did it in India, where they are not amused by public displays of affection.

Now they're burning Richard Gere in effigy in Mumbai, and, according to the BBC, protestors in other cities are shouting "death to Shilpa Shetty."

Did I mention that they were at a safe sex rally?

It's good to know that Americans haven't yet cornered the market in human stupidity, although sometimes it feels like it. At least Al Sharpton hasn't ordered Don Imus to be burned in effigy, and students at Spelman aren't shouting "Death to Don Imus!"

Not yet, anyway.

Tom Moran