Cameron Diaz and Chairman Mao

Another Hollywooder thinks Chairman Mao is cool- this time showing her Mao bag in Peru, home of Shining Path. Press Association Ltd has the story:

Cameron's bag raises a few eyebrows

Jun 23 04:33 AM US/Eastern

Actress Cameron Diaz appears to...have inadvertently offended Peruvians...by touring there on Friday with a bag emblazoned with one of Mao Zedong's favourite political slogans.

While she explored the Inca city of Machu Picchu..., Diaz wore over her shoulder an olive green messenger bag emblazoned with a red star and the words 'Serve the People' printed in Chinese on the flap, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao's most famous political slogan.

While the bags are marketed as trendy fashion accessories in some world capitals, the phrase has particular resonance in Peru.

The Maoist Shining Path insurgency took Peru to the edge of chaos...with a campaign of massacres, assassinations and bombings.

Nearly 70,000 people were killed during the insurgency.

A prominent Peruvian human rights activist said the star...should have been a little more aware of local sensitivities when picking her accessories.

"It alludes to a concept that did so much damage to Peru, that brought about so many victims," said Pablo Rojas about the bag's slogan.

"I don't think she should have used that bag where the followers of that ideology" did so much damage.
© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2007, All Rights Reserved.

I wonder if Cameron Diaz would walk around with a bag which says "Arbeit macht frie."

Fashion accessories.