MOSCOW, August 16 (RIA Novosti) – First-hand stories by Western celebrities who had travelled Russia contradict Western narrative about the country, US journalist Tim Kirby told RIA Novosti.
“If you remember back to the Sochi Olympics, all the magazine covers with barbed wire for the Olympic rings and now they have Stalinesque Putin caricatures and that good ole catch phrase “Russian Aggression” on them. So you can see how Western celebrities who freely travel to Russia and tell their tales contradict this narrative,” Kirby said.
He added that “it is very hard to push a propaganda line that if someone insults Putin they are put in the Gulag or that millions here are starving or some other absurd exaggeration when big name celebrities who hangout in Russia saying the exact opposite from first-hand experience.”
Recently, several US actors popular in Russia spoke highly of the country and its leadership. On Monday, US actor Mickey Rourke, who has a Russian girlfriend, visited Moscow’s upscale GUM store and bought a T-shirt with an image of the Russian president on the front. "If I didn't like him, I wouldn't buy the T-shirt believe me. I met him a couple of times and he was a real gentleman, a very cool regular guy, looked me right in the eye,” the movie star said as quoted by the Independent.
In July, the X-files and Californication star David Duchovny appeared in an advertisement for Russian beer. In the promotional video the actor reflects on what his life could be had he lived in Russia. The ad ends with the actor saying that if he was Russian, he would have many things to be proud of.
In an interview with a Russian newspaper in March 2014, US actor Steven Seagal, who often visits Russia, has praised Crimea’s reunification with Russia. He has also repeatedly stated that he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a friend. Last week, the martial arts guru and his blues band played a concert in Sevastopol, Crimea.
Following Rourke’s and Seagal’s visits to Russia, the US authorities allegedly asked American actors to tone down remarks regarding Russia, Izvestia newspaper reported August 15, citing sources close to the celebrities.
Tim Kirby pointed out that “if the Russian government “recommended” that certain Russian celebrities refrain from supporting the Maidan/Kiev government (which some do openly) then, I think, the US State Department would be accusing Russia of being oppressive and backwards.” He warned that “any person who believes in the philosophy that founded America should get a bad taste in their mouth from the government giving suggestions on what citizens say and with whom they associate.”
Kirby stated that “this event to some extent reminds me of the McCarthy era where associating with Russia (obviously, then the Soviet Union) lead to many people in Hollywood being (unofficially) blacklisted.” In those days that was normal because “both the US and Russia had universalist ideologies in direct conflict with each other. So there was an “excuse” for this type of behavior.”
Kirby added that “no pro-Russia celebrities have gotten blacklisted” so far. “But it will be interesting to see if this changes the more they break the Western narrative about Russia,” he concluded by saying.
