Page Six has taken the already Kafkaesque story of Dennis Rodman and his perceived geopolitical influence and added a Miami drag queen cherry on top. There’s intrigue, redemption, high stakes and even higher eyebrows. Seriously, what’s not to love?
If this doesn’t get made into a movie at some point, it should at the very least be a sketch on SNL. Wood Harrelson is hosting this weekend. Galaxia, just sayin’.
Our story begins in February 2013, when Rodman made his first of what would become regular visits to North Korea. The whole thing was captured by Vice, and it is seriously worth a watch. In 30 minutes you’ll walk away with an improved understanding of North Korea, and you’ll witness the birth of one of the truly bizarre relationships of all-time: Dennis Rodman and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un. Words can’t describe.
Flash forward to April 2013. Dennis’ new bestie Kim sentences Korean-American Evangelical Missionary Kenneth Bae to a 15 year prison sentence for “planning to overthrow the North Korean government, including setting up bases in China for the purpose of toppling the North Korean government.” Or in other words, things Bae wasn’t doing.
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Rodman promised he’d go to North Korea to rescue Bae. It was a promise he could not deliver on.
Or could he?
Cut to present day. Bae has finally been released from prison, and not only is Rodman trying to soak up the credit, but his friend and Miami drag queen Elaine Lancaster is nudging her way into the spotlight, apparently as his foreign policy advisor.
She explained to Page Six that she met with Rodman over lunch before his second trip to North Korea:
“I told Dennis, ‘Don’t let these trips be in vain,’ and asked him if he knew about the gulags and the detention camps. He said no, so I explained it to him. I said, ‘try to do what you can, but don’t get yourself killed.’ It looks as if it may have paid off for a few imprisoned Americans.”
Kudos to Lancaster for apparently schooling Rodman on gulags and detention camps (he’s been going over there for almost two years and he’s just now getting this info?), except Bae’s release lines up with President Obama sending U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to North Korea to broker Bae’s and another American’s release.
But hey, details. Right?
In Rodman’s words:
“No doubt, our trips helped influence Kenneth Bae’s release and I’m happy he is coming home safely.”
Sigh.
robho3
What an idiot Rodman is.
demented
HE SAID NO?! What kind of idiot doesn’t know that?! He has the brains of a cactus!
Good for Elaine Lancaster for educating this moron in a polite way.
enfilmigult
He said NO? What the hell? How ignorant can you possibly be?
Trippy
Apologies to Rodman and all of those Christian missionaries slipping in and out of NKorea to leave Bibles in bathrooms, but anyone who visits NKorea should be blocked from returning to the US. And Obama should give SKorea permission to nuke the who freaking place.
Harley
How can Rodman not know about all the communist gulags and torture camps. That was required reading in our elementary propaganda classes in public school.
Roan
…and a Drag Queen shall lead them.
Ditamo
Rodman has been going to NK way before 2013, him and Kim Jong-Un have been friends way before he became leader of NK, Rodman had at least a few visits before that.
The one in 2013 was a bit more memorable because he actually took the Harlem Globetrotters for an exchange meeting with NK basketball players. Plus he also took with him the Vice team to document it all, which can be seen in the link they gave, which is something unprecedented.
I know that the guy is a bit nuts, but if his friendship can in anyway help NK open up, even a bit, to try and improve relations with us, than he isn’t totally useless and should deserve a bit of credit, not a metal or anything but at least an acknowledgment.