Sharon Stone's remarks about how bad karma caused the deaths of millions of innocent Chinese men, women and children during the recent earthquakes shocked the Chinese government, which promptly banned her and her films from the country.

Her callous statements also horrifed Dior, which dumped her from its ad campaigns. Even the Dalai Lama has taken her off his speed dial.

But PETA says it's not surprised. Not one bit. In fact, the organization has sent the actress a letter offering to pay for a scan of the frontal region of her brain to see if her empathy deprivation is the result of a physical defect.

Hopefully this "offer" is being made somewhat tongue-in-cheek. And I don't like either party here, believe me. But it does give one pause: how long before people with anger problems or excessive shyness, or people with strong religious convictions, or meat-eaters, or those who have any behavior outside whatever is considered the societal norm, are required to have brain scans to try to discover a physical cause (and then, presumably, a "cure") for the anomalies? I'm not sure that it's too far down the road.

It's all in your head, Sharon

Labels: Social Observation, Theater of the Absurd