Spielberg has deep impact on Darfur

Steven Spielberg brought the violence in western Darfur to a stunning end on Friday after the Hollywood film director resigned last month from his post as art director for the Bejing Olympics.

"I guess really showed them who's boss," Spielberg said. "The power of art know no bounds."

Sudanese government and rebel group officials said they laid down their arms as soon as news reached them through an Entertainment Tonight reporter. The correspondent had been covering George Clooney's facial expressions as the star of stage and screen traveled throughout the African nation to hold babies and sign autographs.

"This situation is not acceptable," a Sudanese Army officer said. "I do not want to be held responsible for inferior art design at the Bejing Olympics. Colors must not clash. Drawings must be Photoshopped with skill.

"Mr. Spielberg is the only Hollywood mogul I'd stop slaughtering innocent people for, unless, of course, he wants me to play a crazed killer in one of his movies."

China’s role as an arms supplier and oil patron of Sudan has brought international criticism from advocacy groups, which blame Beijing for protecting Khartoum’s interests. Spielberg was pegged to be the Olympics' art director, but never signed a contract and, in effect, quit a job he never had, further illustrating the power of his wallop.

Spielberg's announcement couldn't have come at a better time. Violence escalated recently as the Sudanese Army and its allies attacked rebel groups, causing a new wave of refugees flowing into neighboring Chad. Chad agreed to accept the refugees on the condition that Spielberg reconsider being the Olympics art director, which Spielberg said he is prepared to do, provided he gets Mia Farrow's blessing.

Farrow has referred to this fall's Games as the "Genocide Olympics." Insiders said that it was that comment that ultimately made Spielberg, who produced classics like "Pinky and the Brain" and "Freakazoid!," resign.

"All it means is more goddamn work for me," said Spielberg, who pushed his team slavishly to create "Genocide Olympics" logos, icons, music and action figures if the Olympic committee decided at the last minute to change the name to stay on the good side of Hollywood's intelligentsia. "I quit."