Overview
In news that has ironically prompted outraged profanity worldwide, Vladimir Putin has signed a bill which prohibits the use of swear words in Russian film, theatre and live music performances. This legislation is just the latest in a long line of gradual moves against freedom of expression in the country. With the much-protested bills passed against the "promotion" of "non-traditional sexual relations", the increasing moves towards internet censorship, and the ruling in April this year against profanity in the media, the whole situation seems a bit fucked.
Coming into effect on July 1, this most recent bill will ban four specific words from Russia's art and performance. All hailing from the lexicon of mat: khuy (cock), pizda (cunt), ebat (to fuck), and blyad (whore) will be prohibited from appearing in any new work, while books and printed materials containing such words will be sold in sealed packaging with warning labels. If artists refuse to abide this new ruling, not only will their works be refused distribution, they will be charged up to 50,000 rubles ($1,510).
To further confuse matters, though the ban will include live performance and events, it will reportedly only affect products of "popular culture" and not "art". "The law is not aggressive," said a representative from the Culture Ministry to the Moscow Times. "Its only aim is to regulate this sphere, so that swearing will have its purpose." Though the difference between the two realms of production has not yet been specified by the Ministry, artists across the world can finally feel some sense of relief — who would have thought this man would be the one to pin down the elusive definition of art?
Many in the Russian art world are unsurprisingly outraged by this recent move and take particular issue with its effect on literature. Mat has in fact had a rich history in Russian poetry and prose, as seen in the seminal Romantic work of Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin.
The banning of such words, pivotal to the language of the working class, will undoubtedly limit the range of character and emotion in much of Russia's cultural work. Unfortunately, I'm not that well-versed in Russian film or literature, but just imagine a world where American Psycho is illegal; a place where this iconic scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles could never have reached its audience.
In a worldwide exclusive, we've actually obtained a copy of the upcoming Russian Wolf of Wall Street re-release. It may not have the glamour or excitement of Scorsese's original, but its does 100 percent comply to the standards of the Culture Ministry. Enjoy.
Via the New Yorker.