Che Guevara in popular culture

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Che Guevara in popular culture.
Che Guevara in popular culture.

Appearances of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (1928 – 1967) in popular culture are common throughout the world. Although during his lifetime he was a highly politicized and controversial figure, in death his stylized image has been transformed into a worldwide emblem for an array of causes, representing a complex mesh of sometimes conflicting narratives. His image has achieved an almost cult-like status and is viewed as everything from an inspirational icon of revolution, to a hipster logo of "radical" chic. Most commonly he is represented by a facial caricature based on Alberto Korda’s famous 1960 photograph entitled Guerrillero Heroico. The drastic simulacra abbreviation of the photographic portrait allowed for easy reproduction and instant recognizability across various uses.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Che has also undergone continual apotheosis while being weaved throughout the public consciousness in a variety of ways. From being viewed as a “Saintly Christ-like” figure by the rural poor in Bolivia where he was executed, to being viewed as an idealistic insignia for youth, longing for a vague sense of rebellion. His likeness can also be seen on millions of t-shirts, posters, hats, key chains, mouse pads, bikinis, and personal tattoos. Meanwhile his life story can be found in an array of films, documentaries, plays, and songs of tribute. Throughout television, music, books, magazines, and ironically even corporate advertisements; Che’s visage is an ever present political and apolitical emblem which has been endlessly mutated, transformed, and morphed over the last forty years of visual pop culture. His face has evolved into many manifestations and represents a Rashomon effect to those who observe its use. To some it is a generic high street visual emblem of global marketing, while to others it represents a vague notion of dissent, civil disobedience, or political awareness. Conversely, to those ideologically opposed to Che Guevara’s belief in World revolution, or to those that resent his veneration because of his violent actions; his propagation represents shallow ignorant kitsch, idolatry worthy of spoof makeovers, parody, or even ridicule. What is indisputable however, is that Che has become a widely disseminated counter-cultural symbol, that sometimes operates independent of the man himself. Hannah Charlton of the The Sunday Times, made note of this practice, by postulating that "T-shirt wearers might wear Che's face as an easy replacement for real activism or as a surrogate for it."[1]

[edit] Genesis

“ Pop’s depersonalization and standardization simplified Che’s image and helped align him with the masses, at the same time certifying his image as everyman. Pop’s aesthetic pushed towards absolutely unambiguous and uninflected meaning and repeatability. Warholian Pop deals with outlines and surfaces rather than full chiaroscuro. This reduction of the real world provided the perfect vehicle for distancing the image from the complexities and ambiguities of actual life and the reduction of the political into stereotype. Che lives in these images as an ideal abstraction. ”
 
— Jonathan Green, UCR Museum of Photography director [2]

Walk through any major metropolis around the globe and it is likely that you will come across an image of Che Guevara, most commonly a stylized version of Korda's iconic Guerrillero Heroico. An archetype, capable of endless visual regeneration, which depending on your opinion, either helps tell the story of visual literacy or kitsch banality. According to Hannah Charlton, editor of Che Guevara: Revolutionary and Icon, "By the 1990’s the global market saw the emergence of what Naomi Klein has called a “market marsala" – a bilingual mix of North and South, some Latin, some R&B, all couched in global party politics."[3] By embodying corporate identities that appear radically individualistic and perpetually new, the brands attempt to inoculate themselves against accusations that they are selling sameness. The next stage is to present consumption as a code, where mega brands, supposedly reflecting the “indie” values of their purchasing audience, can do so with a knowing irony that of course the buyer can remain seemingly untouched by the corporate values underpinning the transaction.[4]

Enter Che: the 60's symbol of student revolution, the all-pervasive ascetic gaze used to add allure and mystique to a product, because either a sophisticated audience is savvy enough to distinguish between revolution and commerce while enjoying the irony, or oblivious of who the actual person is or what he represents. This began the metamorphosis from Che the martyred resistance fighter beloved by many, and Che the violent Marxist revolutionary dispised by others, to his dual paradoxical position in the global corporate capitalist culture. The commodification of the image has been ongoing since his death, and since the late 1990's has seen a resurgence. Hannah Charlton goes on to hypothesize that "Appropriating the aura of Che for brand building, has now given rise to a new resurgence of "Che-ness" that transcends branding in its global appeal. In the shifting complexities of intercultural values, in the search for universal images that can speak across borders and boundaries, today’s global image of Che is the most successful."[5] The Che face, more than any other icon according to Charlton, can keep accruing new application without relinquishing its essence – a generic and positive version of anti-status quo and liberation from any oppressive force, and a general, romantic, non-specific fantasy about change and revolution.[6]

“ His image has been appropriated for political, economic, and even spiritual purposes. He is the symbol of communist destiny, and yet also beloved of anticommunist rebels; his face is used to sell beer and skis, yet an English church group recently issued posters of Jesus Christ himself recast as Che. The affluent youth of Europe and North America have resurrected Che as an easy emblem of meaningless and unthreatening rebellion, a queer blending of educated violence and disheveled nobility, like Gandhi with a gun or John Lennon singing 'Give Peace a Chance.' ”
 
— Patrick Symmes, Author of Chasing Che: A Motorcycle Journey in Search of the Guevara Legend [7]

[edit] In religion

Memorial site in La Higuera, Bolivia - where Che was executed.
Memorial site in La Higuera, Bolivia - where Che was executed.
“ The resemblance to aspects of Christ’s life on earth can be easily traced in the life of Che. Both were doctors – Christ as miracle healer, Che as the trained physician, and were active as such, even or especially so when they were fighting, doctoring when others were resting or escaping. Both men were particularly concerned with leprosy, the disease of the downtrodden and outcast, as The Motorcycle Diaries (books and film) have reminded us in the case of Che. Like Che, Jesus was an egalitarian, a communist in terms of owning little and sharing all, and his disciples were bidden to hold all in common. Both were strict disciplinarians, who insisted on individuals leaving families, friends and privileges behind to join them, sacrificing comforts and, if need be, their own lives. ”
 
— David Kunzle, author of Che Guevara: Icon, Myth, and Message [8]
  • His emergence as a "sacred" figure began immediately after his death. Susana Osinaga, the nurse who cleaned Guevara's corpse after his execution declared that: "He was just like a Christ, with his strong eyes, his beard, his long hair. He is very miraculous."[9]
  • His legend also was aided when the renown existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre after meeting him declared that: "“Che is not only an intellectual, he was the most complete human being of our time – our era’s most perfect man."
  • German writer, painter, and artist, Peter Weiss would also compare Che after death, to a "Christ taken down from the cross."
  • In Bolivia where he was executed, Che is now referred to as a "saint" by locals who have come to refer to him as "San Ernesto de La Higuera", whom they ask for favors. Others claim his ghost walks the area.[10]
  • Some examples of this veneration have been noted such as Melanio Moscoso, a resident of La Higuera, Bolivia, who told the Guardian: "We pray to him, we are so proud he had died here, in La Higuera, fighting for us. We feel him so close."[11]
  • This same veneration was seen in other Bolivian towns as well, as displayed by Freddy Vallejos, resident of Vallegrande, Bolivia, who told the Guardian: "We have a faith, a confidence in Che. When I go to bed and when I wake up, I first pray to God and then I pray to Che - and then, everything is all right. Che's presence here is a positive force. I feel it in my skin, I have faith that always, at all times, he has an eye on us."[12]
  • Remi Calzadilla, resident of Pucara, Bolivia, also told the Guardian: "I pray to him everyday. And he helped me; a few years ago I couldn't walk at all. Now every time I speak to Che I feel a strong force inside of me."[13]
  • It has also been noted that in Bolivia, images of Che hang next to images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, & Pope John Paul II.[14]
  • Columnist, Christopher Roper has also stated that: "In Bolivia, Che is compared to a medieval painting of John the Baptist."
  • The Observer also is quoted as pointing out how, "Today the laundry where Guevara's corpse was laid is a place of pilgrimage. On the wall above, an engraving reads: ‘None dies as long as he is remembered’."
  • "In many homes, his face competes for wall space with Jesus, the Virgin Mary and a host of Roman Catholic saints." [15]
  • Manuel Cortez, a poor La Higuera farmer who lives next door to the schoolhouse where Guevara was executed has stated: "It's like he is alive and with us, like a friend. He is kind of like a Virgin (Mary) for us. We say, `Che, help us with our work or with this planting,' and it always goes well."[16]
  • Juan Pablo Escobar also reported in 2004 in the LA Times that in Bolivia, "The peasants say that if you whisper Ernesto "Che" Guevara's name to the sky or light a candle to his memory, you will find your lost goat or cow."[17]
  • John Lee Anderson, (author of the 814 page definitive biography and national best-seller) entitled: 'Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life' - has pointed out that: "Among the hospital's nuns, the nurse who washed his body, and a number of Vallegrande women, the impression that Che Guevara bore an extraordinary resemblance to Jesus Christ quickly spread; they surreptitiously clipped off clumps of his hair and kept them for good luck."
  • Current day commentator Christopher Hitchens (once a strong admirer of Che Guevara) has also drawn the comparison by stating: "With his curly reddish beard, he looked like a cross between a faun and a Sunday-school print of Jesus."
  • The Church of England caused some controversy in 1999, when they drew comparisons of Jesus to Che Guevara on a red and black poster, bearing the slogan: "Meek. Mild. As if. Discover the real Jesus." [18] In response to the controversy Reverend Peter Owens-Jones of the Church Advertising Network (CAN) who designed the ad stated "We are not saying that Jesus was communist, but that he was revolutionary. We are exploiting the image of revolution, not the image of Che Guevara."[19]

[edit] In films

“ To play Che Guevara was an amazing character. He's a person that changed the world and really forces me to change the rules of what I am. ”
 

Movies and actors who have portrayed Che Guevara:

[edit] Other

[edit] In television

  • In the anime Eureka seveN, the character Stoner resembles Che.
  • Che Guevara himself was a guest on Face the Nation in 1964 with Tad Szulc.
  • In an episode of the animated sitcom "King of the Hill," Bobby's activist friend wears a Che Guevara t-shirt.
  • In an episode of American Dad, Stans son is sued by a communist to follow communism, after his dad ignores him. When his dad enters his room and sees communist apparel everywhere, he begins to rip them down. When he gets to a picture of che he says " you can keep this one, I think planet of the apes is a great movie"
  • Kyle wears a Che Guevara t-shirt in the South Park episode: “Die Hippie, Die”
  • Eric Burdon wears a Che Guevara shirt as host of the PBS special – “The '60s Experience.”
  • PBS held a forum entitled: ‘the Legacy of Che’ where they proclaimed that: “Che Guevara was a pop icon of mythic proportions.”

[edit] In music

“ And if there's any hope for America, it lies in a revolution, and if there's any hope for a revolution in America, it lies in getting Elvis Presley to become Che Guevara. ”
 
— Phil Ochs, the liner notes of The Broadside Tapes
  • "Cliché Guevara," A song released by Against Me! in 2003, is an obvious reference to Che.
  • "Indian Girl" by the The Rolling Stones off from Emotional Rescue has a lyric referring to Che. "Mr. Gringo, my father he ain't no Che Guevara, And he's fighting the war on the streets of Masaya"
  • In rapper Nas's album, 'Stillmatic there is a controversial track named "My Country" that pays tribute to Che Guevara and others who were destroyed by their country.
  • In singer David Bowie's 1973 song, "Panic In Detroit," the first lines are "Looked a lot like Che Guevara, drove a diesel van." Years later, another Bowie album, Lodger would feature in its inside sleeve one of the famous photographs of Guevara's corpse surrounded by his executioners.
  • In Pet Shop Boys's song "Left To My Own Devices" they mention with irony "Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat".
  • In Immortal Technique's No Me Importa off of Revolutionary Vol. 1.
  • In rapper Jay-Z's Black Album, the track "Public Service Announcement" contains the line "I'm like Che Guevara with bling on/ I'm complex."
  • In Richard Shindell's 2004 album Vuelta the track "Che Guevara t-Shirt" tells the story of an illegal immigrant imprisoned after 9/11 who may be kept in jail forever because he carries a photo of his girlfriend wearing an Che Guevara t-shirt.
  • The Ruta del Ché trilogy by Spanish punk band Boikot.
  • American rock band Chagall Guevara, took their name from artist Marc Chagall and Che Guevara, to imply the meaning "revolutionary art."
  • In two songs by Francesco Guccini: "Stagioni" (2000) and "Canzone per il Che" (2004)
  • In the song "Cohiba" by Daniele Silvestri
  • In Bandabardò's song "Tre Passi Avanti"

[edit] Songs in tribute

“ We've considered Che a fifth band member for a long time now, for the simple reason that he exemplifies the integrity and revolutionary ideals to which we aspire. ”
 
  • Afro Cubanos All Stars ~ "Hasta Siempre Comandante" mp3
  • Ali Primera ~ "Comandante Amigo" listen
  • Biermann & Black ~ "Hasta Siempre Comandante Che Guevara" mp3
  • Bill Laswell ~ "Commander Guevara" mp3
  • Elena Burke ~ "Cancion del Guerrillero Heroico" mp3
  • Juan Carlos Biondini ~ "Poema al Che" listen
  • La Mona Gimenez ~ "El pueblo te ama Che Guevara" listen
  • Oktober Klub international ~ "Comandante Che Guevara" mp3
  • Quilapayun ~ "Cancion funebre para el Che Guevara" listen
  • United States of America - "Love Song For The Dead Che"
  • Victor Jara ~ "Zamba del Che" listen
  • Wolf Biermann ~ "Comandante Che Guevara" listen
“ He looked a lot like Che Guevara
Drove a diesel van
Kept his gun in quiet seclusion
Such a humble man.
 ”
 

[edit] In books & magazines

  • Che Guevara was on the cover of the August 8, 1960 - Time Magazine.
  • Time Magazine named Che one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th Century.
  • Laura Berquist, conducted 2 personal interviews with Che Guevara for look magazine in 1960 and 1963.
  • In the novel "King Dork" by Frank Portman, there are many mentions of the main character, Tom Henderson wearing his "Che Guevara T-Shirt" while playing in his band.
  • To coincide with the 40th anniversary of his execution, "Che in Verse" reproduced 134 poems and songs from 53 countries about the enigmatic revolutionary. The book contains 19 poems by North American poets, including Allen Ginsberg, Robert Lowell, John Haines, Greg Hewett, Michael McClure and Thomas Merton. It examines how Che was celebrated or remembered from before his death to the present day, and it explores why Guevara - himself a gun-toting poet - has achieved a level of sanctification comparable to Christ.
  • In the memoir "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, the main character dressed up as Che as a child and played with her friends who played as other revolutionaries.
  • In the manga Baki the Grappler: Son of Ogre by Keisuke Itagaki, an 'alternative universe' version of Guevara exists. This Edwardo 'Che' Guevara is a former pirate of the high seas who went on to found his own sovereign nation of 'La Serna'. His appearance is nearly identical to the real Guevara as seen in the classic photograph, and he is one of the three strongest men in the entire world, along with Biscuit Oliva and Yujiro Hanma. Much like the real-life version, this manga version of Guevara is notorious for his radical political philosophy, his anti-captitalist and more specifically anti-US stance, and his harsh discipline. It is this discipline that has made him so powerful, as he is described as 'one of the three men alive more powerful than a machine gun'. He uses a fighting style developed from the exclusive use of bare hands against all weapon types, and so is quite capable of killing someone in a single hit, defeating an opponent who has a gun to his head, or destroying several abnormally strong/skilled opponents at once.

[edit] In advertising

“ There's something about that man in the photo, the Cuban revolutionary with the serious eyes, scruffy beard and dark beret. Ernesto "Che" Guevara is adored. He is loathed. Dead for nearly 40 years, he is everywhere - as much a cultural icon as James Dean or Marilyn Monroe, perhaps even more so among a new generation of admirers who've helped turn a devout Marxist into a capitalist commodity. ”
 
— Martha Irvine, The Washington Post [22]
  • There is an "El Che Cola", who donates 50 % of their net profits to NGOs, and has the slogan: "Change your habits to change the world." (Company's website)
  • For an advertising campaign Taco bell dressed up a chihuahua like Che Guevara and had him state: "Yo quiero Taco Bell", Spanish for: "I love Taco Bell!". Chuck Bennett, Taco Bells advertising director when asked about the allusion to Che has stated: “We wanted a heroic leader to make it a massive taco revolution.”
  • Smirnoff vodka attempted to use the image of Che Guevara in an advertising campaign in 2000, but was stopped in court by photographer Alberto Korda who took the original iconic image.
  • There is a Che Café in La Jolla California where atop the menu it reads: “The Che Café is a great place to hang out with other people who envision a better world.”
  • Manchester, England features a Latin American themed bar called: "Che".
  • Converse uses the image of Che Guevara in one of their shoe ad campaigns.
  • Gustavo Villoldo, a former CIA operative, auctioned off a lock of Che Guevara's hair for $ 119,500 to Houston-area bookstore owner in October of 2007. "Che's hair sold"
  • Ben and Jerry's has a brand of ice cream called: "Cherry Guevara", whose label states: "The revolutionary struggle of the cherries was squashed as they were trapped between two layers of chocolate. May their memory live on in your mouth." As you finish the ice cream you're left with a wooden stick with the words "We will bite to the end!"
  • A French businessman has introduced a perfume & cologne - Che Perfume by Chevignon: "Dedicated to those who want to feel and smell like revolutionaries."
  • The Russian city of St. Petersburg features a Cafe Club Che (lounge, bar, & jazz club) where patrons can get their hands on a shot of Cuban rum and a fine Cuban cigar at the drop of a military beret. "Site"
  • The Russian capital of Moscow also features a Club Che, which is a vibrant Latin American-themed club staffed by Cuban waiters. "Info"
  • In Peru you can purchase packs of El Che Cigarettes (ultra lights). "picture"

[edit] In fashion

“ I know that often, especially young people buy a t-shirt with the image of Che on the front without knowing who Che was. They buy it because they know it says "rebellion", and because it is the style, not because they understand or identify with Che's vision. But there are those who will buy the t-shirt and then ask the question, "Who was Che?" ”
 
— Diana Diaz, daughter of Alberto Korda [23]
  • Actor Johnny Depp wears a pendant of Che Guevara around his neck for most public appearances, as seen on the Feb 2005, cover of Rolling Stone.
  • Supermodel Gisele Bundchen caused a stir when she donned a bikini with Che Guevara on it.
  • Rapper Jay-Z, who raps in one of his songs "I'm like Che Guevara with bling on," commonly is seen wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt.
  • Burlington Coat Factory ran a television ad called "Values" featuring a teenager in a Guevara shirt. Later they removed the ad after protest by Cuban American exiles.
  • A store called La La Ling in Los Angeles sells a Che Guevara shirt for babies — actually, a "onesie." The ad text is as follows: "Now even the smallest rebel can express himself in these awesome baby one-sies. This classic Che Guevara icon is also available on a long-sleeve tee in kids' sizes ... Long live the rebel in all of us ... there's no cooler iconic image than Che!"
  • In 2004 the New York Public Library's gift shop sold a Che Guevara watch. The ad for the watch stated: "Revolution is a permanent state with this clever watch, featuring the classic romantic image of Che Guevara, around which the word 'revolution'-revolves."
  • Shelf Life Clothing sells a Che Guevara shirt with the slogan "I have no idea who this guy is" underneath.
“ I don't want people to use my father's face unthinkingly. I don't like to see him stiched on the backside of a pair of mass-produced jeans. But look at the people who wear Che T-shirts. They tend to be those who don't conform, who want more from society, who are wondering if they can be better human beings. That, I think he would have liked. ”
 
— Aleida Guevara, daughter of Che Guevara [24]

[edit] In art

  • Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick converted Korda's picture into a high contrast bust drawing, with a slight modification to Guevara's stance and eyes. This drawing has become iconic, and is frequently seen in silkscreen and stencil art.
  • Notably, Fitzpatrick's high contrast image appears in Andy Warhol's 1962 artwork Che Guevara, a montage of brightly coloured images in Warhol's stylised screenprint.
  • The Cuban Ministry for the Interior building features a large, stylised outline of Fitzpatrick's image.
  • In 2005 an exhibition examining the Korda portrait entitled Revolution & Commerce: The Legacy of Korda’s Portrait of Che Guevara, was organized by Jonathan Green and Trisha Ziff for UCR/California Museum of Photography. This exhibition has traveled to International Center of Photography, New York; Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; with other venues planned for 2006-2008. The Victoria & Albert Museum published a catalog of the exhibition: Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon.
  • The cover of the January 1972 edition of National Lampoon magazine features a parody of the Alberto Korda's iconic photo in which Che is hit in the face with a cream pie.
  • Manhattans International Center of Photography held a 2006 exhibit entitled: “Che ! Revolution and Commerce.”
  • Former Heavy Weight Boxing champion Mike Tyson who has a tattoo of Che Guevara on his rib, in 2003 described Che as "An incredible individual. He had so much, but sacrificed it all for the benefit of other people." [25]
  • A parody of the famous Che Guevara poster was used on the cover of the March 2008 edition of MAD Magazine, with Alfred E. Neuman's head replacing Guevara's.

[edit] In theater

[edit] Musicals/plays

  • Che Guevara, Written by Zhang Guangtian, Productions: 2007 Beijing China, 2008 China Art Institute. Article
  • In the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Evita, the narrator and main protagonist is a revolutionary commonly held to be based on Che Guevara. Though never referred to by his name "Che" in the musical itself, the character is identified as "Che" in the libretto, and in the title of one song "The Waltz for Eva and Che", wherein he cynically tells the story of Eva Perón, and the two finally confront one another during the Waltz. This portrayal is entirely fictional; Che and Eva never actually met. Che's single interaction with Eva was writing a letter to her foundation, the Eva Perón Foundation, asking for a jeep. In the book The Making of Evita, director Alan Parker writes that the Broadway version of the musical is indeed narrated by the character of Che Guevara but that for the movie version of the musical the character of "Che Guevara" the historical figure is replaced by the character of "Che", an anonymous Argentine. (In Argentina, the word "Che" is similar to the word "dude". No one in Argentina is really named "Che," just as no one in the United States is named "Dude.") In The Making of Evita, Alan Parker writes that he didn't feel it was appropriate for the musical to be narrated by the character of the historical Che Guevara.
  • School of the Americas (about Che's last 2 days alive), written by José Rivera, Productions: 2007 New York , 2008 San Francisco.

[edit] Comedy

  • American comedian Margaret Cho, on the cover of her stand-up act Revolution (2003) combines her face into an obvious appropriation of Che Guevara’s famous graphic-portrait.

[edit] In games

  • His exploits during the Cuban Revolution were very loosely dramatized in the 1987 video game Guevara, released by SNK in Japan and "converted" into Guerrilla War for Western audiences, removing all references to Guevara but keeping all the visuals and a game map that clearly resembles Cuba. Original copies of the "Guevara" edition of the Japanese Famicom edition go for high amounts on the collectors' market.
  • The box art for Just Cause, (the 2006 videogame for PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2) imitates the famous photograph of Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda. The main character in the game of Rico Rodriguez is also based on CIA agent Félix Rodríguez, the agent present for Che Guevara's capture in Bolivia.

[edit] In politics

“ The guy's face is shorthand for "I'm against the status quo." He's politics' answer to James Dean, a rebel with a very specific cause. ”
 
— David Segal, The Washington Post [26]
  • Former South African President Nelson Mandela in 1991 declared that: "Che's life is an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom. We will always honor his memory."[citation needed]
  • American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, in 1984 visit at the University of Havana declared: “Long live our cry of freedom. Long Live Che !”[citation needed]
  • The website of the United States National Institute of Health describes Che Guevara as an "Argentine physician and freedom fighter."[citation needed]
  • Former Cuban President Fidel Castro (who fought alongside Che) has proclaimed that: “Che’s luminous gaze of a prophet has become a symbol for all the poor in the world.”[citation needed]
  • On October 14, 2007 - Hugo Chavez visited Cuba to lay a wreath on the monument of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in the Cuban central province of Villa Clara, in honor of the 40th anniversary of his execution.[citation needed]
  • October 9th, 2007 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that doctors working for the Venezuelan public health system will get a 60 percent pay raise in honor of Cuban revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who was a trained physician.[citation needed]
  • On October 9th, 2007 - Bolivian President Evo Morales, stated that: "The ideals and actions of Commander Ernesto Guevara are examples for those who defend equality and justice. We are humanists and followers of the example of Guevara."[citation needed]
  • Cuban school children begin every day of class with the pledge: "Seremos como el Che" = "We will be like Che."[citation needed]
  • Historian and journalist - Erik Durschmied has spoken of the significance of Che's death and pointed out that: “With the news of Che’s death, rallies were held from Mexico to Santiago, Algiers to Angola, and Cairo to Calcutta. The population of Budapest and Prague lit candles; the picture of a smiling Che appeared in London and Paris ... when a few months later, riots broker out in Berlin, Paris, and Chicago, and from there the unrest spread to the American campuses, young men and women wore Che Guevara T-shirts and carried his pictures during their protest marches.”[citation needed]
  • In February 2008, screenshots from the local Fox News station's news reports showed that Houston, Texas, volunteer staffer Maria Isabel of the Barack Obama U.S. presidential campaign had used the Che Guevara image to decorate her office. The Obama campaign responded: "We were disappointed to see this picture because it is both offensive to many Cuban Americans and Americans of all backgrounds, and because it does not reflect Senator Obama's views."

[edit] In tourism

Wall mural in Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland
Wall mural in Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland
“ With the recent and euphoric globalization, the image of Che prevails as an activist icon amongst many in the Western World. Within the indigenous Zapatistas in Chiapas, the image of Che blends in with that of Christ, Virgin Mary, truck drivers, vendettas, taggers, commercialists, popular musicians, and gangsters of Mexico and other countries. These people wear him as an accent on their clothing and stickers on their vehicles, as if the image still maintained its primitive innocence. ”
 
— Rogelio Villarreal, editor-in-chief of Replicante Magazine [27]
  • Bolivia features a 'Che Guevara Trail' which is overseen by Care Bolivia and the Bolivian Ministry of Tourism. The trail leads by road from the burgeoning Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, via the Inca site of Samaipata, onto the villages of Vallegrande and La Higuera (the 'holy grail' for Che pilgrims). The tour allows visitors to travel just as Che and his comrades did — by mule or on foot through rocky forested terrain — or in four-wheel-drive vehicles along unpaved roads. The trail visits places of historical interest including the site of Che's guerrilla camp, the school where after 11 months as a guerrilla he was captured and killed, and his former grave. Visitors also are able to meet local people who met or traveled with Che.
  • Cuba also offers a `14 day "Che Guevara Tour", (organized in collaboration with the Ernesto Che Guevara center in Havana) - which allows travelers to follow the historical footsteps of Che Guevara in his guerrilla struggle to oust Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.
  • Journey Latin America, offers a three-week escorted Motorcycle Diaries tour from Buenos Aires to Lima. The company also offers tailor-made trips to any of the locations along the Guevara-Granado route.
  • An average of about 800 international visitors each day make the trek to Che Guevara's museum, memorial, and mausoleum in Santa Clara, Cuba - (150 miles east of Havana). The site also includes an eternal flame.

[edit] Criticism

“ The cult of Ernesto Che Guevara is an episode in the moral callousness of our time. Che was a totalitarian. He achieved nothing but disaster ... The present-day cult of Che - the T-shirts, the bars, the posters — has succeeded in obscuring this dreadful reality. ”
 

Mexican author Rogelio Villareal has noted how "The famous image is not venerated by all. It has also been aged, laughed about, parodied, insulted, and distorted around the world."[29] There are those, both supporters and detractors that object to the use of Che's image in popular culture. Some of his supporters object to the commodification or diminishing of his image by its use in popular culture, viewing it in conflict to his ideology. While his detractors question the widespread use of the image of someone they see to be a murderer on an array of popular products.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 8
  2. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 81
  3. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 11
  4. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 11
  5. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 12
  6. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 12
  7. ^ Chasing Che: A Motorcycle Journey in Search of the Guevara Legend, by Patrick Symmes, Vintage, 2000.
  8. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 90
  9. ^ "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23 2007, The Observer
  10. ^ "International Commemorations Mark Thirty Year Anniversary of Ernesto "Che" Guevara's Death" October 17 1997, Volume 7 / Number 37, Latin American Institute
  11. ^ "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23 2007, The Observer
  12. ^ "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23 2007, The Observer
  13. ^ "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23 2007, The Observer
  14. ^ "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23 2007, The Observer
  15. ^ "In Bolivia, Push for Che Tourism Follows Locals' Reverence by Kevin Hall, August 17 2004, Knight-Ridder
  16. ^ "In Bolivia, Push for Che Tourism Follows Locals' Reverence by Kevin Hall, August 17 2004, Knight-Ridder
  17. ^ "On a tourist trail in Bolivia's hills, Che's fame lives on" By Hector Tobar, October 17 2004, Los Angeles Times
  18. ^ "Jesus ad campaign"
  19. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 87
  20. ^ "Che Trippers" by Lawrence Osborne, The New York Observer, June 15 2003
  21. ^ Interview With Tom Morello by Charles M. Young
  22. ^ 'Che' Guevara's Iconic Image Endures by Martha Irvine, The Washington Post, September 23 2006
  23. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 38
  24. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 122
  25. ^ Che Trippers The New York Observer, by Lawrence Osborne, June 15 2003
  26. ^ "The Che Cachet" by David Segal, Washington Post, February 7 2006
  27. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 70
  28. ^ The Cult of Che by Paul Berman, September 24 2004.
  29. ^ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 104

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