Commentary - Pussy power

For more or less the last dozen years, Vladimir Putin has been the leader of modern Russia. While his hold on power may remind many people of an older era of Soviet dictators, Putin seems to be looking West to the U.S. for his most recent political inspiration. Dedicated anti-Communist Richard Nixon seems to be his latest role model. Just as Nixon portrayed himself as a stable contrast to the hippie counterculture in his 1968 campaign, Putin consolidates his power based on improving Russia's economic stability.

And of course, both have responded to political protests with personal paranoia. Nixon used COINTELPRO against the Viet Nam protest movement and the hippies. And now, Putin is using the Russian Orthodox Church to strike out at the Russian feminist punk band, Pussy Riot. The rockers are as much about political theater as they are about music and they have a history of protest.

In February 2012, five members of the anonymous collective hi-jacked a church service to sing an anti-Putin prayer. They chose the church because of close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and Vladimir Putin.

This is what Putin seems scared of

To be fair, the stunt was offensive. The group commandeered the altar and parodied a liturgical song, referring to the Patriarch as a "bitch" and singing "shit, shit, shit of Lord God" while calling to Mother Mary to chase Putin out.

It's reasonable that Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church are offended. But in what looks like a collaboration between the secular legal system and the Church's anger, three women who have been identified as part of the group have been charged with "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and hostility", which is good for seven years in jail if they're convicted. This is a fairly heavy price for a relatively low-impact prank.

By all accounts, Pussy Riot has become a symbol, way out of proportion to the impact of their act. Even though the three women have apologized for offending sensibilities, they are becoming scape goats for the whole collection of political protesters that Putin hates.

I understand the frustration any leader has with political mockery and dissent. Even Nixon, who had the benefit of a fine Constitution that protects free speech, found it hard not to lash out at his tormenters. Putin can look to a long history of heavy State response and draw on it. But in this case, all he's doing is acknowledging the power of a bunch of smart-ass girls. It's not nearly as macho as taking down a tiger.

And in other news...
Courtney Love makes another desperate plea for attention, reminding Lana Del Rey that Nirvana''s Heart Shaped Box is all about her vagina. Even if that doesn't stop Del Rey from continuing to cover the song, it kind of kills it for the rest of us.