30 November 2013

Russians about the Louis Vuitton suitcase in the Red Square


This (somewhat ridiculous if you ask me) marketing ploy is real:
Since construction finished this week, the gigantic luxury trunk, which is just steps from the Kremlin walls and was set to hold a charity exhibition of suitcases by the Paris-based designer, has been panned on social networks, denounced at the Duma and disowned by GUM, the luxury department store that abuts Red Square and approved the temporary exhibition.
Some Russians have expressed their outrage, due to proximity of the "suitcase" to this sacred place:


Of course, communists, ultra-nationalists and other demagogues* quickly jumped on the wave of popular outrage.
Sergey Obukhov, a Communist deputy for the Duma, called the square a “sacred place for the Russian government.” He added, “There are symbols that are forbidden to debase or defile.”
That the Mausoleum and the adjacent walls of the Kremlin are stuffed by hundreds of skeletons that used to carry some of the worst murderers of the last century doesn't seem to register with the pontificating political yobs. Nor does the fact that the Red Square itself served as a place for bloody punishment and executions during the centuries of Russian Tzars'. Sacred as sacred goes...

Russian people, on the other hand, have a healthy attitude to such problems and the jokes on the subject started immediately. Follow a few, haphazardly translated:

- Do you know why the "Suitcase" is being removed? The dwellers of Kremlin took it as a hint!

- Listen, Petrovna, who is it what forgot his suitcase on the Red Square?
- Nah, it is not a suitcase, it's just an oligarch's wallet.

- What does that suitcase do in the Red Square?
- Oh, the gent from the Mausoleum is fixing to move, so he put the suitcase out already.

(*) I noticed that I have, in fact, described the whole Russian Duma in that sentence. Oh well.

There are two other scandals, one related to the Red Square and another to Louis Vuitton.  The first:
Red Square has seen a lot over the centuries, from public executions to giant military parades, but a performance artist broke new ground on Sunday when he nailed his scrotum to cobblestones in a painful act of protest.

Pyotr Pavlensky said the protest was his response to Russia's descent into a "police state" and was timed to coincide with Police Day, which Russia's law enforcement officials celebrated on Sunday.
For details watch this (but don't blame me afterward):



Now this (real horrible stuff, I have to warn you):
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West left his New York apartment on Tuesday night and their staff were spotted carrying their belongings, which included some Louis Vuitton items, despite Kanye's recent call for a boycott.
I couldn't bring myself to include a video recording of the horror. So just go back and watch the clip above again, it will be better for you, I swear.

8 comments:

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Well now, in 1987 Mathias Rust landed in Red Square. The french not to be out done respond (as only they can do) 26 yrs later with a fashion statement.

Speaking of Mr. Rust:

" Since then he has lived a fragmented life, describing himself as a "bit of an oddball."[12] After being released from court, he converted to Hinduism [13] in 1996 to become engaged to a daughter of an Indian tea merchant. In 2001, he was convicted of stealing a cashmere pullover and ordered to pay a fine of DM 10,000; the fine was later reduced to DM 600.[4][11] A further brush with the law came in 2005, when he was convicted of fraud and had to pay €1,500 for stolen goods.[11] In 2009 Rust described himself as a professional poker player.[14] Most recently, in 2012, he describes himself as an analyst at a Zurich based investment bank.[12]"

H/T Wikipedia

Of course a Hindu would only steal a cashmere and what else do you call an "analyst at a Zurich based investment bank", but a "professional poker player".

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Ach, Mathias, the flying peacemaker. Of course, and he was mentioned in several Russians reports about the suitcase.

But why a daughter of an Indian tea merchant? When every right thinking man will look for a daughter of a brewer...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Capitalism hits Red Square. Gosh a rooty! As for the nitwit artiste, yes, we have a few of those, too. Not quite that extreme, though.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Love is blind.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

And don't forget that it was devilishly cold in the Red Square on that day...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yeah, with all that free tea. Oh boy.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Indeed.