Suzanne Harrington: Maybe 'suck my tongue' was a cultural misstep by the Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama speaks on December 12, 2014 during the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Pic: Tiziana Fabi
Nooooooo! Did he really say that? The Dalai Lama? Could something have been lost in translation, as the words ‘suck my tongue’ triggered the entire Western world into ick meltdown and screams of horror, as though everyone’s favourite spiritual leader had instantaneously morphed into a Catholic paedo cardinal / Michael Jackson? Could we – please, please – have been mistaken?
Nope. He definitely said those words. In English. On camera. Loud and clear. To a child. Eeeeeek! What was he thinking? Has he lost his marbles? Is he now Tibet’s answer to R Kelly, under the maroon and saffron robes and the beatific smile, after 87 years of never putting a foot wrong?
