Che Guevara in popular culture

A mural of Che Guevara faces in Granada, Nicaragua.

Appearances of Argentine 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. Che Guevara's image is viewed as everything from an inspirational icon of revolution, to a retro and vintage logo. Most commonly he is represented by a facial caricature originally by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick and based on Alberto Korda's famous 1960 photograph titled Guerrillero Heroico. The evocative simulacra abbreviation of the photographic portrait allowed for easy reproduction and instant recognizability across various uses. For many around the world, Che has become a generic symbol of the underdog, the idealist, the iconoclast, or the martyr. He has become, as author Michael Casey notes in Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image, "the quintessential postmodern icon signifying anything to anyone and everything to everyone."[1]

Che Guevara's likeness has 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 posters, hats, key chains, mouse pads, hoodies, beanies, flags, berets, backpacks, bandannas, belt buckles, wallets, watches, wall clocks, Zippo lighters, pocket flasks, bikinis, personal tattoos, and most commonly T-shirts. 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 that has been endlessly mutated, transformed, and morphed over the last forty years of visual popular culture. This allows Che to operate as "both a fashionable de-politicized logo, as well as a potent anti-establishment symbol used by a wide spectrum of human rights movements and individuals affirming their own liberation."[2]

Additionally, his face has evolved into many manifestations and represents a Rashomon effect to those who observe its use. To some it is merely a generic high street visual emblem of global marketing, while to others it represents the 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. Despite the competing narratives, Che has become a widely disseminated counter-cultural symbol that sometimes even operates entirely independent of the man himself. Hannah Charlton of The Sunday Times made note of the varying uses by postulating that "T-shirt wearers might wear Che's face as an easy replacement for real activism, or as a surrogate for it."[3]

Genesis

Street graffiti of Guevara wearing a Che t-shirt in Bergen, Norway.
"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[4]

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 20th century visual literacy or kitsch banality. According to Hannah Charlton, editor of Che Guevara: Revolutionary and Icon, "By the 1990s 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."[5] 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.[5]

A 2002 political cartoon by artist Carlos Latuff, depicting Guevara wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh in modern-day solidarity.

Enter Che: the 1960s 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 he is or what he represents. This began the metamorphosis from Che the martyred resistance fighter beloved by many, and Che the violent Marxist revolutionary despised 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 1990s has seen a resurgence. UCLA art historian David Kunzle, has described the phenomenon by noting "if you go to Havana today, you will not see Che with a gun, you will see him with a rose or a dove. He's become the Gandhi of Cuba."[6]

This abiding 'renaissance' of Che's visage, is chronicled by filmmaker and Guggenheim scholar Trisha Ziff, who explores the genesis, continuing adaptation, and history of Che Guevara's famous image in the 2008 documentary "Chevolution".[7] In another documentary titled Personal Che (2007), filmmakers Adriana Marino and Douglas Duarte document the numerous ways that people around the world re-create Che in their own image.[8]

Hannah Charlton hypothesizes 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."[9] 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.[9]

"Some argue that history has transformed Che's revolutionary image into just another fashion accessory. It is tempting for those of us on the left to feel uncomfortable with his popular appeal; rather like music fans who, when their favorite underground band hits the big time, moan that they've 'gone commercial' ... I don't see it that way. If only 10 percent of the people who wear the image know what he stood for, that is still many millions. Overwhelmingly, they are also young people, with their hearts set on making the world a better place. Indeed, in my experience, many more than 10 percent have a very good idea of what he stood for ... If Che's image seems to be everywhere, that is because what he fought and died for is more fashionable than ever."
— George Galloway, British politician, New Statesman[10]

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[11]

"Does Che survive only as a t-shirt icon? The big media and many Che biographers have stressed the kitchification of Che, the former with glee, the latter with regret. Has the once fearsome revolutionary been reduced to a harmless icon? The corporate world adept at co-optation would have us think so. Rather, I would say that the 'real' Che has not died, but undergone a tactical shift."

– David Kunzle, author of Che Guevara: Icon, Myth, and Message[16]

Businesses / restaurants

A Cuban restaurant in Riga, Latvia.
"40 years after his death Che is as much a marketing tool as an international revolutionary icon. Which raises the question of what exactly does the sheer proliferation of his image – the distant gaze, the scraggly beard and the beret adorned with a star – mean in a decidedly capitalist world?"
— Marc Lacey, The New York Times[20]

In art

A large artistic Che statue in Oleiros, Spain.
"Possibly more than the Mona Lisa, more than images of Christ, more than comparable icons such as The Beatles or Monroe, Che's image has continued to hold the imagination of generation after generation."
— Hannah Charlton, The Sunday Times[28]
A well known Che Guevara street impersonator in Dublin, Ireland.

Body art

In entertainment and media

In comedy

In films

See also: Media related to Che Guevara
"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."
— Gael García Bernal, portrayed Che in The Motorcycle Diaries[47]
Benicio del Toro in the 2008 biopic Che.

Actors who have portrayed Che Guevara:

Other

"I think anyone who buys a t-shirt of Che has gotta be cool. If I see someone with a Che t-shirt, I think, 'He's got good taste'."
— Benicio del Toro, portrayed Guevara in the 2008 biopic Che[48]

In games

"Rebels and activists the world over still take inspiration from Guevara. But the image has lost something; Che's face on a poster in 1968 isn't quite the same thing as it is on a mousepad 40 years later. Perhaps it is precisely that loss – the shedding of Che's radicalism and ideological rigor – that renders him so supremely marketable today."
— Ben Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Times[56]

"In cyberspace there are hundreds of Che Web pages in every language from Italian to Norwegian."

– Newsweek magazine[57]

In literature and publications

"As the possibility of real political change recedes, people do need symbols of resistance; it makes them feel better, and Che is that par excellence. Yes, he was handsome. Yes, he died young. But I would say more important than any of those things, he was a rebel."
— Colin Robinson, managing director of Verso Books publishing house[6]

Books

Cover art from The Last Days of Che Guevara comic book

Magazines

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

"When someone asked me why I wore the Che T-shirt, I think I said something glib like, 'I consider myself a revolutionary because I'm a self-made millionaire in a racist society.' But it was really that it just felt right to me ... I also wasn't a Marxist like Che – the platinum Jesus piece made that pretty clear. Later I would read more about Guevara and discover similarities in our lives. I related to him as a kid who had asthma and played sports. I related to the power of his image, too ... Like a lot of people who stumble across the image with no context, I was still struck by its power and charisma."

– Jay-Z, November 2010[72]

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."
— Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against The Machine[79]
The Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, Cuba.

"Che Guevara is the purest part of the Cuban Revolution. He is the symbol of the ideal of the revolution; he is the symbol of innovation. We all need change, and we need hope. He is the symbol of hope. He had Irish roots, traveled around Mexico and learned to be alone, he challenged solitude. He is the brave part of the revolution."

– Nathalie Cardone,


sang modern version of Hasta Siempre[69]

"Tonada del albedrio" (Tune to Free Will)
"He looked a lot like Che Guevara
Drove a diesel van
Kept his gun in quiet seclusion
Such a humble man."
— David Bowie, Panic in Detroit

In television

In theatre

Musicals/plays

Other plays featuring a Che Guevara character include:

  • Guerrillas, by Rolf Hochhuth, production: 1970
  • Che Guevara, written by Zhang Guangtian, productions: 2007 Beijing China, 2008 China Art Institute.[85]

Opera

Oratorio

In fashion

Rauf Mammadov, the Azerbaijani chess Grandmaster, in a Che t-shirt.
"I don't want people to use my father's face unthinkingly. I don't like to see him stitched 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[87]

"People wear the image for all kinds of reasons. To some, Che is saint-like. People quote from his writings and aspire to his belief systems. To others it's a generic symbol of rebellion, anti-establishment. And for many, the image has become so diluted, it's just a hip and cool looking t-shirt. A lot of younger people don't even know who it is they are wearing across their chests. We live in a culture today where understanding symbols doesn't necessarily matter."

– Trisha Ziff,
producer of the 2008 documentary Chevolution[89]

In politics

A political cartoon on the 2011 Tunisian revolution by Carlos Latuff depicting Guevara with the Tunisian flag on his beret.

Political imagery

"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[94]
Leung Kwok-hung.

Political praise

"Despite the spectacularization of the image of Che, what remains compelling are the many instances worldwide which the photograph persists as a rallying point for political struggles. To articulate resistance, to define local rebellions, to announce solidarity with others, activist artists will undoubtedly continue to remake, reclaim and recontextualize Korda's photograph."
— Brian Wallis, International Center of Photography[104]

"What explains the Che mania? Guevara's allure seems to stem, rather, from a nostalgic longing for the pure, uncompromising ideals of the past. In a world of ferocious competition and consumerism, some element of humanity is still looking for a hero with values. In Che, they have a paradigm: a man who was absolutely honest, completely selfless, constantly perfecting his personality."

– Orlando Borrego, close friend of Che's in Cuba, 1997[57]

President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, holding a poster of Guevara. She has remarked that "Che is a man who fought unconditionally for his ideas and died for them."[117]

In religion

"Saint Ernesto" in Bolivia

"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."
— Manuel Cortez, a campesino who resides next to the schoolhouse where Guevara was executed[122]
A memorial site in La Higuera, Bolivia, where Che Guevara was executed on October 9, 1967.

Che Guevara's unlikely transformation into a "sanctified" figure began immediately after his execution. Susana Osinaga, the nurse who cleaned Guevara's corpse after his execution reminisced that locals saw an uncanny physical resemblance to the popularized artistic portrayals of Jesus. According to Osinaga, "he was just like a Christ, with his strong eyes, his beard, his long hair", adding that in her view he was "very miraculous."[123] Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, notes how among the hospital's nuns, and a number of Vallegrande women, the impression that Guevara bore an extraordinary resemblance to Jesus Christ quickly spread; leading them to surreptitiously clip off clumps of his long hair and keep them for good luck.[124] Jorge G. Castañeda, author of Compañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara, discerns that "the Christ-like image prevailed" stating "it's as if the dead Guevara looks on his killers and forgives them, and upon the world, proclaiming that he who dies for an idea is beyond suffering."[125]

Eleven days after Guevara's execution, journalist I. F. Stone (who himself had interviewed Guevara), drew the comparison by noting that "with his curly reddish beard, he looked like a cross between a faun and a Sunday-school print of Jesus."[126] That observation was followed by German artist and playwright Peter Weiss' remark that the post-mortem images of Guevara resembled a "Christ taken down from the cross."[127] Che's last moments and the connection to Christian iconography was also noted by David Kunzle, author of the book Che Guevara: Icon, Myth, and Message, who analogized the last photo of Guevara alive, with his hands bound, to an "Ecce Homo."[128]

In August 1968, French [intellectual] Régis Debray, who was captured in Bolivia while living with Che Guevara, gave a jailhouse interview where he also drew the comparison. According to Debray, Che (an atheist) "was a mystic without a transcendent belief, a saint without a God." Debray went on to tell interviewer Marlene Nadle of Ramparts Magazine that "Che was a modern Christ, but I think he suffered a much harder passion. The Christ of 2,000 years ago died face-to-face with his God. But Che knew there was no God and that after his death nothing remains."[129]

"Che's appeal is emotional. His death in Bolivia as a relatively young man created Che as secular Christ, the man who took upon himself the sins of the world and gave his life for the cause of the oppressed. His memory remains available to the oppressed; his image continues to inspire the hope of change and the virtue of rebellion, enhanced rather than diminished by his defeat. Christ, too, was defeated on earth and, again like Christ, Che's death conveys a promise of redemption through inspiration."

– Isabel Hilton, New Statesman[130]

Beginning with the 30th anniversary of Che's death, as Western reporters returned to Bolivia to report on commemorations, they began to notice that Che Guevara had been transfigured and "canonized" by the local Bolivian campesinos. No longer was he Che Guevara the guerrilla insurgent, but he was now viewed as a "Saint" by locals who had come to refer to him as "San Ernesto de La Higuera" (Saint Ernesto of La Higuera).[131] Accompanying his "Sainthood" came prayers for favors and legends of his ghost still walking the area.[131] This prompted the development of the 2006 film San Ernesto de la Higuera produced by Isabel Santos, which won best short documentary at the 5th International Film Festival of Human Rights.[132]

As the 40th anniversary of Che's execution approached in 2007, journalists returned to discover that in Bolivia, images of Che now hung next to images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, & Pope John Paul II.[123] Additionally, columnist Christopher Roper observed that "in Bolivia, Che's murdered body was now compared to John the Baptist,[123] while Reuters reported that in many homes, Che's face competed for wall space with a host of saints of the Catholic Church.[122] A new legend also became known, when the Los Angeles Times reported that some rural campesinos now believed that if you whisper Che Guevara's name to the sky or light a candle to his memory, you will find your lost goat or cow.[133]

A host of local campesinos went on record to journalists from The Guardian about this phenomenon as well. Melanio Moscoso, of La Higuera stated "we pray to him, we are so proud he had died here, in La Higuera, fighting for us. We feel him so close",[123] while Freddy Vallejos, of Vallegrande, proclaimed "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."[123] Remi Calzadilla, a resident of Pucara, claimed that praying to Che had helped him regain the ability to walk, adding that "now every time I speak to Che I feel a strong force inside of me."[123]

The laundry where Guevara's corpse was displayed to the world's press in Vallegrande is now a place of pilgrimage as well, with hundreds of personal messages transcribed and carved into the surrounding walls from admiring visitors. In large letters above the table where Che's dead body once lay, an engraving now reads "None dies as long as he is remembered."

Outside Bolivia

"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[134]

"Curse of Che"

Many of the rural campesinos in the small Bolivian town of Vallegrande, where anthropologists retrieved Che's remains in 1997, firmly believe that there exists a "curse of Che".[137] This belief exists because six of the Bolivian politicians and military officers who share responsibility for Guevara's death have since died a violent death. They were murdered, died in accidents, or in the case of Bolivian President René Barrientos were killed in a helicopter crash. In addition, General Gary Prado, who arrested Guevara, became paralyzed after a shot went off from a gun he was handling and hit his spine.[137]

In sport

"I see a direct link between Che's love of rugby and our love of rugby and his desire to see change and our desire to see change. Of course his crusade involved overturning corrupt government, changing society and fights to the death – ours is simply to prove we are worthy rugby players who deserve to be treated equally. He was an Argentinian rugby man through and through and we are proud to number him among our predecessors. I like to think he would enjoy the strides we have made."
— Agustín Pichot, captain of the Argentina national rugby union team[138]

In tourism

Guevara's childhood home in Alta Gracia, Argentina, which is now a museum.
"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[141]

Monuments and memorials

This is the only surviving tree in the world that has been planted by Che Guevara in Yahala Kele rubber estate in Moragahahena, Horana, Sri Lanka on August 8, 1959
"Guevara is everywhere. He is being reborn. And nowadays, he has won. You will see."
— Eladio Gonzalez, Che memorabilia store owner in Buenos Aires[144]

In other uses

Gael García Bernal (played Che in The Motorcycle Diaries): "How would Ernesto feel about having his face all over the world on a T-shirt?"

Alberto Granado (travel mate of Che who accompanied him): "Well, knowing him, I think he wouldn't mind, especially if it was a girl."[159]

In March 2010, an original proof of this 1960 Alberto Korda photo of Guevara fishing against Ernest Hemingway, sold at auction for £ 6,600.[160]

Criticism

There are those, both supporters and detractors that object to the mass dissemination of Che's image in popular and counter-culture. His detractors dislike the widespread pictorial dissemination of someone they deem to be a "murderer" but also delight in the contradiction and/or irony of a Marxist being utilized as a Capitalist commodity. Conversely, some Che supporters object to the commodification or diminishing of his image by its use in popular culture, and resent those entrepreneurial companies who profit from and/or exploit his legacy; viewing such marketing as an obvious conflict to Guevara's personal ideology.

Regardless of the varying sentiments, Jonathan Green director of the UCR/Museum of Photography believes that there is no escaping the influence of Che's symbolism, remarking that "we cannot get away from the context of Che Guevara, whether we like him or hate him, whether we called him a revolutionary or a butcher. The fact that he lived and died for the ideas in which he believed, penetrates constantly in the image."[173]

From an anti-Che perspective

"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."
— Paul Berman, Slate Magazine[174]

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."[175] Conservative Mark Falcoff has remarked that Guevara is "a cultural icon" not because of "his example for poor countries" but as a result of "his capacity to provoke empathy among the spoiled youth of the affluent West."[176] Historian Robert Conquest, of the Hoover Institution, has referred to such "empathy" and adulation among the young, as the "unfortunate affliction" of "adolescent revolutionary romanticism."[29] Sean O'Hagan of The Observer contends that the appeal to such empathy is one of superficiality, remarking that "if Che hadn't been born so good-looking, he wouldn't be a mythical revolutionary."[29] In the view of Ana Menéndez, author of the novel Loving Che, the fascination with Che is not with the man, but the photograph.[177] While herself acknowledging him as a "great idealist", Menéndez believes there is a "fallibility of memory", which leads many to "gloss over the fact that he was also a brutal man, the head of a firing squad in the opening days of the revolution."[177] Menéndez theorizes that such unsavory aspects are glossed over in the way one glosses over someone's flaws when in love.[177] Jazz musician Paquito D'Rivera, himself a Cuban exile who fled the island after a run-in with Guevara, has criticized the positive portrayal of Che by musicians such as Santana, by noting the strict censorship of music at the time deemed "immoral" and "imperialist" by the Cuban government.[178] In deference to such contradictions, Patrick Symmes, author of Chasing Che: A Motorcycle Journey in Search of the Guevara Legend, has hypothesized that "the more time goes by, the chicer and chicer Che gets because the less he stands for anything."[179] Barcelona museum director Ivan de la Nuez, in the 2008 documentary "Chevolution" describes the overall phenomena by observing that "Capitalism devours everything – even its worst enemies."[180]

From a pro-Che perspective

"During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. After their death, attempts are made to convert them into harmless icons, to canonize them, so to say, and to hallow their names to a certain extent for the "consolation" of the oppressed classes and with the object of duping the latter, while at the same time robbing the revolutionary theory of its substance, blunting its revolutionary edge and vulgarizing it."
— Vladimir Lenin, The State and Revolution[181]

Duke Latin American studies professor Ariel Dorfman hypothesizes that Che's been "comfortably transmogrified into a symbol of rebellion" precisely because those in power no longer believe him to be dangerous.[182] Dorfman suspects the attempt to subvert Che could backfire, positing that 3 billion people now live on less than $2 a day and thus "the powerful of the earth should take heed: deep inside that T shirt where we have tried to trap him, the eyes of Che Guevara are still burning with impatience."[182] Expressing a similar sentiment, director Jonathan Green acknowledges that "Che is turning over in his grave" because of the commercialization; in Green's view, Che's visage also has the potential to be a "Trojan horse" of capitalist marketing, by embedding itself into pop iconography. In his example, corporations in their desperate drive to sell goods, create the opportunity for observers to see the "logo" and ask "who was that guy?"[173] Trisha Ziff, curator of Che! Revolution and Commerce believes that regardless of the "postmodern" diffusion, you can't disassociate Che from "radical ideas and change", nor can one control it. In Ziff's view, despite the endless array of merchandising, the symbol of Che will continue to be worn and have resonance.[173] Critical pedagogical theorist Peter McLaren theorizes that American capitalism is responsible for the Che phenomenon, stating that "the United States has a seductive way of incorporating anything that it can't defeat and transforming that 'thing' into a weaker version of itself, much like the process of diluting the strength and efficacy of a virus through the creation of a vaccine."[183] Neo-Marxist and critical theorist Herbert Marcuse argued that in the contemporary capitalist world there is no escaping such co-optation, theorizing that we are made "one-dimensional" by capitalism's single-minded orientation toward greed and growth.[73] Author Susan Sontag spoke of the potential positive ramifications of utilizing Che as a symbol, positing:

"I don't disdain the impact of Che as a romantic image, especially among newly radicalized youth in the United States and Western Europe; if the glamour of Che's person, the heroism of his life, and the pathos of his death, are useful to young people in strengthening their disaffiliation from the life-style of American imperialism and in advancing the development of a revolutionary consciousness, so much the better."[184]

References

  1. ↑ Brand Che: Revolutionary as Marketer's Dream by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, April 20, 2009
  2. ↑ Che to Che: Sexual Politics in Chile by Carmen Oquendo-Villar, for Harvard's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
  3. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 8
  4. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 81
  5. 1 2 3 "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 11
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 30 Years After His Death, Che Guevara Has New Charisma by Doreen Carvajal, The New York Times, April 30, 1997
  7. ↑ Tribeca Review: Chevolution by Joel Keller, April 27, 2008.
  8. ↑ Official Website of Personal Che directed by Adriana Mariño & Douglas Duarte
  9. 1 2 "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 12
  10. ↑ A Very Modern Icon by George Galloway, New Statesman, June 12, 2006
  11. ↑ 'Che' Guevara's Iconic Image Endures by Martha Irvine, The Washington Post, September 23, 2006
  12. ↑ "Revolution": The New Dacia Logan MCV Commercial
  13. ↑ El Che cigarettes
  14. ↑ (Company's website)
  15. 1 2 3 Ernesto Goes to the Movies by J. Hoberman, The American Prospect, September 19, 2004
  16. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 108
  17. ↑ In various shades of Che by Peter Aspden, Financial Times, December 13, 2008
  18. ↑ The Bobblehead, LLC Releases its' [sic] Che Guevara Bobblehead Collection Press Release, November 25, 2008
  19. ↑ Army Backs Burns to Raise Cash Evening Times, December 1, 2008
  20. ↑ 40 Years After Che Guevara's Death, his Image is a Battleground by Marc Lacey, The New York Times, October 8, 2007
  21. ↑ "Info". Globosapiens.net. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  22. ↑ "Site". St Petersburg Life. October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  23. ↑ Official Website of the Ché Café Collective
  24. ↑ Café CHé Daily Mirror, October 10, 2009
  25. ↑ El Comandante Bar in Bucharest, Romania
  26. ↑ Bucharest District Struts Again by Lionel Beehner, The New York Times, August 30, 2009
  27. ↑ "Parmgana Pasto" in the Palace of Che by Tokini Peterside, September 9, 2009
  28. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 7
  29. 1 2 3 Just a Pretty Face? by Sean O'Hagan, The Observer, July 11, 2004
  30. ↑ Art in Review by Holland Cotter, The New York Times, May 24, 1996
  31. ↑ The Art of Evolution: 'Unbroken Ties' Explores a Cuban Identity that endures despite Politics and Exile April 28, 2008
  32. ↑ Che Guevara: The Instigator by Trek Thunder Kelly
  33. ↑ Inventaire 10 (Che Guevara) assemblage work by Bernard Pras
  34. ↑ Photographic Free-for-all Finally gets some Respect by Murray Whyte, The Toronto Star, April 30, 2009
  35. ↑ 6 Che Paintings by Luca Del Baldo: Che Guevara and Stephen Hawking, Che Guevara Study for a Portrait, Che Guevara's Head, Che Guevara Portrait VI, Che Guevara Study for a Portrait 2, Study for a Portrait 3
  36. ↑ September 17, 2007 Press Release
  37. ↑ Central Park Statue
  38. ↑ "Image of the Barcelona Street Performer". Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  39. ↑ Artist who Fought with Che Guevara Holds Exhibit in Derry Derry Journal, January 30, 2009
  40. ↑ Che Trippers The New York Observer, by Lawrence Osborne, June 15, 2003
  41. ↑ Albion star has more tattoos than Becks The Argus, November 25, 2004
  42. ↑ Veron: I've made my own History FIFA, February 2, 2009
  43. ↑ Palermo 1 – 0 Livorno, Bad Day at The Barbera by Marco Stucazzo, February 2, 2008
  44. ↑ Banner for footballer Fabrizio Miccoli of Ternana
  45. 1 2 Che Guevara: Guerrilla Heroica by Jane Franklin, The Nation, May 19, 1997
  46. ↑ Maradona takes SA by Storm by FIFA, January 18, 2010
  47. ↑ "Che Trippers" by Lawrence Osborne, The New York Observer, June 15, 2003
  48. 1 2 Benicio del Toro sees Shades of Jesus in Che Guevara Yahoo India, December 20, 2008
  49. ↑ Hunter S Thompson: The Movie by Alex Gibney, The Sunday Times, December 14, 2008
  50. ↑ "Why Che Guevara's Image is Still a Bestseller" The Independent, January 5, 2009
  51. ↑ Rajat Looking for Che Indian Info, February 12, 2009
  52. ↑ Interview with James Benning on California Trilogy March 17, 2002
  53. ↑ How I Was Systematically Destroyed By An Idiot (1983) by Bobby Wise, January 12, 2010
  54. ↑ El Día Que Me Quieras by Leandro Katz
  55. ↑ History, Myth and Che Guevara by John Hess, Film-Historia, Vol. IX No.2 (1999): 183–188
  56. ↑ Capitalizing on Che Guevara's image by Ben Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2008
  57. 1 2 3 Che Chic by Brook Larmer, Newsweek magazine, July 21, 1997
  58. ↑ New Domino Toppling Record Set 3News, November 16, 2008 – Video
  59. ↑ Outdoor Chess Match to Honor Che Guevara by Jose Antonio Fulgueiras, June 10, 2007
  60. ↑ El Che Fighting for Mobile Freedom by Spanner Spencer, PocketGamer, March 11, 2009
  61. ↑ Gesta Final, el Videojuego que Relata la Revolución Cubana en 3D (in Spanish) Tendencias, La Tercera, March 30, 2013
  62. ↑ El Período Especial Revisited in Two Novels by Carlos Rodríguez Martorell, New York Daily News, April 10, 2009
  63. ↑ The Last Days of Che Guevara by Marco Rizzo, at Red Quill Books
  64. ↑ Castro's Brain Time Magazine, August 8, 1960
  65. ↑ Dorfman, Ariel (June 14, 1999). "Time 100: Che Guevara". Time.com. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  66. ↑ A plugged-in Che Guevara, CVA exhibit showcases 50 years of Communication Arts by Mason Riddle, Twin Cities Daily Planet, October 10, 2009
  67. ↑ "December 2008 Rolling Stone Magazine Cover". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  68. ↑ "(Issue 8 outside front cover)" (PDF). A Magazine. AkzoNobel. July 2011. p. outside front cover. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  69. 1 2 Nathalie Cardone "Serving Beauty" in Newest Album by Cenk Erdem, Today's Zaman, August 11, 2009
  70. ↑ Folk legend Jody Collins hits the road with new songs and old favorites by John Soeder, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 24, 2009
  71. ↑ Madonna Interview on Top Of The Pops – 6:47–7:25
  72. ↑ How A Village Voice Reporter Helped Write the Second Verse of Jay-Z's "Public Service Announcement" by Zach Baron, Village Voice, November 4, 2010
  73. 1 2 Obama is The Boss by George Reisch & Russell Anderson, Pop Matters, May 13, 2009
  74. ↑ Successful Evening Commemorates 40th Anniversary of the Death of Ché Guevara
  75. ↑ Brazilian Rock Band Sepultura Pays Tribute to Che Guevara by Nelson García Santos, July 26, 2008
  76. ↑ http://www.nomorelabelsrecords.com/cgt.htm
  77. ↑ Cuba's Silvio Rodriguez Dedicates Song to 'Che' AP, July 23, 2009
  78. ↑ French Rocker to Play Che Memorial Concerts in Cuba by Howell Llewellyn, Reuters, October 9, 2009
  79. ↑ Interview With Tom Morello by Charles M. Young
  80. ↑ Skins bad boy Cooks up Storm by Keeley Bolger, The Sun
  81. ↑ VIDEO: Benicio del Toro talks about meeting Castro to prepare for "Che" on The Colbert Report
  82. ↑ Goode Family Clip: Che The Vegan Dog Has A Dark Side
  83. ↑ 'El Che' Playwright Shares Guervara's Passion by Tatiana Hensley, The Arizona Republic, January 14, 2009
  84. ↑ Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold, Village Voice, July 4, 2006
  85. ↑ "Article". App1.chinadaily.com.cn. March 8, 2001. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  86. ↑ Blauwdruk van de opera Reconstructie
  87. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 122
  88. ↑ Handbags of the Apocalypse by Alexander Boldizar, C-Arts Magazine, September 4, 2008
  89. ↑ Viva the Chevolution! by Trisha Ziff, The Huffington Post, April 21, 2008
  90. ↑ Che would have been Delighted with T-shirts, says Daughter by Kyle Farquharson, Metro Vancouver, June 28, 2010
  91. ↑ Che Wearing Che T-shirt T-shirt from The Onion
  92. ↑ Urban Outfitters: Che Cigar Tee
  93. ↑ Belstaff: Che Guevara Replica Jacket
  94. ↑ "The Che Cachet" by David Segal, Washington Post, February 7, 2006
  95. ↑ Texas Primary Crucial for Democratic Presidential Hopefuls My Fox Houston, February 6, 2008
  96. ↑ Che-bama? by Nick Gillespie, Reason magazine, February 12, 2008
  97. ↑ Che Guevara Flag In Obama Campaign Office Causes Controversy NBC6 News, February 13, 2008
  98. ↑ Rescue Hinged on Fake 'International Mission' CNN, July 3, 2008
  99. ↑ Encounter With A Rebel Leader by David McDougall, CBC News, November 17, 2008
  100. ↑ Hong Kong Democrats Survive Polls by Vaudine England, BBC News, September 8, 2008
  101. ↑ 'Obey' Street Artist Churns Out 'Hope' for Obama by Jenna Wortham, September 21, 2008
  102. ↑ "Wear a Che T-shirt, Go to Jail" Kraków Post, April 30, 2009
  103. ↑ Creative Talents Offer Brand Aid for America by Stuart Elliott, The New York Times, May 4, 2009 = The Image
  104. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 30–31
  105. ↑ A Revolutionary Afterlife New York Times, October 8, 2007
  106. ↑ quoted in the trailer for the film Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
  107. ↑ Fidel Castro, the First Superdelegate by Greg Grandin, Baltimore Chronicle, March 6, 2008
  108. ↑ Burkina Faso Salutes "Africa's Che" Thomas Sankara by Mathieu Bonkoungou, Reuters, October 17, 2008
  109. ↑ Sankara 20 years Later: A Tribute to Integrity by Demba Moussa Dembélé, Pambazuka News, October 15, 2008
  110. ↑ Cuba Remembers Che Guevara 40 Years After his Fall by Rosa Tania Valdes, Reuters, October 8, 2007
  111. ↑ Cuba Salutes 'Che' Guevara CNN, October 17, 1997
  112. ↑ Che Remembered 40 Years After Death by Alvaro Suazo, The Washington Post, October 6, 2007
  113. ↑ "Hugo Chávez Gets Hero's Welcome at Forum" Associated Press, January 31, 2005
  114. ↑ Chavez, Honoring Che, Gives Venezuela Doctors 60 Percent Raise by Matthew Walter, Bloomberg, October 9, 2007
  115. ↑ "Image: Che coca portrait with President Morales". Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  116. ↑ Evo Morales Praises Example of Ernesto Che Guevara ACN, October 9, 2007
  117. ↑ We Are Slowly Starting To Enjoy Greater Trust an interview with Argentina's President, Der Spiegel, October 5, 2010
  118. ↑ Che Remembered 40 Years on in Derry Ógra Shinn Fein, October 17, 2007
  119. ↑ "Early Day Motion 2041: 40th Anniversary of the Death of Che Guevara". Edmi.parliament.uk. April 17, 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  120. ↑ Che Spirit Lives On by George Galloway, Daily Record, December 22, 2008
  121. ↑ Mesic visits Che´s Grave in Cuba by the Croatian Times, September 9, 2009
  122. 1 2 "In Bolivia, Push for Che Tourism Follows Locals' Reverence Archived November 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. by Kevin Hall, August 17, 2004, Knight-Ridder
  123. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The final triumph of Saint Che" by Andres Schipani, September 23, 2007, The Observer
  124. ↑ Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, by Jon Lee Anderson, 1997, New York: Grove Press, pg 742
  125. ↑ Just A Pretty Face? by Sean O'Hagan, The Observer, July 11, 2004
  126. ↑ "The spirit of Che Guevara" by I F Stone, October 20, 1967 (published September 20, 2007), The New Statesman
  127. ↑ Second Coming by Jeremy Taylor, Caribbean Review of Books, Issue No 15, February 2008
  128. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 88
  129. ↑ "Régis Debray Speaks from Prison", by Marlene Nadle, Ramparts Magazine, August 24, 1968, pg 40
  130. ↑ Still a Messiah? by Isabel Hilton, New Statesman, October 4, 2007
  131. 1 2 "International Commemorations Mark Thirty Year Anniversary of Ernesto "Che" Guevara's Death" October 17, 1997, Volume 7 / Number 37, Latin American Institute
  132. ↑ "International 5th International Film Festival of Human Rights". Festivalcinebolivia.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  133. ↑ "On a tourist trail in Bolivia's hills, Che's fame lives on" By Hector Tobar, October 17, 2004, Los Angeles Times
  134. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 90
  135. ↑ "Jesus ad campaign". BBC News. January 7, 1999. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  136. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 87
  137. 1 2 Santo Ernesto: The Curse Of Che Guevara by Jens Glüsing, Der Spiegel, October 8, 2007
  138. ↑ Argentine Rugby Inspired by Che Guevara by Brendan Gallagher, The Daily Telegraph, October 5, 2007
  139. ↑ Cassano is Showing Signs of Maturity by Ian Hawkey, The National, September 25, 2009
  140. ↑ The not-so-beautiful Game of Football in Israel by Tobias Buck, Financial Times, January 2, 2010
  141. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 70
  142. ↑ Jonathan Glancey in the Steps of a Rebel and Hero by Jonathan Glancey, The Independent, July 29, 1995
  143. ↑ Cuevas de los Portales is in Parque Nacional la Guira
  144. ↑ Che's Spirit Burns on in Latin America by Daniel Schweimler, BBC News, January 3, 2009
  145. ↑ "Santa Clara's Che Guevara Memorial and Museum". Hellocuba.ca. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  146. ↑ "Guevara Monument in Venezuela Destroyed" Associated Press, October 19, 2007
  147. ↑ "Argentina Recognizing Che at Last" Reuters, June 15, 2008
  148. ↑ "Cuban Imprints in Ernesto Che Guevara´s House-Museum in Argentina" by Maria Elena Balan Sainz, Cuban News Agency, August 8, 2009
  149. ↑ "Reuters Pictures: Che Statue". Daylife. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  150. ↑ "AP Photo by Dado Galdieri". Daylife. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  151. ↑ Beijing Unveils Che Guevara Bust Prensa Latina, January 18, 2008
  152. ↑ Amid protests, City of Vienna Unveils Che Guevara Monument October 9, 2007
  153. ↑ Honoring Che Guevara: a Statue in Oleiros Galicia
  154. ↑ A Larger than Life Tree for Larger than Life Man by The Sunday Times, September 6, 2009
  155. ↑ Old and New Street Names in the Ethekwini Municipal Area
  156. ↑ A Statue of Che Guevara in South Africa Ahore, March 30, 2009
  157. ↑ Trust Honours Struggle Heroes News 24, March 18, 2009
  158. ↑ Aleida Guevara: More Like "Che" Needed to Fight Injustice by the Latin American Herald Tribune
  159. ↑ Sympathy for the Rebel by Jessica Winter, Village Voice, September 28, 2004
  160. ↑ Castro and Guevara Photos Sold in Gloucestershire by BBC News, March 5, 2010
  161. ↑ The 2007 Hemingway Fishing Tournament Steve Gibbs
  162. ↑ Lock of Che Guevara's Hair Sells for $100,000 AP, October 26, 2007
  163. ↑ Family: Shoe Thrower Hates Both US, Iran Role by Robert H. Reid, Associated Press, December 16, 2008
  164. ↑ Musharraf and a Dog Named Che by Amit Baruah, Hindustan Times, March 2, 2009
  165. ↑ Bite Lands Staten Island Chuck's Mug on Shirt Staten Island Advance, February 5, 2009
  166. ↑ Viva Shea': Mets' Old Home Lives in Fan's Heart by Daniel Howley, Independent, April 16, 2009
  167. ↑ "Man dressed as Che Guevara for court" Market Watch, April 15, 2009
  168. ↑ Book rap dealer in court as red Che The Sun, April 15, 2009
  169. ↑ Che of the Gays by Clive Simmons, MCV, September 15, 2009
  170. ↑ Semester Summer 2008: 'Che Guevara's Latin America' at the University of Texas
  171. ↑ Cuban Doctors Efforts Extolled in Nicaragua February 10, 2009
  172. ↑ Salud International to Back Cuban Internationalist Doctors by Phil Lenton, August 16, 2004
  173. 1 2 3 Che as Revolutionary and Icon review by Corinna Lotz
  174. ↑ "The Cult of Che" by Paul Berman, September 24, 2004.
  175. ↑ "Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon", by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 104
  176. ↑ "He Thinks We Still Care" – A Review of 'Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life' by Jon Lee Anderson, by Mark Falcoff, The American Spectator, June 1997
  177. 1 2 3 Che Chic by Elizabeth Armstrong, The Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 2004
  178. ↑ Killer Chic: Hollywood's sick obsession with Che Guevara at Reason TV. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  179. ↑ Give Me a Rebel, But Hold the Politics by Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, March 30, 2004
  180. ↑ Capitalizing on Che Guevara's Image by Ben Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2008
  181. ↑ The State and Revolution, by Vladimir Lenin, 1999, Resistance Books, ISBN 0-909196-82-6, pg 15
  182. 1 2 Time 100: Che Guevara by Ariel Dorfman, June 14, 1999
  183. ↑ Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and the Pedagogy of Revolution, by Peter McLaren, 2000, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0-8476-9533-6, pg Xxii
  184. ↑ Viva Che!: The Strange Death and Life of Che Guevara, by Andrew Sinclair, 1968/re-released in 2006, Sutton publishing, ISBN 0-7509-4310-6, pg 124
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