Moscow — last week, when Sergei Lavrov was in Washington, where he met with President Donald trump with his us counterpart, Russian foreign Minister chose the moment for a bit of a joke.
American capital at the time was extremely excited by the message that trump fired the FBI Director James Komi, and only talked about it. However, during his brief appearance before reporters with Secretary of state Rex Tillerson Lavrov pretended that he knew nothing about the dismissal of the Director of the FBI.
“He’s fired?” asked Lavrov calmly, answering a question. “You’re kidding. You’re kidding,” said he, while his lips twisted slightly in a smug smile.
It was an improvised scene, as well as playful and sarcastic. However, it gave Americans a short opportunity to look at how Russia perceives the unfolding chaos of the presidency of the tramp — Russian, as it turned out, I think all this is kind of funny.
American democracy, apparently, is faced with one of the most serious challenges over the centuries, but for Russia it is just an excuse for Schadenfreude. After decades of harsh criticism from Washington on issues such as unfair elections, oppression of the press and large-scale corruption, Moscow is now happy watching the chaos and scandals taking over the administration of the trump. Looks more wicked than Washington, the louder the laughing Russian. When trump last week wrote on his Twitter page that the Russian “secret laugh” over the United States, he, as it turned out, was not wrong — however, a target for Russian ridicule may not be quite what he thinks is a trump. Some types of jokes like political parodies from the TV show “Saturday night live” (Saturday Night Live).
For example, the Russian actor of the Comedy genre, Dmitry Grachev — he is known for his remarkably similar parodies of President Vladimir Putin regularly makes fun of trump in their sketches. One has already become a very popular story in which prodiraetsya the first telephone conversation between the two leaders, Putin passed a mobile phone and say that when Washington. “What Donald? Not recognized”, — said Grachev in Putin’s image of the alleged leader of the free world. Numerous parodies of trump’s starting to appear on Russian television, and, as a rule, the American President look like a buffoon, which Moscow encircles around your finger.
In March of this year in the popular Russian TV show “Comedy club”, which is demonstrated in oriented on the youth audience of the TV channel TNT, one actor was represented by trump. Depicted trump believes that the former UN Secretary-General ban Ki-moon is the name of one of the types of sushi. He then portrayed communication with Grachev in the role of Putin. Trump in this sketch clearly concerned about the Russian President, however, demonstrates its intention to expand NATO in Europe. Putin depicts the launch, falling somewhere in the ocean and the tramp hastily retires. “What, are you threatening us?” — asks trump. “No, Putin is responsible, keeping a joking tone. Is a grasshopper jumped in the flour.”
In Moscow, the rapidly growing demand on the actors, depicting trump for corporate parties and other private events. This is confirmed by several agencies working with the parodists, when contacted, told the magazine Foreign Policy. “So many people bought trump that, perhaps, it is time to include it in our listings,” said Maxim Chalkov, Director of sales portal Artist.ru which has a database of 13 thousand actors, mimics and musicians, including those who portrays Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, and many Russian pop stars. “We present it in a ridiculous light, as a parody. No one wants to treat it seriously.”
But it is not only a humorous program. A surprising number of jokes and anecdotes about America comes from official Russian sources. Last week was not only the dismissal of James Komi — the Russian state news Agency TASS, was allowed to survey the trump meeting, Lavrov and the Russian Ambassador in Washington Sergey Kislyak — while the American press was not admitted. After the conversation, the Russian Ambassador in Washington, using a social network Storify, gave a derisive “contest for the best caption” to one of the photos TASS. Meanwhile, the White house expressed its displeasure over the publication of photographs, which, according to Washington, was only intended for official use.
Sunday news program of Russian state television was filled with sarcasm about the last week in Washington. “A new action series called “Secrets of the Oval office to trump” every day it becomes more and more exciting,” said political observer Eugene Baranov, speaking on the largest of the Russian “First channel”. — Intrigue to this story adds a dashing Russian trail, which is somehow present in each of his series… And the last episode with the unexpected resignation of the head of the Federal Bureau of investigation James Komi promises to be the most exciting”.
A humorous note Lavrov in Washington was made several weeks later after a particularly mocking of the raffle the Day of fools the first of April, arranged by the Russian Ministry of foreign Affairs. On his page in Facebook, the Ministry has placed fictitious electronic voice message recorded by the man whose voice is very similar to the voice of Lavrov. “To order a call of the Russian diplomat your competitor, press 1”, — said in the message. But to obtain services of Russian hackers or help e-intervention, participants were encouraged to choose 2 or 3 button.
Even Putin has joined in the General merriment. The correspondent of CBS News asked a question to Putin about the impact of the resignation of James Comey on us-Russian relations. According to Putin, who at this moment was near the ice hockey arena, it was a “ridiculous question”. He advised has asked the question the journalist to play hockey, and then he went on the ice.
Of course, Moscow will not only have the fun and games. There were reports that the Russian was concerned by the apparent instability of the new occupant of the White house, while in recent weeks almost vanished hopes for detente in Russian-American relations after years of tension during the reign of the Obama administration. The United States bombing of Syrian air base may have been the last straw for a slow-moving attempts to start the reboot.
However, the stream of jokes and anecdotes is partly linked to the long-existing tradition of black political humor in Russia. Soviet citizens often used as a weapon, humor, directed against the existing regime in the country. Jokes about the Gulag, the Kremlin leaders and food shortages were part of everyday life of people. (In recently declassified documents, the CIA says that the us agents had to translate and send home the Russian jokes and anecdotes to assess public opinion and sentiment in the country. Here is an example of a particularly popular Russian joke: a Man enters the store and asks: “Have you any meat?” “Well do you!” — meets a girl. — “We have no fish. It’s in the section next to no meat”).
After what happened a quarter century ago, the collapse of the Soviet Union jokes disappeared at a time when the government has weakened its control, noted translator and critic of the Moscow Times Michelle Beaudry (Michele Berdy). However, black humor is back — only this time the Russians, continuing to direct the point of his humor on the leadership of the country (“Putin must pass through passport control on the border of Poland. “Natsionalnost (nationality)” — ask him. “Russian,” he replies. “Occupation? (Occupation)”. Putin smiles. “Not this time — just a short business trip”), began to turn its attention to foreign objects. Today representatives of the Russian elite also have the attitude to jokes and joke — and enjoy existing in their view, the moment of truth, says birdie. This is a “blatant jokes from people who think they’re upstairs and they don’t care if it offends someone,’ said birdie. Either they are happy that someone is offended”.
