NEWS: Dalai Lama - Cutesy-Pie?

CULTURE: Dalai Lama - Cutesy-Pie?

It seems Che Guevara may have some competition in the likeness-on-merchandise stakes.

MDN reports that the Dalai has become increasingly popular with young Japanese women, who are rushing to purchase posters and t-shirts with the Dalai's image on them.

One such fan explains:

It's not all superficial, though. His lectures have been selling out, and he's even got a website (under construction at the time of writing) which offers advice to anyone who cares to write in.

Still, one Japanese reporter thinks his core message might not be getting through:

It's the cheeks. Also the whole Lama thing going for him.

The Dalai Lama is one of my personal heroes. No lie. I greatly admire the man.

And he is pretty cute in a friendly, happy grandfatherly kind of way.

Hmm, I wonder what kind of reaction he'll have to this? I mean, Nelson Mandela is fighting a similiar campaign, I believe.

i want a shirt with his face on it!

I love his books. Highly recomend ethics for a new millenium

He is a cutie.

I think I'd want a Dalai Lama bobble-head for my car that does that little chuckle of his everytime I go over a speed bump..

He'll be speaking here in madison before the fall at the new temple.

The president of the frat I live it and a good friend of mine from high school was held by the dalai lama at a book signing when he was an infant.

The fact that he is the single strangest human being I've ever known may have something to do with it somehow.

I went to one of the Dalai Lama's speeches. An impressive man with a lot of insight.

And that chuckle of his... he's really funny too it seems. But you'd have to be in his position I think.

As for throwing his image into the consumerist fray -- well I think it kinda works against the sorts of things Bhuddism stands for.

On the otherhand though, it does show that people still think of him and stuff, even if only in a very shallow way.