"Vulgar" Richard Gere -- India's Most Wanted

76. I wasn't condemning anyone, I was stating facts. If you take offense then I am sorry. The facts are, that they do NOT have good hygiene. They crap in a hole in the floor, then they hold and use a communal water hose that god only knows has touched what, to rinse off with. Then the use the same water hose to rinse the hole in floor with. You couldn't pay me to visit their nasty country. Dodging the rats would be bad enough.

Posted at 4:01PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Son of California Dreamer rides again...

77. It's really not a difficult concept to understand. If it's not accepted in the country you are the guest of, you DON'T DO IT unless you want to face the consquences, as is happening here. The thing that is most ridiculous is that the woman is being held to account. She had no desire for it and no control over him grabbing and kissing her. Other countries don't care what YOUR culture is. They care that when you are THEIR GUEST, you behave in the way they expect you to behave, like when in Rome, do as the Romans.

Posted at 4:04PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Cat

78. Dear Educate Yourselfs:

You want to seem so bright and yet...don't you know that the correct plural version of yourself is yourselVES? Please fix it so you don't seem so silly trying to knock everyone else around!

Posted at 4:23PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Bwahahahahahaha

79. Re: 78.
Perhaps one reason many Americans (myself included) are fascinated by this to the point of finding it ridiculous is that it wouldn't occur to some of us that a kiss on the cheek is offense let alone "highly sexually erotic" so we wouldn't know not to do it in the first place. Since Richard Gere apparently visits India often and supports many charitable causes throughout that nation, perhaps he should have known better. I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. But from my perspective and in my honest opinion, his kiss on the cheek to Ms. Shetty is not offensive. And further, truthfully, in this American's opinion, the reaction of some in India does seem pretty ridiculous. Yes, it's laughable that they would burn a likeness of Gere in effigy for a kiss on the cheek. How can you NOT laugh about it? I can certainly be politically correct in public ... blah blah blah "let's respect their culture" blah blah blah... but in private I can laugh and laugh and laugh. What great medicine! Thanks India! And so I guess they won't have the benefit of Gere's charitable donations anymore. Can you say "shoot yourself in the foot?" Doh!

Posted at 4:37PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Lucy

80. Seth G, I really liked your comment. You made a really good point about Americans not really being "free". Back off on the couch insults though, I think you'd be surprised at how open minded so many Americans really are.

Posted at 4:45PM on Apr 26th 2007 by I heart USA

81. A lot of comments here that I saw said "yeah he should have known better," (even if it felt like an overreaction from *our* standpoint, and many folks are speaking from their *own* viewpoint) but i'm not sure comparing a kiss on the cheek (inappropriate, yeah, at that time and place, it was... but highly sexually erotic? uh, okay...) to orgies in the streets is a good comparison, SethG.

Posted at 5:05PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Valerie

82. Indychart


He should have known better, but they are being unreasonable. Gere, don't go back to India and help them with their fundraisers. Wish the foreigners that come here would respect our culture instead of feeling like we should cater to them.

Posted at 5:10PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Della

83. Valerie,

Streets-thing is a comparison to "FREEDOM-LOVING" people and not kiss-on-the-cheek stuff.

Chill out!

Posted at 3:30AM on Aug 1st 2007 by SethG

84. #82, Lucy

Yes, to us AMERICANS this is ridiculous, laugh all you must, it's your right, but OBVIOUSLY Indians were offended. If you are traveling abroad "frequently" and you do not check these things out, it's to your peril. He has a warrant out for his arrest and he has also gotten this young woman in trouble right along with him. In America we are free and almost anything goes, but it's not so around the rest of the world, OBVIOUSLY or we wouldn't be talking about this. You are definitely talking to the wrong person about political correctness because I hate it and that's the LAST thing I'm promoting. I'm saying think before you act and especially think before you do something so stupid as this was. Richard Gere can do whatever he likes with his money. Who CARES about that? I suppose he's the only one who supports charity in India, right?

Posted at 5:17PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Cat

85. re: comment 76,

its one billion and not million

Posted at 3:30AM on Aug 1st 2007 by SethG

86. Send him to the clink for the 3 months, and have him stop doing all charity work for that way to conservitive country.

Posted at 6:00PM on Apr 26th 2007 by wtf

87. I saw the video on CNN a few minutes ago, the entire segment, and I think Gere was out of line with his amorous behavior. Whether she was Indian and it was her culture to avoid public display of kisses (or whatever), he took her by surprise and if it had been me (and of course Gere would never do that to ME!), he should have thought to keep it at a peck instead of all the smooches and bending over etc. At least ASK FIRST! Then she would explain what he probably already knows.

Posted at 6:04PM on Apr 26th 2007 by Lilarose

88. AMEN, #93!!! You go CAT!! Absolutely correct.

Posted at 6:34PM on Apr 26th 2007 by MEow

89. There it goes again changing numbers on me. AMEN #92 this time. You go CAT, absolutely correct.

Posted at 6:37PM on Apr 26th 2007 by MEow

90. Besides what was that old fart doing kissing that beautiful YOUNG woman, just because he's got money? PALEASEEE!!!! Gross.

Posted at 6:45PM on Apr 26th 2007 by MEow