She has been named to several Best-Dressed lists, but this time actress Cameron Diaz has committed a major fashion faux pas (at least in the eyes of Peruvians). The actress was recently photographed carrying an olive green messenger bag emblazoned with a red star and the words “Serve the People” printed in Chinese on the flap while she was touring landmarks in Peru.
For those of you who aren’t well versed in Peruvian history the saying printed on the actress’s bag was perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao’s most famous political slogan. And it was the Peruvians who suffered decades of violence (think massacres, assassinations and bombings, which killed nearly 70,000 people) from a Maoist guerrilla insurgency. So it goes without saying that Diaz’s bag offended many of the locals.
I suppose Diaz (or at least one of her handlers) should have brushed up on Peruvian history before sporting the bag during her trip to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. I’m sure the actress was just trying to be trendy (the bags are marketed as trendy fashion accessories in some world capitals), but according to prominent Peruvian human rights activists, “she should have been a little more aware of local sensitivities when picking her accessories.”
In other totally blonde inspired fashion news, anti-fur campaigner Pam Anderson has struck again. According to international news reports, upon arriving in Helsinki to host a music festival the former “Baywatch” star immediately penned a letter to Finnish President Tarja Halonen telling the leader that her nation should emulate other countries and ban fur farms.
“Free the Finnish fur foxes,” Anderson reportedly wrote in her letter. The actress and occasional PETA spokesperson also wrote: “It’s time for Finland to move into the 21st century and follow suit.”
Nice try says Finland’s fur auctioneers who added that Anderson’s appeal was unrealistic. After all, Finland is considered one of Europe’s top fur producers. Currently it is home to 1,400 farms that produce about two million fox furs annually. What’s more, the industry employs 10,000 people.
Anderson, whose great-grandfather was Finnish, says that banning fur is “very important.” I think the people whose livelihoods depend on the fur trade believe their jobs are just as “important.”