EJO: the UN part 2 (You guys, you guys I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT).

[beccatoria]

Once upon a time, I would have been thrilled that my show was the first TV show ever to get invited to the UN. In retrospect, considering how faily I tought the finale was particularly on issues such as race, gender, religion, colonialism, etc., it wasn't quite as awesome for me as I wanted it to be (read: faintly embarassing) but I know that's both my opinion and hey, the UN couldn't have known that at the time?

So then EJO says things like, "There's only one race! The human race!" and some UN person - I apologise I can't remember the exact words, basically says something diplomatic along the lines of, "Yes, and that's a lovely thought but it's not useful to dismiss people's very real experiences of racism," to which EJO replied, profoundly, "When a bug doesn't like you, that's racism." TO THE UN, PEOPLE. TO THE UNITED. NATIONS.

Which was - UNTIL TODAY - my all-time all-encompassing symbol for everything I found off-putting about the guy's public persona.

YOU GUYS. EJO IS CLAIMING HE - OR RATHER HIS APPEARANCE AT THE BSG UN PANEL - IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGING THE UN CHARTER.

This would not be so bad, if there were any evidence at all that it had been changed.

I do not even know what to do with this information, y'all. I just cannot process it.

I found this link through fandom grapevine; I believe it originated with greycoupon? I got it from asta77 in any event:

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6569

There's the link, though since it's written by Michael Hinman and I don't really want to increase his hits, the article is reproduced for posterity below.

"Battlestar Galactica" has been influential in the lives of millions of fans, but probably never like this.
Becoming the first television show ever invited to speak at the United Nations last March would be enough for some people. But not series star Edward James Olmos. Instead, he was out to change the very core of the United Nations itself. And he succeeded.

"The United Nations changed their charter three weeks ago after 'Battlestar' went and spoke at the UN," Olmos told G4's "Attack of the Show." "They changed the entire understanding of their charter that was written in 1947 so that they would never use the word 'race' as a cultural determinate again. There is only one race, and that is the human race."

The news of the charter change has not been made public until that announcement, Olmos said. A search for press releases over the past seven months on the United Nations Web site produced no results for "race" and "charter," and there are no other reports that such a change has been made.

"Nobody knows that the charter has been changed," Olmos said. "It's one of the hardest things that happened to me, and it would've never happened but if it weren't for 'Battlestar.' Did they invite 'The Sopranos?' Did they invite 'The West Wing?'

"'Battlestar and its writers decided to take on what was happening now. The reconciliation between the Cylon and the human being. How did that happen? How could it happen? If the Palestinian and the Jew could only see 'Battlestar,' they would understand how to reconcile."

Olmos did not explain how he was allowed to be the first to break the news, and why it seems that nothing about the charter change was made available through the United Nations. In fact, the charter that is still published on the UN's official site still uses the word "race" as part of its cultural determinant, so it's unclear why such changes have not been reflected in official documents.

The charter was not signed in 1947, but rather on June 26, 1945, and was put into full force in October of that year. Among its purposes listed for the United Nations in Article I, it continues to state that "to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction to race, sex, language, or religion."

The power to amend or modify the charter is listed in Chapter XVIII has to take place after approval by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly as well as by a vote of nine members of the Security Council. Any alterations would have to be ratified by two-thirds of the members, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.

It is not clear if such a move was made, and if so, how such a massive undertaking was not previously reported in the media.

An attempt late Monday to reach the United Nations by e-mail is pending return, as is a message to G4 asking if they had verified the statement made by Olmos during the interview.

In the meantime, see Olmos' entire interview with "Attack of the Show" below.

So there you have it folks. Palestinians and Jews just haven't watched enough Battlestar Galactica.

I just. Text is inadequate to conveying the level of WTFery this engenders in me. There are no words, people. No. Words.

Comments

[frolicndetour.livejournal.com]

If the Palestinian and the Jew could only see 'Battlestar,' they would understand how to reconcile."

NO HE DIDN'T. NO HE DID NOT. YOU'RE LYING TO ME!

... Words fail me. I read your comment about "if a bug doesn't like you, it's racism" in asta77's journal, but I thought it was some inside joke between the two of you. THAT HAPPENED?!

*dies of embarrassment*

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

... whu? buh? duh? whu?

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

AH HA HA HA HAH HAHA HAAHA asdkjflsilwlgm **collapses in fits**

Oh god (or should I say Oh EJO?), we were chuckling over that "article" earlier today but I missed the delightful bit about the Palestinians and the Jews. *wipes tears from eyes* Beautiful. Just beautiful.

So...I wonder if his script for The Further Adventures of Bill Adama includes Bill time traveling to the future like some sort of political Superman who can leap buildings in a single bound and change government charters with a snap of his fingers?

SO SAY WE ALL, FOLKS, SO SAY WE ALL. *starts the slow clap*

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

I...really have NO WORDS!!!

Was he always this crazy?!?!? I mean, that is a seriously profound level of delusion right there.

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

Step slowly away from the crazy man. O_o

[chaila.livejournal.com]

If the Palestinian and the Jew could only see 'Battlestar,' they would understand how to reconcile."

THAT IS A JOKE, THAT HAS TO BE A JOKE, PLEASE TELL ME THAT IS A JOKE. (And in some seriousness, despite the overblown, mockable, UNFATHOMABLE pomposity here, what exactly is it that anyone would learn about any of this from BSG? All bitterness aside, I don't understand what BSG even arguably said about reconciliation that was so profound. I didn't realize that they thought their boring clean slate was actually a practical solution. OMG why has no one thought of that before?!? Or is it that Israel and the Palestinians should unite in their focus on blowing up Cavil Iran? Or maybe that if their leaders only had cleaner teeth, it would have all have worked itself out by now?)

"Nobody knows that the charter has been changed," Olmos said. "It's one of the hardest things that happened to me, and it would've never happened but if it weren't for 'Battlestar.' Did they invite 'The Sopranos?' Did they invite 'The West Wing?'

I LOVE THIS PART TOO. Changing the UN charter was hard FOR HIM. (Have a nap?) Followed by digs at shows that WERE BETTER THAN HIS. Tell the UN, buddy. I'm sure that Hollywood actors who don't get the recogition they deserve are high up on their list, what with racism eradicated and all. All we have to do is kill all the bugs! Good thing we have actors to transform all of international relations. Whew.

That whole interview is a mockery of...anything that can be made a mockery of.

Oh my god.

ETA: EJO IS BILLY JOEL! Ahahahaha.

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

TWAS ME, YES.

He also said they spoke to the General Assembly.

Not correct.

"The guy, head of the UN..." who used the word race... No, they didn't meet with Ban Ki-moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Secretary-General)

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

This would not be so bad, if there were any evidence at all that it had been changed.
Wait, WHAT?

I'll be honest, I heard this through my flist yesterday without reading the article, and I was like "Oh really? That's so sweet! Tiny and symbolic, but you know, if the message of the show can actually affect how people feel about the world that's beautiful."

BUT WTF, THAT ARTICLE. I really hate that he's gonna be at Dragon Con again this year. :(

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

So yes, I, like you, thought, "SURELY THIS IS A JOKE!!! THIS CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!! Perhaps there is some level of satire or mockery in the interview that is not coming through in print, or perhaps the author of the article is picking and choosing in a way that misrepresents. SURELY, RIGHT???"

Uh, no. As far as I can tell from that, the original interview, EJO is absolutely serious. And absolutely fucking delusional. Because the UN announces a radical change to its charter via an actor at ComicCon being interviewed on Attack of the Show.

Has he always been this crazy???

[asta77.livejournal.com]

, I don't understand what BSG even arguably said about reconciliation that was so profound.

We have to start making babies? With robots?

Changing the UN charter was hard FOR HIM.

And I just thought it was ALL ABOUT BILL ADAMA. I have to rethink my bitterness now!

It's so nice that because Eddie never got the Emmy he felt he deserved, the UN decided to change their charter. Accept there is no evidence they actually did. And it would seem odd that the United Nations would choose Comic Con and G4, the geek network, to make the big announcement. Or is this a sign that the geeks are, in fact, taking over the world?

EJO: He didn't start the fire...or did he?

[asta77.livejournal.com]

I was looking at likely having a lot of panel conflicts at DC this year; Eddie is making it so much easier for me to skip BSG panels now.

[asta77.livejournal.com]

Has he always been this crazy???

I asked the same question last night!

You were brave enough to watch the video footage? I think I may need a drink before I can work myself up to that.

[heyiya.livejournal.com]

Wait, what? I've been reading/teaching about the Chicano movement this week and (much to my shame as I keep remembering when I described him as white in a blog entry), EJO is all over every film connected to it. Surely he knows the difference between acknowledging inequality and perpetuating racial determinism... SURELY THIS MUST BE A JOKE???

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHA! Yes, I am mortally embarrassed for him! Do you think he was actually drinking Scotch in all those drunk Adama scenes and maybe is now having some sort of alcoholic hallucinations or something? Or possibly a psychotic break. It is the ONLY POSSIBLE explanation for his inanity :P

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

Working on a transcript.

[emmiere.livejournal.com]

You're braver than me AND awesome.

[frolicndetour.livejournal.com]

Do you think he was actually drinking Scotch in all those drunk Adama scenes and maybe is now having some sort of alcoholic hallucinations or something?

Not unlikely given his insistence on going method. :D

Oh my god. Before I would have said I thought he overacted a lot, and yeah, all the So Say We ALL chants he insisted on leading at panels and even in the autograph line were a bit much, but this is beyond. I had no idea he was this delusional.

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

Here. I made a transcript. http://greycoupon.livejournal.com/390057.html

I'm a little mad. Obviously, I should go call my coworkers in Israel and tell them all problems will be solves and there will be peace if only they air drop BSG DVDs and host some public screenings.

[chaila.livejournal.com]

Oh my god. I saw the transcript. I should not have done that. Apart from the INCREDIBLE EGO, which I cannot give him a pass on (the Israeli/Palestinians comment is just beyond words), I almost want to give him the benefit of the doubt somehow on the actual underlying facts. The ego is enough to make me supremely annoyed but he simply cannot be this delusional, can he? He's just...mistaken, maybe? Exaggerating the details? It's not the UN charter but some random other document or something? Or someone told him they'd think about it? Maybe he just doesn't understand what actually happened or what someone told him or...something. It's okay, Eddie, the UN is confusing! But, um, it doesn't work by actor decree.

I mean, he has to be a certain level of crazy to exaggerate it to this level if there's any grain of truth in this steaming pile of delusion, but it's a whole other level of crazy (like, I'm worried about him!) if there's absolutely no imaginable basis for what he's saying...

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

Yep.

http://tvblog.ugo.com/tv/edward-james-olmos-on-the-future-of-bsg-and-the-united-nations

And finally how Admiral Adama and BSG influenced the United Nations!

"Remember when I got into my emotional, passionate tirade about race at the Battlestar/U.N. event and everyone was like "oh my god, calm down, Eddie!" and I was so angry and I was sitting next to one of the great humanitarians on the planet at the present time (Craig Mokhiber, Deputy Director of the New York Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights). Every day his job is to try and unite and reconcile differences between cultures on the planet right now. This guy is not like the Secretary of Defense, he's trying to bring unity to the whole planet, that's his job! And I'm sitting there going, "Why did you use race as a cultural determinant?" and he said it's actually in our charter. And I turned to him and said you should change it. Everyone's laughing and cheering and then at the end I said "so say we all!" and everyone said "so say we all all!"

"Well. three weeks ago he told me that the charter of the United Nations has been changed and that the word race will never be used as a cultural determinant again. Race is a unifying word from now until the end of the planet and nobody knows about it, no one knows this happened! Nobody really realizes what Battlestar did! It got us into the door U.N. and guess what it, made us unite the planet earth as one race! That's incredible!

Editors note:
I reached out per Eddie's suggestion, I reached out to Mr. Mokhiber to confirm the change, what follows is his response:

"To be precise, its is not the "UN Charter" that is involved here, but it is the outcome of a major global UN summit on racism that (known as "The Durban Review Conference"), in its preamble, concluded that "so-called distinct human races" do not exist, and rejected any theories that try to establish their existence (along with any doctrine of racial superiority based on them)."

"The full text of that provision is here:

"6. Reaffirms that all peoples and individuals constitute one human family, rich in diversity, and that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights; and strongly rejects any doctrine of racial superiority along with theories which attempt to determine the existence of so-called distinct human races."

To read the full document, go here

Eddie Olmos has long criticized the use of "race" as a cultural determinant, in part because of his conviction that such concepts have no basis in fact or science. During his visit to the UN for the Battlestar event, he made a passionate case for this. I agree with him, as do many in the international human rights movement, and, as you can see, this recent UN summit did too. (Of course, alas, "racism", is still very real indeed)."

[chaila.livejournal.com]

Ahh mystery solved! With EJO's sanity sort of intact, his understanding of the UN obliterated, but with him clearly in imminent danger of being crushed by his enormous ego. I applaud the sentiment, but the fact that he implies that he, personally, "made us unite the planet earth as one race" is just...absurd. And kind of dismissive of the people who spend their lives working on and talking about these issues, only to have the final product chalked up to a TV show that seems to believe that wishing makes it so. I don't know...yay passionate belief, and maybe he did have the kind of influence he says, but it doesn't sound like it.

(Although, now I understand the "when a bug doesn't like you" comment and it's still as inane as it was before. Yes, I am that slow.)

Anyway, thanks for digging that up!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WISH I WERE LYING.

And how much I didn't have to admit that he ACTUALLY TOLD THE UN that racism was when humans were disliked by insects...

I mean, okay, thanks to greycoupon we now have the story slightly straighter, but OMFG a) he's still WRONG and b) OMFG there is NO EXCUSE for that comment about the situation re: Israel and Palestine. I just.

*dies with you*

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

More information has now come to light (see greycoupon's comment below) which indicates that he is a victim of massively blowing this out of proportion rather than inventing it wholesale, but...for fuck's sake, those comments about Israel and Palestine? NOTHING CAN MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE.

*cries*

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I seriously don't know whether I want to laugh or cry, you know? It's so ABSURD and yet so...ABSURD.

So...I wonder if his script for The Further Adventures of Bill Adama includes Bill time traveling to the future like some sort of political Superman who can leap buildings in a single bound and change government charters with a snap of his fingers?

Clearly he wrote four tablets, two for Moses and two for the United Nations!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I KNOW.

I JUST.

I CANNOT TYPE THINGS THAT ADEQUATELY EXPRESS MY PROFOUND CONFUSION AT THIS EVENT.

greycoupon's sleuthing skills (below) have yielded a little more information, but frankly, I'm not sure that claiming credit for the a group decision at a global summit and the incorrectly understanding what that decision was even in relation to (i.e. NOT THE CHARTER) is all that much better? o_O