Russia to Ban Goth, Emo from Public Life
Figure A: Russia’s bad kids [via]
Oh, modern Russia! My former homeland, with your gold-plated toilets, your polonium, your hotpants, your outdated military technology, your simple modesty… how you continue to enchant me with your many wonders! Especially when it comes to feats of social engineering. Witness, for example, the Kremlin’s ingenious new plan to ban emo and goth, as reported by The Moscow Times:
State Duma deputies, Public Chamber members and social conservatives have hammered out legislation aimed at heading off the spread of emo culture, which they describe as a “dangerous teen trend.” The Duma last month held a parliamentary hearing on a raft of proposed amendments contained in a document called “Government Strategy in the Sphere of Spiritual and Ethical Education,” a copy of which was obtained by The Moscow Times. Among other measures, the proposed legislation calls for heavy regulation of emo web sites and for banning young people dressed like emos from entering schools and government buildings. The bill also outlines what it calls a “spiritual and ethical crisis” facing Russian youth, including the high rate of alcohol abuse, teen abortions and “negative youth movements.” Emo ideology encourages and justifies drug use and sexual relations among minors, according to the bill, which also lumps emos and goths together with skinheads.
Negative youth movements? Sexual relations among minors? Of course you’d never encourage such a thing, Russia. Certainly not with government funds! And especially not if they dress like Anonymous! Oh, wait…
Update: Zo adds, “just wanted to supplement the post with this link submitted to me this morning by Apaniyam on Flickr. There is talk of curfews, a ban on body mods and more.
Under the new measures, schools would be prohibited from celebrating Western holidays like Halloween and St. Valentine’s Day, which are deemed inappropriate to “Russian culture.” Toys in the shape of monsters or skeletons would be banned as “provoking aggression.”
Bonus extended remix: compare and contrast to the Mexican government’s treatment of its young emo citizens. After violence against the subculture increased, government officials actually launched a campaign to promote understanding under the slogan “for the freedom of being young, live and let live.” Russia vs. Mexico: it’s on!
Figure B: Russia’s good kids [via]. The one with the asymmetrical bangs is about to be seized and removed from the scene.
[thanks, Milly.]
July 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
пиздецъ….
July 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
That’s a WTF moment right there.
And how come goths and emos have to be lumped in with SKINHEADS?
July 24th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Just wanted to supplement the post with this link submitted to me this morning by Apaniyam on Flickr. There is talk of curfews,a ban on body mods and more.
“Under the new measures, schools would be prohibited from celebrating Western holidays like Halloween and St. Valentine’s Day, which are deemed inappropriate to “Russian culture.” Toys in the shape of monsters or skeletons would be banned as “provoking aggression.” ”
Wee!
Fun fact: I went to Tochka [where the first photo in the link was taken] a couple of years ago. The club didn’t open ’til midnight and wen well into 9 am. Downside – everyone smoked inside so breathing was a bit labored by the time I stumbled out of the train home that morning.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
[…] Coilhouse tells us how they are banning Emo and Goth from public life in Russia. […]
July 24th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
The Emo thing is many things…but a threat? Granted it’s not my favorite subculture but it’s the least intimidating one out there. For all its posturing and moodiness you have something far less socially and mentally damaging than say…the current christian fundamentalist movement. I mean they have an ideological war against science! That’s way more socially destructive than some kids wanting to look all spooky cool.
Still this is pretty standard operating procedure. When governments or political movements want to consolidate power and influence they start with politicians and press, intellectuals and artists, and then the youth.
Lets not kid ourselves as to what’s been going on in Russia in recent years…we’ve seen all this before. The warning signs are there…lets see who’ll be bold enough (and brave enough) to try and turn the tide.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Ugh, scary sucky government crackdown.
This raised a pukey hypothetical in my imagination as well: the emo skinhead. Stomp, cry, cut myself, force others to write bad poetry…
July 24th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Wait, a new teen trend is deemed dangerous? Stop the presses!
Isn’t this the same thing that happened with something as stupid as go-peds?
How are they going to stop things that are a part of any normal teens development? I don’t like the emo culture, but banning it isn’t going to stop depression, teen angst, teen suicide, or anything else. In fact it will probably help make a rebellious teen more rebellious.
Maybe the movement needs someone as intelligent and outspoken as Dee Snider. Look what he did for metal.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hmmm I wonder if you dressed like Stalin, he seems pretty Goth to me…
July 24th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
John: nuh-uh. Young Stalin was a total hipster:
July 24th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Wait, does this mean we can ship all of the preppy kids to Russia and they’d be fine with it? Cargo ships! We need cargo ships! Lots of ’em!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
пиздец is right!
So would these pathetic attempts of moral zakalyanka be limited to only people under 18? What about 20 somethings already deeply entrenched in the horrid subcultures of slanted haircuts and Further Seems Forever? Or all the people who post on http://www.gothic.ru/ ? This all is so so stuipd, and were it happening in the US, I’d laugh and say “This sort of crap reasoning will never make it even to the voter’s ballot.” But considering the state of Russian democracy (emphasis on MOCK), I wouldn’t be surprised if this became reality.
Also, those Nashi kids creep me out. Just like Limonov’s Naz-bol fanatics also creeped me out in their heyday.
In other news, I’m seriously going to make it to Moscow befor 2009 is out, or bust. I’ve got friends to see and family to hug. There better be some awesome tusovki for me.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
@Nadya….who knew one of the greatest madmen in history would fit so well in Silver Lake. Now the real question is…what would he name his indie hipster band?
July 24th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
God, not this shit again.
I’m glad I’m not living there — I’d be seriously tempted to just go ahead and join a sex camp, just to make things easier. It’d be a sacrifice, but I’d make it somehow.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Um, if the Russian government is going to ban pale skin, wearing dark clothes and being a little moody, doesn’t that cover most of the freaking population?
July 25th, 2008 at 1:06 am
“In Soviet Russia, Emo beats up you.”
July 25th, 2008 at 5:41 am
if the Russian government is going to ban pale skin, wearing dark clothes and being a little moody, doesn’t that cover most of the freaking population?
Dostoevsky was totally emo. And Gogol wasn’t far behind.
July 27th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Smell the fear.
July 27th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Post-Modern Authoritarianisms just doin’ their thing.
I gotta say though, as someone who has worked retail in a mall, I sometimes wish they’d outlaw emo here too.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:29 am
Pure silliness pretty much. Besides how can you even enforce something like that and won’t that make the cliched emo, Even more depressed?
August 16th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
AAAAAAAAhahaahahahhaha!
I hope I’m not the only one that finds this hilarious.
Emo kids needs to quit whining already.
The only reason I’d be against this is that this is just giving them one more thing to whine about.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:59 am
who said everyone who dresses emo is depressed/ on drugs/ getting preganant?
jamie lynn spears is a teenage mother, and she’s not emo
and not letting them wear clothes or listen to music is only going to spark a revolution!
the russian government needs to get off it’s high horse, take the stick out of their bum and quit running a country if this is all they can find to do! shouldn’t they try use their time to do something worthwhile like try help global warming or something?
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I think that is totally unfair and anyway you can still be emo or goth if u feel like one so its really stupid to stop emos and goths because we r still humans and we r different so what ?? is different bad??
December 19th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
totally ridiculous and unfair, it’s just a form of expression, being emo or goth does not hurt anyone!