Over the last 11 days Western media excessively focused on “mysterious disappearance” of Vladimir Putin, all the while forgetting about other, more important things happening in the world.
Putin’s mystery was on top of everyone’s mind. Western media came up with the most ridiculous theories about the whereabouts of the Russian leader. One theory said he was dead, another suggested that Putin was seriously ill and could no longer appear in public, third said that Putin was overthrown in a secret coup, and others even suggested that aliens abducted him.
After creating the story about Putin’s “disappearance”, the West kept fueling it with bewildering theories throughout days, guessing and second-guessing about his fate. All the while, Putin was simply working in his office. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, nothing exciting: no coup took place, no aliens were seen, and Putin is certainly not terminally ill. He simply chose not to make public appearance.
#missingPutin #putinmissing #putindead #Putin #VladimirPutin #VladamirPutin #WhereIsPutin #whereisvlad #lostputin pic.twitter.com/HGk9Y2c4iz
— BAD HARBOUR Ⓜ️ (@BADHARBOUR) 15 Март 2015
Made-up stories about Putin’s “disappearance” eventually frightened the West itself. Self-made fear made Western news agencies so alarmed that when Putin had a planned meeting with the president of Kyrgyzstan, Western news agencies started breaking news, screaming about his planned appearance, as if Sasquatch had been seen in Times Square.
#BREAKING Putin appears in public after 10-day absence: AFP
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) 16 Март 2015
BREAKING: First photo of #Putin seen in 10 days — @dimsmirnov175 pic.twitter.com/8qQ0I8Y6wJ
— Conflict News (@rConflictNews) 16 Март 2015
Love him or hate him, but Putin is indisputably one of the most favorite and widely discussed personalities on the Internet. Ironic and sometimes vulgar images of Putin and absurd stories about him in Western media make people excited, make them buy magazines and click on news stories.
Whether Putin “disappeared”, rode a horse, saved tigers or dived into the bottom of the Baikal Lake, stories will make the headlines in most news agencies around the world.