Luxury retailer Christian Dior has pulled advertisements featuring Sharon Stone from stores across China after the actress suggested the country's earthquake was "bad karma" for Beijing's policies in Tibet.
At least 68,000 people died in the May 12 quake in southwest China, which came months after unrest in Tibet that sparked an international outcry over Beijing's handling of the predominantly Buddhist region, which Communist troops entered in 1950.
"Due to some customer reaction we have decided to pull her image from all of the department stores and from all of China," Christian Dior China said in a statement.
Questions: Does this demonstrate the endless vapidity of Hollywood stars who rule the world like the dinosaurs once did? Or Sharon Stone's firm grasp of karmic understanding? The power of the market responding to new signals by punishing those who disappoint or dismay consumers? The power of a government that oversees the people who produce a ton of luxury goods sold in the West? Do Buddhists simply get what they deserve in every situation? Why was Buddhism so popular for a while among Westerners (Zen Archery, Hesse's Siddartha, Gary Snyder, "Karma Chameleon," and all that)? Do Theravada Buddhists emit less karma than than Mahayana believers (actual mileage may vary)?
