Mon:12-05-2008

- Kim Kardashian Browns Off Burma

The Best Intentions, With The Worst Realisation

Kim Kardashian has more in common with Spiderman than people think. Namely, she has recently learned the meaning of the motto "with great power comes great responsibility", after a disastrous attempt to bring focus to Burma/ Myanmar's longstanding political and natural woes.

So what was the issue? The bum-lovely reality TV star recently took the initiative to film a public service announcement to raise awareness about Burma with her sister Khloe. Unfortunately the video, while serious in content, appears to make light of the situation. Upbeat sitcom music plays in the background while the sisters talk about the situation:

Kim: What's this benefit again for? Burping?

Khloe: Not burping. Burma.

Kim: I was kidding. I wrote my whole thesis on Burma. It's a terrible situation over there.

Khloe: What's a thesis?

To Kim's credit, she removed the video after criticism from her fans.  And they were so icy as to be less fans, more frigid air conditioners. One said "I can't believe you made a video clip like that about a serious situation. You such a self-consumed tramp, you seriously have no class or brains. EVERYTHING you do is a joke, including this video awareness clip."

In response, Kim wrote on her website:

"This is a still image of a PSA we filmed weeks before a cyclone tragically thwarted Myanmar. The military has been oppressing the people of Burma for a long time, and it is an eerie coincidence that we're just now seeing the effects on a catastrophic scale. I will post the video again soon. I had to take it down because it was not yet ready to air. Sorry, it was premature for me to post it in the first place!"

While it is admirable that Kim tried to use her celebpowers to help raise some awareness of the tragic plight of the Burmese, it helps to have a little bit of brain about the right way to motivate people. Unfortunately Kim's appeal has all been in the butt to date, so perhaps this slip up comes as no surprise.   

By Stephen Mai

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