DISCUSSION 5B:  CHASING CHE -- CHE GUEVARA AND THE COLD WAR

INTRODUCTION

Born to the Argentine aristocracy, Che Guevara became a Communist revolutionary.  He was a key member of Fidel Castro's "26th of July Movement" which seized power in Cuba.  He fought in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and died of the executioner's bullet in Bolivia in 1967.  The French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre described him as "the most complete human being of our age."

In many ways, Che's "afterlife" has been as fascinating as his biography.  This story began in a grisly way immediately after he was killed as his hands were sawed off and preserved in formaldehyde to prove that he was dead.  Not surprisingly, he was transformed into a leftist martyr.  Cuban students still salute the flag each morning with the promise that they will be "like Che."

Less predictably, Guevara has also become a pop icon.  His image, most particularly that based upon a photograph taken by the Cuban Alberto Korda at a 1960 memorial service, has been used to sell t-shirts, Smirnoff vodka, Che bikinis and Fischer Revolution skis.  An episode of "The Simpsons" even featured a Latin nightclub called "Chez Guevara."

READING ASSIGNMENT

REQUIRED READING:

1)  Read the following:

• Che Guevara, Wikipedia: A detailed biography from the on-line encyclopedia.

• Time 100: Che Guevara:  A three-page profile of the revolutionary by Ariel Dorfman.

• Ed Ewing, "Che's Last Stand," Guardian, December 31, 2008.

News Articles

• Peter Bradshaw, "Che: Part Two," Guardian, February 20, 2009.

• Daniel Schweimler, "Che's Spirit Burns On In Latin America," BBC News, January 3, 2009.

• Simon Hattenstone, "'Dammit, This Guy Is Cool,'" Guardian, November 29, 2008.

• Rory Carroll, "Guevara Children Denounce Che Branding," Guardian, June 7, 2008.

• "Che Guevara Hair Sold At Auction," BBC News, October 26, 2007.

• Daniel Schweimler, "Latin America's New Look At Che," BBC News, October 9, 2007.

• Marc Lacey, "A Revolutionary Icon, And Now, A Bikini," New York Times, October 9, 2007.

• "Cuba Pays Tribute To Che Guevara," BBC News, October 9, 2007.

• Michael Voss, "Cubans Honour Che As A Hero," BBC News, October 8, 2007.

• Will Grant, "CIA Man Recounts Che Guevara's Death," BBC News, October 8, 2007.

• "In Pictures: Images Of Che," BBC News, October 5, 2007.

• Stephanie Holmes, "Che: The Icon And The Ad," BBC News, October 5, 2007.

• Peter Conrad, "The Name On Everyone's Lips," Observer, June 11, 2006.

• "Advert Shows Jesus As Che Guevara," BBC News, September 14, 2005.

• "'My Best Friend Che,'" BBC News, May 9, 2005.

• Rob Mackie, "Motorcycle Diaries," Guardian, February 4, 2005.

• Helene Mulholland, "Don't Take Che's Name In Vain, Warns Daughter," Guardian Unlimited, October 15, 2004.

• "Che Guevara Legacy Lives On In Bolivia," BBC News, August 26, 2004.

• Larry Rohter, "Letter From The Americas; Che Today?  More Easy Rider Than Revolutionary," New York Times, May 26, 2004.

• Elizabeth Armstrong, "Che Chic," Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 2004.

• "Cuba Honours Comrade Che," BBC News, June 15, 2003.

• "Comrade Che Keeps An Eye On British Workers," BBC News, October 24, 2002.

• "Che Guevara Photographer Dies," BBC News, May 26, 2001.

•  "Artist Turk Opens Guevara Fortnight," BBC News, January 15, 2001.

• "Guevara's Image Saved From Drink," BBC News, September 15, 2000.

• "Che Guevara Photographer Sues," BBC News, August 7, 2000.

• "Jesus Ad Campaign 'Not Blasphemous,'" BBC News, January 7, 1999.

• "Bolivia Woman Guerrilla's Remains Found," BBC News, September 22, 1998.

• Richard Bernstein, "Critic's Notebook; Looking Back With Cooled Passions At Che's Image," New York Times, November 26, 1997.

Articles

• Alvaro Vargas Llosa, "The Killing Machine: Che Guevara, From Communist Firebrand To Capitalist Brand," New Republic (July 11, 2005).

• Paul Berman, "The Cult Of Che: Don't Applaud 'The Motorcycle Diaries,'" Slate Magazine (September 24, 2004).

• Brook Larmer, "Che Chic," Newsweek (July 21, 1997).

Web-Sites

• Che Guevara:  A 2007 gallery of annotated images from the British Guardian newspaper.

• Che Guevara -- Revolutionary, BBC Edited Guide Entry, November 29, 2000.

• Che Guevara (1928-1967) -- BBC Historic Figures:  An extremely condensed biographical introduction.

• Che Guevara (Photo), Wikipedia:  A brief entry about the famous Alberto Korda image.

• Che-Lives.Com  :  A web-site dedicated to the memory of the Latin American revolutionary.

• Motorcycle Diaries:  The companion web-site for the recent movie about Che Guevara's early trip through Latin America in the 1950s.

Audio Sources

• Che Guevara, On Point, October 7, 2004.  The life and contemporary popularity of the 1960s-era Argentinian revolutionary.

DISCUSSION FORUM

PRIMARY QUESTIONS:  How did a Marxist revolutionary become a symbol of popular culture and of conspicuous consumption?  What significance would you attach to this development?  How does the story of Che Guevara add to our understanding of the Cold War?

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