२२ डिसेंबर, २०२३

"A raunchy celebrity-filled party in Moscow has drawn the ire of Russian politicians and fervent Christian Orthodox activists..."

"... who are urging law enforcement to punish the event’s guests and organizers for violating laws prohibiting 'gay propaganda' — the latest testament to the country’s sharp shift toward a closed-off, conservative society at the behest of President Vladimir Putin."

From "Raunchy celebrity party in Russia draws outrage over ‘nude illusion’ theme" (WaPo).
The party, a costume ball with a “nude illusion” theme hosted Wednesday night by one of Russia’s most popular Instagram influencers, Anastasia Ivleeva, was attended by some of the most prominent Russian celebrities who have remained in the country since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including some who have not supported the war.

The guests paid a hefty entrance fee of about $11,000 to frolic in outfits of flesh-colored mesh, lace and lingerie, with Ivleeva wearing a diamond body chain worth about $250,000 and one guest, the rapper Vacio, paying homage to a 1980 Red Hot Chili Peppers record cover featuring the band members wearing nothing but a sock.

Some of the outrage comes from a desire to maintain a somber demeanor during wartime, and some of it, we're told, is about disapproval of homosexual behavior. What does the illusion of nakedness have to do with homosexuality? Perhaps it's just the appearance of sexual liberation, but we're told that men were seen kissing.

WaPo provides some background, which I think is written to encourage readers to disapprove of American politicians and commentators who argue for traditional values (they're like Putin):

A year ago, Putin signed a law making it illegal to promote or “praise” same-sex relationships, to publicly express non-heterosexual orientations, or to suggest that such orientations are “normal.”

In his past two terms as president, Putin has called for “traditional values” to be the cornerstone of Russian society....

३८ टिप्पण्या:

The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...

This is one of those fuck 'em if they can't take a joke situations.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

How did these Russians get so rich?

Tina Trent म्हणाले...

Putin is a murderous dictator.

Last time I checked, he had tons more support from the dolt Left than the dolt Right.

Who thought Idiocracy could be so complicated?

William म्हणाले...

Well, nudity depends on the context. It's okay for Halloween or St. Valentine's day or to protest Israeli occupation of Gaza, but it's not okay for Christmas or Easter.

Money Manger म्हणाले...

WaPo has a correspondent there ? All western journalists, all US travelers need to sign an affidavit acknowledging that if they travel to Russia, and get arrested, they are on their own.

Iman म्हणाले...

We have enough closed-off, tight-assed leftwing wokies in the US to deal with before worrying about what the Russkies are doing.

narciso म्हणाले...

The red hot chilly peppers werent around in 1980! I question the whole story

John henry म्हणाले...

Ann said (I think)

What does the illusion of nakedness have to do with homosexuality?

Why "nakedness" instead of "nudity"? Was that a conscious choice? Appropriate, imho, if so.

Lewis Grizzard once wrote an essay on the difference between nude and naked, although, being a southern boy he called it "nekkid".

The difference is that nude means that the person has no clothes on. It implies either no moral opinion or a tasteful one as in a nude painting.

Naked and especially nekkid according to Grizzard means no clothes plus sexual shenanigans.

John Henry

n.n म्हणाले...

Liberalism, decorum, and gay celebration of ethnic Springs.

Tom T. म्हणाले...

Influencers confidently put on a hugely public raunchy party, including even opponents of the war, without reprisals from the government, and the Post is trying to spin this event as Russian society shifting to the *right*? This is one of those articles where Ann should be asking if the writer is joking.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"Why "nakedness" instead of "nudity"? Was that a conscious choice? Appropriate, imho, if so."

I discussed the naked/nude distinction here in 2007.

My tag for this topic has always been "naked."

The Russian party probably had a Russian word for nude/naked, and who knows what the connotations are. A nude seems like an unworldly creature who appears in classical paintings. A naked person seems to be out in the world — the world of the clothed — and causing a stir.

I think this party was about looking unclothed in a titillating or shocking way, not imitating that dignified character known as a nude.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Why do we say "the naked truth" and not "the nude truth"? We all know, whether we can put it into words or not.

"The Naked City"... not "The Nude City." One is exciting, the other is silly.

John henry म्हणाले...

Did they talk about not criticizing someone for "who they love"? Seems to be a constant in any discussion of homosexuality.

See the guy who allowed a random German tourist to roger him in the Senate. He was all put upon and outraged about the criticism of "who he loved". Even though he had met the tourist for the first time minutes before.

Yeah, nothing says love and romance like running around the office for the rest of the day with a mix of shit and semen leaking into your drawers.

Not a criticism, whatever floats their boat is fine with me. Though, as with real estate, location matters. What is OK in a hotel room is not necessarioy OK in the Senate.

Calling it "love" regardless of location, seems to demean the entire concept of love. At least when done with random strangers.

I am sure the Russian party was in the same loving context.

John Henry

Christopher B म्हणाले...

Money Manger said...
WaPo has a correspondent there ?


From what I have read about it, reports from "Our Man in (blank)" are a thing of the past. Few news organizations maintain offices or even individual correspondents outside the US. These stories are bought from local stringers.

narciso म्हणाले...

A little risque according to the daily mail pics but seriously

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

>The party, a costume ball with a “nude illusion” theme hosted Wednesday night by one of Russia’s most popular Instagram influencers, Anastasia Ivleeva<

They can do whatever they want as far as I am concerned but the infantilism of this event still is worthy of comment.

Fascination with nakedness for the sake of cheesy titillation. Pretending to be nude as the point of a party. How utterly puerile. It reminds me of tee-heeing at a glimpse of underwear or at innocent semi-nakedness when we were six years old. Or of, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" when we were in kindergarten.

baghdadbob म्हणाले...

Naked City
Naked Gun
Naked Truth
Naked & Afraid
Naked Short Selling
Naked Cowboy
Naked Eyes
Buck Naked

Nude Beach
Nudist Colony
In the Nude

narciso म्हणाले...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12889947/Almost-naked-party-staged-wealthy-showbiz-celebrities-Moscow-including-Putins-goddaughter-sparks-outrage-Vladimirs-propagandists-disrespecting-soldiers-fighting-Ukraine.html

Narr म्हणाले...

Russians are as pervy as anyone. Always have been and always will be. Hierarchical, militaristic societies just pretend more strenuously than others that they are not.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Russia is right to crack down on homosexual propaganda.

It is not great for propagating the species, Russian or otherwise.

Of course, if the offense concerns hot lesbians, that's OK : )

Ampersand म्हणाले...

Putin's laws are reminiscent of the moral reform legislation of Augustus Caesar in 18 and 17 BC outlawing adultery and other signs of decadence. That turned out well, too.

Seamus म्हणाले...

"Some of the outrage comes from a desire to maintain a somber demeanor during wartime, and some of it, we're told, is about disapproval of homosexual behavior. What does the illusion of nakedness have to do with homosexuality?"

Good point. Let's just say "perversion," which is broad enough to cover both hetero and homo conduct.

Immanuel Rant म्हणाले...

I think the framing that our hostess noticed was intended. I just skimmed, so may be jumping the gun, but I was half-expecting a mention of the parents angry at having pornography in the elementary school libraries.

Just like Putin!

Jaq म्हणाले...

"Hierarchical, militaristic societies"

You mean like ours? Is there a society that has been involved in and instigated more wars than the United States since the fall of the Soviet Union? It's not even close. Tell me what is different about Ukraine from our "Special Military Operations" in Syria, Lybia, Iraq? And how hierarchical is America, where people are being sent to jail for having disfavored political views?

It is not a pleasant thing to realize that we are the baddies, but we are. This "endless war" thing is something that the Russians got a bellyful of with the USSR, and we are now infected with the same disease that led to the Soviet collapse.

But every war we get involved in is perfectly justified, and every war anybody else gets involved in is ruthless aggression of the most senseless kind. I keep forgetting. The billionaires who own the press, the politicians and their puppet masters would never lie to us. Why would they?

Why is it any of our business how the Russians live anyway? Why is it the business of Vermont how people choose to live in Texas?

Dogma and Pony Show म्हणाले...

So the WaPo disapproves of suppression of personal expression in Russia, and when it involves lewdness. What's its position on stifling speech in the U.S. involving the origins of covid, the efficacy of masking and various medications, or the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop?

Candide म्हणाले...

This event didn't have a Russian title. It was advertised under English name "Almost Naked", to repeat, in English not Russian. Why did WaPo decide to translate the official English name of the event (Almost Naked) into English again (nude illusion)? Very strange.

First evening was by invitation only, with all the celebrities. Second evening there was an open event with tickets sold to all comers.

Second evening there was a delay for about 1 hour before ticket holders were allowed in the club "Mutabor". Rumors spread that delay was due to police investigation. For regular public, gate security was requesting not to show any naked skin. Apparently the idea was that you could tease as much as you like but can't show the real thing.

Candide म्हणाले...

WaPo report was filed from Riga (Latvian capital), not Moscow.

Candide म्हणाले...

For extra fee, you could have a picture taken in bed with the hostess (the bed was huge and separation was beyond the arm's length).

iowan2 म्हणाले...

Russians are not as cultured as our high brow elite perverts.

Here the perverts are smart enough to keep their Shenanigans out of sight on a private island.
would want a list of attendees to be make public, right?

JAORE म्हणाले...

Will the next Cease Fire/Gaza march include "Gays for Putin" signs?

madAsHell म्हणाले...

Imagine that!! A newspaper article full of shit.

mikee म्हणाले...

Tim, I live in Texas. And I've been to Vermont. It is important for people in Vermont to understand and care how people live in Texas, so y'all might better emulate our beliefs and actions for your own improvement. While it is not stated openly, Texans have always been more than happy to appropriate anything and everything of value found in the cultures of others. Our hubris over the vastness of our state is partly because we can thus follow the lead of Whitman, and contain multitudes. Y'all should do that, too. And if you notice Texans don't do something y'all love in Vermont, you might want to think a bit on why that is.

Candide म्हणाले...

mikee said...
"...if you notice Texans don't do something y'all love in Vermont, you might want to think a bit on why that is."

Are you talking about Maple syrup?

Mikey NTH म्हणाले...

Weimar Russia.

PM म्हणाले...

baghdadbob, lest we forget:
Nudie of North Hollywood

n.n म्हणाले...

Public lewdness and a drunken demeanor is a gay olde time and probable hate crime.

Jaq म्हणाले...

"WaPo report was filed from Riga (Latvian capital), not Moscow."

Latvia is full of nazis. Currently they are deporting elderly people who have lived there their whole lives if they can't prove proficiency in Latvian. These are our NATO allies. Imagine if the US started deporting people who don't speak English proficiently, regardless of whether even they were born here? But we are "defending democracy" in Latvia.

Dr Weevil म्हणाले...

'tim in vermont' (4:50pm) needs to tell us where he got his information about Latvia, because much of it is false, and his account is seriously incomplete.

Reuters has a detailed story, my second hit on DuckDuckGo, titled "Russian citizens take language test to avoid expulsion from Latvia" (link).

The only Latvians in danger of being deported are those who chose to give up their Latvian passports for Russian passports either at independence (1991) or later. The country has 1,840,000 people, of whom about a quarter are ethnic Russians, but only 20,000 of them are subject to this law. It does not apply to those over 75, no one seems to have been deported yet, and the standard required is very low: "To pass, they need to understand basic Latvian phrases and speak in simple sentences, such as 'I would like to have a dinner and I would like to choose fish, not meat'." Doesn't seem much to ask of those who are not in fact Latvian citizens, and chose not to be.

So, 'tim in vermont', did you know all this and choose to omit all these pertinent details? Or did you foolishly believe some tendentious source who omitted them? If the latter, you are morally obligated to 'burn' that source by telling us who told you this, and to make sure that you never quote the lying weasel again. So, where did you 'learn' all this?