Here's Dennis Rodman Serenading Kim Jong-un with 'Happy Birthday'

[DonViejo]

ALEXANDER ABAD-SANTOS

Dennis Rodman and his basketball irregulars finally got to play their game against the North Korean All-Stars today, but not before The Worm took a moment to sing "Happy Birthday" to his best buddy, Kim Jong-un.

Have you ever seen a more nervous crowd at a basketball game?

That was just only slightly more awkward than JFK and Marilyn's moment. "Kim Jong Un appeared to smile, but he didn't appear to expect it," a tour guide who watched the game told Reuters. And we're not totally sure, but doesn't it sound a bit like Rodman says "Dear Master" at the point where you're supposed to say the birthday boy's name? Maybe not.

Anyway, Rodman's birthday greeting comes on the heels of his contentious interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo, where Rodman lost his cool and began cursing after being asked whether or not serenading a despot who is currently imprisoning an American citizen in a gulag is really a sound call. Not to defend Rodman's friendship with Kim or his behavior on CNN, but only someone who doesn't fear death (or is reasonably comfortable with his exit strategy) would publicly criticize Kim and his country's suspect human rights record on the record with an international news agency while speaking from North Korea. This is a country and a ruler that allegedly punished people who weren't sufficiently sad when their last leader died. (I would not be surprised if people who don't normally sing "Happy Birthday" joined in out of fear.)

:::snip:::

http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/01/here-dennis-rodman-serenading-kim-jong-un-happy-birthday/356801/

[Common Sense Party]

1. I thought he'd be wearing the Marilyn Monroe dress. nt

[global1]

2. Who's To Say That Kim Jong Un's Position On HIs Country Is Not Moderating In Some Way.....

We already know that he's done away with his uncle and with it probably the hard line influence left over from his father's reign. Perhaps Rodman is having some effect on this - perhaps not. But I'm not going to criticize Rodman just yet.

Who knows - maybe in some strange way this is 'basketball diplomacy' and in some strange way it might be having some influence on Un.

Remember this:

Ping-pong diplomacy (Chinese: 乒乓外交 Pīngpāng wàijiāo) refers to the exchange of table tennis (ping-pong) players between the United States and People's Republic of China (PRC) in the early 1970s. The event marked a thaw in U.S.–China relations that paved the way to a visit to Beijing by President Richard Nixon.

I just think we should hold back our criticism of Rodman for the moment and see where this might take us.

CNN is certainly making hay out of this interview. But in fact today I heard Cuomo say to Bae's sister that maybe we should thank Rodman for getting Bae's story back out in the mainstream media where it can be talked about again and attention be brought to it.

Stranger things have happened.

[davidpdx]

3. First, on the video itself

Rodman needs to work on his singing voice.

As for diplomacy, I very much doubt it. North Korea has a pattern of talking about peace and then going into attack mode. Right now it's obvious which one they are in, it is just a matter of time before they circle back around.

The attack on the Chonnan (Navy vessel) and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island were both provocative acts against South Korea. Then you have the three nuclear tests and however many missile tests as well. That is just in the past 10 years since I've been lived here.