The Secret History of Pussy Riot – A Counterbalance to Western Fawning
After all the Western media fawning over Pussy Riots – and let me be clear this is a VERY tame translation of their name – and the subsequent Russian Orthodox Church bashing; a topic which much to my surprise, everybody suddenly became something of an pseudo-expert, we finally have a sensible counterbalance written by Israel Shamir in CounterPunch:
Universally admired, Pussy Riot (or PR for short) have been promoted as superstars. But what are they? A rock or punk group they are not. A British journalist marvelled: they produce no music, no song, no painting, nada, rien, nothing. How can they be described as “artists”? This was a severe test for their supporters, but they passed it with flying honours: that famous lover-of-art, the US State Department, paid for their first ever single being produced by The Guardian out of some images and sounds.
We are able to stomach obscenity and blasphemy; I am a great admirer of Notre Dame de Fleurs by Jean Genet, who combined both. However, the PR never wrote, composed or painted anything of value at all. Chris Randolph defended them in Counterpunch by comparing them with “the controversial Yegor Letov”. What a misleading comparison! Letov wrote poetry, full of obscenity but it still was poetry, while the PR have nothing but Public Relations.
Hell-bent on publicity, but artistically challenged, three young women from Russia decided – well, it sounds like a limerick. They stole a frozen chicken from a supermarket and used it as dildo; they filmed the act, called it “art” and placed it on the web. (It is still there) Their other artistic achievements were an orgy in a museum and a crude presentation of an erect prick.
Tags: Christianity, Church Life, News, Politics
August 24th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
In hoc signo vinces†
Christianity and/or Nationalism the only winning hands in this Imperialism of the oligarchs Great Game of poker.
In the blue ridge mountains of Virginia , on the trail of the lonesome pine, In the pale moonshine , our hearts entwine Where she carved her name and I carved mine Oh June , like the mountains I’m blue
August 25th, 2012 at 11:42 am
It is totally disgusting that you are publishing the work of a racist, white supremacist and Holocaust denier. You are obviously sick as well as stupid.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/31/wikileaks-holocaust-denier-handled-moscow-cables
August 31st, 2012 at 9:03 pm
In answer to Stephen Alexander. Perhaps you should direct your judgemental ire at me. I’m Russian Orthodox and used to this by now. In good faith I sent to Stuart, along with a number of other blogs, the article which so offends you. The purpose was to counter the liberal assault on the Orthodox Church. By the way the Church has been supported in Russia by leaders of the Jewish and Moslem communities in their attempt to defend the faith against numerous attacks. Now, before you consign me to the dustbin of right wing religious loonies, let me declare that I along with many in the Russian Orthodox Church (my jurisdiction is the émigré offshoot HQ’d in New York which reunited with the mother church five years back) feel the sentence was totally disproportionate and are not altogether supportive of some of the policy moves made by the Church. That said there are numerous counter arguments to the ‘PR’ stunt. This group played the Government (not known for a tolerant attitude to breaking the law or opposition) and Church (yet to create a polished and sophisticated public policy and PR machine of its own) for suckers and got what they wanted – global publicity. The Church had been frozen out of a role in society for 70 years thanks to the cruel regime imposed by the Bolsheviks. Many suffered (including numerous Orthodox priests and faithful) at their hands and its debatable whether Hitler or Stalin murdered more citizens of the countries within the Soviet borders – more information in the excellent book by Timothy Snyder : Bloodlands Europe between Hitler & Stalin. I’m proud to call Stuart a friend – whom I met only recently – and to him and all readers perhaps I should apologise for not checking the credentials of the blogger. I should also like you to apologise to Stuart for you intemperate language, certainly not the language I would expect from someone contributing to ECHURCHBLOG ! I hope that Stuart publishes this response. I have been busy otherwise I would have responded earlier. The Lord have mercy! – or as we say in Russian: Gospodiy pomiluy!