Sharon Stone steps on a land mine
May 28th, 2008 by KimSharon Stone’s films are being been banned in China, following remarks the American actress made at the Cannes film festival last week suggesting the Chinese earthquake was “karma” for what happened in Tibet earlier this year. Hong Kong’s Cable Entertainment News interviewed the actress on the red carpet, and got a mouthful from Stone:
First, I’m not happy with the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans, because I don’t think anyone should be unkind to anyone else, and so I have been very, concerned, about how to think about what to do about that, because I don’t, like, that. And then I’ve been, just, concerned, oh, how should we deal with the Olympics, because they’re not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who’s a good friend of mine. And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, ‘Is that karma?’, when you’re not nice the bad things happen to you?
Stone’s comments are all over the internet. According to the Chinese media-watching site Danwei, the Chinese Information Times printed a full-page special on her comments under the headlines “Sharon Stone is an enemy of the whole nation” and “The Chinese people spontaneously start an anti-Sharon movement.” As most Chinese media are still focusing on the 68,000 people killed in the earthquake, the Stone story received more moderate coverage in other papers, Danwei said.
Watch the video of the interview here:
She is not the first person, however, to link the May 12 earthquake to theories about the supernatural and the much-referenced Mandate of Heaven. As mentioned before in this blog, natural disasters have an eerie way of coinciding with major political events in China. Except, others who mention the Mandate of Heaven aren’t necessarily referencing the Chinese government’s policies towards Tibet, but rather how the Communist Party will answer questions about shoddily constructed public structures — like schools that collapsed on young children.
Being college-educated, and from her involvement with the Free Tibet movement — and being an American living under the current political conditions in this country — Stone should be able to separate the actions of a government from the wills and actions of its people. It was an ugly remark and she should have known better.
Tags: 2008 sichuan earthquake, China, Hollywood, Tibet
May 28th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Speaking of karma, Stone better hope she doesn’t burst an aneurysm in her brain again! What a horrible thing to say, even if you disagree with Chinese politics.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
What the Chinese are doing to the Tibetans is wrong. Karma had nothing to do with it however, thats silly.
the only reason the US isnt doing anything is about the situation is becuase
- the Tibetans have no resources the US needs (like oil)
- the US needs China to support our economy, we have borrowed billions from them and now China has all the leverage.
included in this is also the genocide happening in Africa on a daily basis where millions are dying.
May 28th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Indeed, what an insensitive comment. I figure the majority that were killed or injured by the earthquake had no direct link toward the Chinese government’s “treatment” of Tibet; indeed, there may have been many who supported Tibetans. Wonder what Stone thinks about that. Oh, wait, I guess she didn’t. Yep. Karma means you can end up stupid, too.
Funny how Stone’s recent stuff should be banned ’cause they’re so cruddy. “Basic Instinct 2: There’re no eating of crumpets here,” anybody?
May 28th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Stone is right on the money! Keep it up Sharon and tell it like what it is….
May 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Well Sharon Stone has every right to give her opinion. This is america isnt it? Freedom of speech. Any way I dont like China and I do think they are getting bad Karma for all of the horrible things that they do. Like eating and killing dogs and cats for their fur and sneaking their products into America under claims that it is fake fur when in reality is really cat and dog fur. They are known for abusing all kinds of different animals and they also have a bad reputation for producing and selling bad prescription drugs. Their greed for making money blinds them of just being decent human beings.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hah! the sharon stone video totally reminds me of that chick from South
Carolina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww
May 28th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
It had to be said. Way to go Sharon!!
May 28th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
There is an interesting amount of China-hating going on here, and I wonder where it really stems from.
It is true that China has quite a ways to go in addressing its poor human rights record and even beginning to provide basic freedoms, such as freedom of religion and the press, that most of us in America take for granted. But to say that 68,000 people, who have essentially no hand in choosing the leaders who are making policies at top, deserve to die is ridiculous. It’s even possible, given the ethnic make-up of Sichuan, that quite a few of those killed by the quake were Tibetans. And as many as 10,000 of the victims were children.
Sharon Stone is indeed lucky to be an American and have the freedom to say whatever she wants — one can only imagine how her comments would be received if she were a Chinese official. But simply because we in America are afforded the privilege of saying whatever we wish does not mean we shouldn’t have to think about the repercussions. Her comment shows a surprising inability to connect with the incredible tragedy that happened to real people in Sichuan. It was in poor taste.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Kim,
I think Sharon Stone was not trying to disrespect to the people affected by the earthquake…I think she was trying to tell the Government that it is their fault that these people are suffering….”as you sow, so shall you reap”
My heart goes out to all the victims and people affected by the earthquake, but the people of china (government, businesses) and those who support the cruel doings of their actions are causing this heavy karma and poor people are suffering.
May 28th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
DaBomb,
You hit it right on the nail!!!
Also Sharon stone is doing alot of charity work and I have a lot of respect for people who try to make a difference in the world. My hat is off to all the celebrities who use their status for good. Oprah, Brad & Angelina and so on…..
The people who actually get off of their couch and put forth money and time to help mankind. Donating money is the easy part. Getting off of your but and having a voice and taking time out of your schedule to do what is right. Now those are the people to look up to and Sharon Stone is one of them. And if China is upset about the comment, well I guess sometimes the truth hurts. Maybe if they took a good look at what they stand for and looked at themselves with new eyes they would agree.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
“they’re not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who’s a good friend of mine”
WWDLD?
May 28th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Any linking of natural disasters with revenge by Karma, the Sky God or any other supernatural entity is total ignorant supersition. We had the same thing here in the good ole U. S. of A. with ministers blaming the New Orleans Katrina disaster on a Gay Pride parade that was being scheduled. When Kauai got blasted by Hurricane Iniki, I seem to remember some ignorant religious leader blaming it on the supposed sins of the people of Kauai. Come on, gang, this is the Twentieth Century–ooops–it’s the Twenty-first Century. This kind of thinking is just not valid anymore (and it never was either).
May 28th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
i can’t imagine what it would be like to be an enemy of a country nor would i wish that on anyone.
while it’s cool of celebs to be involved in doing something, i think many of them should be more cognizant of the things they say, but i suppose that could be said about all of us more than once in our lives, we are just fortunate enough not to have the camera following us around.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:13 am
JMAW,
I dont think that people are really enemies towards any country but just against their bad acts. And Butlerdidit, yes it is the twenty - first century, so why is China still acting like barbarians? And as far a Karma or what ever you want to call it. When you are a good person, good things happen to you and when you are bad, bad things happen. It isnt a superstition that is just the way it is. And it is just too bad that people always have to make such a big deal about when celebrities make mistakes. They are only human. But we never seem to make a big deal about the good things they do.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:07 am
WELL , I THINK SHARON STONE IS TOTALY RIGHT SAYING THIS EARTHQUALKE IS KARMA !
= Karma means “deed” or “act”, is the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life. Karma is not fate, for humans act with free will creating their own destiny. If we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of our actions and their concomitant reactions in THIS OR PREVIUS LIVES, all of which determines our future. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent action and dispassionate response.
Since the chinese people have no spiritual education , of course they will not understand !
Chinese people are one of the most evil people to animals, as the bilis bears, cats, dogs and animals for fur ! What they do is pure HORROR !They treat animals with total cruelty and even humans because they workd so hard as slaves, have no freedon of speech and dont have humans rights. All this horror and pain they give to others comes back the same way.
Dont think that if you dont hurt and is very cruel to an animal you will not suffer the same pain ! YOU WILL ! animals fell the same we do , love, afection, pain, fear, hurt ….
Also china is one of the most causes for polution and global warming and this is the result, the planet is screaming because is being destroied !
Sharon Stone and everybody else is free to think and say what they want !
We have freedon of speech !
= Of course is very sad what happened to the people in China. Everybody is broken heart about this situation.
But it is karma and people have to understand that karma rules your life and is a universal law of action and reaction ! And we cannot scape from it ! This life is likened to a field in which our Karma is the seed. We harvest exactly what we sow !
About the animals just check here
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=xf6Ab8nNRgI
many animals are Skinned alive too so look for : Bloody fur market in China ! and so much more , just go to search at the internet ! CRUELTY TO ANIMALS IN CHINA ! you will find hundreds of pictures, videos and more …
China has a Culture of Cruelty to animals, a long history of animal abuse is in the spotlight as Chinese county indiscriminately massacres animals for ages …
SO CHINESE PEOPLE ! IT IS TIME TO LEARN
= if you do evil , evil will come to you
= if you do good, good will come to you
TO PEOPLE, TO NATURE AND TO ANIMALS TOO !
May 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
You have to laugh at the naivete of the Chinese government at not being aware of the propensity of American entertainment figures to give their learned opinions to everyone. After all, actors, singers, etc.are so morally superior to the rest of us that we should be grateful for their wisdom. Chiana better hope it never faces the wrath of moral paragons like Sean Penn or Bruce Springsteen.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I see today in the news that Sharon Stone has been fired by Christian Dior - for her remarks about karma and the Chinese. she is apologizing right and left to the people of China but I wonder if its too late. karma?
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:42 am
You know, the issue about Karma has always been a subject I could never grasp.
How can anyone believe in Karma?
The only people who can believe in Karma, are those that have never experienced >>Real<< trouble in their lives.
I’ve seen too many bad people live luxurious lives.
Too many evil men get away with too much untouched…
there is no such thing as Karma.
Its just another way about our simple human minds to try to make life out to be something that its not.
How about instead of wishing for some divine intervention of sorts, people who believe in Karma, go out and do something to change the situation. Instead of wishing some magical force will balance out what is wrong.
This Karmic ideology is a huge impediment to the American Culture. Another dumbing down, and debilitating way of thinking.