Rodman in North Korea

I saw the headlines about Dennis Rodman in North Korea but couldn't be bothered to read more — until I caught the astonishing footage of Rodman lionizing not only current strongman Kim Jong-un, but his father and grandfather, too. I hate linking to videos; fortunately, I don't have to in this case. According to the account in the Washington Post:

At Pyongyang’s Sunan airport on his way to Beijing, Rodman said it was “amazing” that the North Koreans were “so honest.” He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder, “were great leaders.”

“He’s proud, his country likes him — not like him, love him, love him,” Rodman said of Kim Jong Un. “Guess what, I love him. The guy’s really awesome.”

I don't know anything about Rodman except that he wore a dress in public on at least one occasion. I have no special beef with cross-dressers, or for that matter with publicity hounds as such; which one Rodman is, I couldn't say and don't care. I do object to morons, though, and with his grotesquely effusive praise for the Kim clan Rodman has shown himself to be one of the biggest morons on the planet.

What the hell was going through his insufficiently embrained skull? By embracing one of the world's least respectable regimes, was he cynically counting on our collective outrage to keep the buzz about him going for longer than it otherwise would — in other words, was his outrageous behavior a publicity stunt? Was he — is he — could he be — could anyone be — so abysmally ill-informed not to know just how deservedly reviled North Korea's leadership is?

Is he prepared to lavish praise on anybody who wines and dines him well enough, whatever the other person's character and behavior outside his presence? Is he, in other words, just an easy lay?

Or is he going to return to the U.S. and shout, "Psych!!! Fooled you all, didn't I?"

I'm not counting on his being that great an actor. Even if he is, he'll have to have one hell of an excuse for giving North Korea such uplifiting visuals over the last couple of days.

I have gotten the impression that his stop in North Korea was part of a promotional junket for some TV project. Assuming Rodman wasn't pulling a Jedi mind trick on us all (Kim Jong-un included), let's do ourselves and the world a favor by ignoring the show and Rodman. Let his show tank as no show has ever tanked before. Let Rodman become a pariah in the entertainment business. Hell, let him become a pariah, period. The sooner he disappears from public view, the better for everyone.