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For Putin's government the key here is censorship of Western content. Many Western blockbuster movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer included, disseminate ideas that

For Putin's government the key here is censorship of Western content. Many Western blockbuster movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer included, disseminate ideas that are antagonistic to Putin's fascist narrative. Barbie is, among other things, a play on feminism and on democratic values - think Ken's voting a new Constitution! It's only logical that Putin does not want "foreign agents" distorting the regime's narrative massively distributed to its 83 federal subjects ("federal states"). China has been doing this for ages now by picking a handful of foreign films / year and demanding the Statue of Liberty be removed from film. However, the Chinese market is so yummy that Western blockbuster productions will often self-censor to make sure they make the cut [1]. Putin is getting the opposite in fact, the West is high on anti-Russian sentiments for the last decade or so, and that has trickled down into content. Remember when under Boris Yeltsin that Western productions got plenty of "good Russians" after the Iron Curtain melted down? [1] https://www.voanews.com/a/censorship-of-hollywood-blockbuster-films-intensifies-in-china-/6557850.html https://www.voanews.com/a/censorship-of-hollywood-blockbuste...

thriftwy 3y ago
"think Ken's voting a new Constitution!" Russians also voted a new Constitution. In 2020. Wasn't much good, but here you go.
- cmrdporcupine 3y ago
  This is actually the thing that annoyed me most about that movie -- all problems resolved by putting in a new constitution! Magic! So American. A constitution is only a piece of paper whose worth is determined by the power of mass society to demand that powerful actors comply with it.
kubb 3y ago
> Many Western blockbuster movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer included, disseminate ideas that are antagonistic to Putin's fascist narrative. This is so wonderfully, innocently naïve. Thank you for writing it. God bless America.
- em-bee 3y ago
  please elaborate
  - kubb 3y ago
    It's a misunderstanding of Russian mentality, national ethos and the mechanics of their internal propaganda to think that a "message" disseminated by a Hollywood movie poses some kind of threat to it. Using the example of Oppenheimer, a Russian citizen might see the movie and take away the following conclusions: 1. American leadership makes decisions based on an irrational fear of communism. 2. We are justified in expanding our nuclear arsenal. This is the only way they won't bomb our people in an event of conflict. 3. The Nazis sure were a threat to everyone. I'm glad we defeated them, but they weren't mentioning that in the movie. So ungrateful, typical Americans. 4. The political system of the US is quite unstable. I'm glad we have Putin. That Yeltsin sure was an embarrassment. 5. Whoah, the h-bomb sure is a powerful thing, we should drop that on Ukraine to win the war. 6. History is written by the winners, and whoever is the strongest wins. Thank goodness we're so strong. 7. I'm glad to live in a country where I could torrent this and I don't have to be worried about a 100 million dollar lawsuit. 8. The respect everyone gives us makes me feel so proud to live in Russia, one of the world leaders. We have a great future ahead of us.
Guthur 3y ago
They are antagonistic to any other cultural view point, that's how it works. US culture crushes all before it, this is easily observable. The problem is that plebs of the west mostly don't seem to understand that, or wilfully don't care. Culture wars are a thing and governments have every right to protect against US led liberal hegemony if they want to maintain any sort of collective will.

thriftwy 3y ago

"think Ken's voting a new Constitution!" Russians also voted a new Constitution. In 2020. Wasn't much good, but here you go.

cmrdporcupine 3y ago
This is actually the thing that annoyed me most about that movie -- all problems resolved by putting in a new constitution! Magic! So American. A constitution is only a piece of paper whose worth is determined by the power of mass society to demand that powerful actors comply with it.

kubb 3y ago

> Many Western blockbuster movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer included, disseminate ideas that are antagonistic to Putin's fascist narrative. This is so wonderfully, innocently naïve. Thank you for writing it. God bless America.

em-bee 3y ago
please elaborate
- kubb 3y ago
  It's a misunderstanding of Russian mentality, national ethos and the mechanics of their internal propaganda to think that a "message" disseminated by a Hollywood movie poses some kind of threat to it. Using the example of Oppenheimer, a Russian citizen might see the movie and take away the following conclusions: 1. American leadership makes decisions based on an irrational fear of communism. 2. We are justified in expanding our nuclear arsenal. This is the only way they won't bomb our people in an event of conflict. 3. The Nazis sure were a threat to everyone. I'm glad we defeated them, but they weren't mentioning that in the movie. So ungrateful, typical Americans. 4. The political system of the US is quite unstable. I'm glad we have Putin. That Yeltsin sure was an embarrassment. 5. Whoah, the h-bomb sure is a powerful thing, we should drop that on Ukraine to win the war. 6. History is written by the winners, and whoever is the strongest wins. Thank goodness we're so strong. 7. I'm glad to live in a country where I could torrent this and I don't have to be worried about a 100 million dollar lawsuit. 8. The respect everyone gives us makes me feel so proud to live in Russia, one of the world leaders. We have a great future ahead of us.

Guthur 3y ago

They are antagonistic to any other cultural view point, that's how it works. US culture crushes all before it, this is easily observable. The problem is that plebs of the west mostly don't seem to understand that, or wilfully don't care. Culture wars are a thing and governments have every right to protect against US led liberal hegemony if they want to maintain any sort of collective will.