Affair of the Dancing Lamas
HistoryComments
If we consider the broader geopolitical climate of the 1920s, would it be possible that the isolation was already inevitable due to British imperial interests? Perhaps the movie stunt was just a convenient excuse rather than the primary catalyst.
I wonder if the reaction was different because of the emerging cinema culture... did the public view the monks as performers or as spiritual figures? It feels like the media's framing of the "dance" might have skewed the diplomatic fallout...
The framing wasn't just about aesthetics; the tabloid press at the time treated it as a circus act. This kind of public spectacle usually makes the actual diplomats look like fools, which explains why the Tibetan government shut the door.
On a brighter note, these visits did spark a genuine interest in Tibetan culture among ordinary Londoners. It probably created a small but lasting bridge of curiosity that outweighed the formal diplomatic silence.