ФЕМЕН / FEMEN Group protests - what do you think?

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December 28th, 2011, 08:35 PM
Hanna

ФЕМЕН / FEMEN Group protests - what do you think?

"FEMEN" is a group of radical feminists from Ukraine (I think) who got a lot of attention recently because they went to Minsk to carry out a protest which you can see below on video. They have carried out other similar protests elsewhere in Europe.

The protest in Minsk ended poorly because (according to the women) the Belarussian police took them into custody, shaved the head of a couple of them, and then dumped them in the forest. They have returned to Ukraine now. The Belarus police denies their accusations.

Is this group famous in the Russian speaking world? Any views on them?

I don't think their protest in Minsk was very meaningful and I doubt it achieved anything, unless you count the headlines "Women shaved and dumped in the forest by the KGB".

They have been protesting in places like Zurich and Paris too, apparently. No shortage of a travelling budget, clearly.

I heard of them once before, when the "occupied" a fountain in Kiev because they were angry that the hot water was turned off throughout the city in July.

As for most of the stuff here, 100% go sisters!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9fkxndkW-E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfZP_3xegkU&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yout ube. com%2Fresults%3Fsourceid%3Dcaptaincaveman%26search %3DSearch%26search_query%3D%D0%A4%D0%95%D0%9C%D0%9 5%D0%9D%2B%D0%9C%D0%98%D0%9D%D0%A1%D0%9A

Here is their self-promotion video. So much for ex-Soviet country women not being feminist!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzUcbPjWv5Y
December 28th, 2011, 10:34 PM
Doomer

These girls are very popular in Internet among men's auditory. I'm certain that it has something to do with the way they express their protests :)
I have never seen any conversation in Inet which would be seriously related to the actual protests(words) rather than to hmmm... the expressions
December 28th, 2011, 10:54 PM
heartfelty

Love Ukrainian ladies and Treat them With Respect

Love Ukrainian ladies and treat them with respect. Imagine if your mama or sister were Ukrainian. I would go berserk if that happens to my mama or daughter or sister. But sometimes morals are in the eyes of the beholder just like murder is in the hearts of men when it comes to gun control. Ya, the Mafia has sold a lot of them to pigs or fat porcupines just like in the movies. Terrible!!
December 29th, 2011, 01:27 AM
Throbert McGee

Hmmm... I remember that after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, it seemed that at least once a month, there was a news story about a bunch of middle-class white people in LA or San Francisco or Seattle or NYC, who would take off all their clothes and arrange themselves into the shape of a giant, pale-pink peace symbol, in protest of Bush's Illegal War:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/d...dPeaceSign.jpg

Congratulations on your brilliant strategy, hippies -- теперь у вас хрены и сиски загорелые, а война всё-таки продолжается. (Now your dicks and nipples are sunburned, but the war continues anyway.)

So, in general, I think it's rather stupid to have naked protests against war or homophobia or destruction of the rainforests, etc. -- it creates the impression of spoiled adult "children" who simply want attention.

HOWEVER, I can actually see some logic if these women are going topless to protest сексуальные домогательства ("sexual harassment") or prostitution, for example, because the paradoxical irony may actually leave an impression on people. ("I'm taking off my shirt and showing you my tits in order to remind you that a woman isn't simply a pair of breasts for you to look at and buy.")

On the other hand, I don't see the logic of going topless to show solidarity with political prisoners!

In other words, the symbolism of nudity should be used carefully and sparingly, or else it just seems silly and self-promoting.
December 29th, 2011, 01:49 AM
Doomer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

nipples

nipples - соски, nipple - сосок
сиськи - tits

Quote:

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

are sunburned

sunburned - обгорелый (обгорелые) или сгоревшые
загорелые - tanned

Quote:

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

всё-таки

in this context
всё-таки - however
anyway - всё ещё
December 29th, 2011, 01:52 AM
Doomer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

On the other hand, I don't see the logic of going topless to show solidarity with political prisoners!

it gives you more clicks in Inet
That's the major logic in their protests
December 29th, 2011, 06:40 AM
Hanna

I think they should organise themselves a bit better and make sure that it's clear what they are protesting about.
The protest in Belarus seemed completely pointless and poorly executed.

But I wonder if there is any merit to their claim that the mafia is supporting Euro 2011.... and sex tourism to Ukraine.
I think that the view of some men on Russian speaking women (as we've seen even here on MR) is disgusting. But is stripping off really going that change that...

And although I saw some references about them protesting in Zurich I couldn't find out the reason behind it. I have spent quite a lot of time working there and did not notice any particular problems for women there.
Meanwhile, in Sweden there is a collective mass hysteria about pro-feminist initiatives. Despite being a woman I actually think it's gone too far, some of it is completely laughable, people have just lost all perspectives about this.
December 29th, 2011, 02:34 PM
Doomer

Hanna, they ARE organized :) Just not the way you would expect
Here is their official site - http://femen.org/
And here is one of the links from their official site - FEMENSHOP | Официальный магазин FEMEN-товаров. Поддержи за сиськи!
Description say - official shop of FEMEN goods
Topic says - "support the tits" but it is also a wordplay
поддержи за сиськи - means "support the tits"
подержи за сиськи - means "touch the tits" and they kinda encouraging :) - http://femenshop.com/images/siskaslide.jpg

Also please notice that FEMEN is Ukranian group and they usually protest in Ukranian language but their sites are all in Russian,
cause Russian speaking auditory is much bigger than Ukranian which again, gives you more clicks on banners
December 29th, 2011, 09:18 PM
kidkboom

One could consider it to be a bit of a shame, like Throbert mentioned (Penn state it's not).. If there is a worthwhile cause to be championed, some power that needs fighting, then it's like the old story of the Boy who Cried Wolf.. One would want to save the chance to protest, so that they are taken seriously when something really important happens..

.. But on the other hand - you go into work every single day, right? And if you work at FEMEN, what do you really do with your time? I'm assuming a lot... but given enough time on your hands, you'd probably plan something even if there's not a dire, heroic need for it... maybe that's all that's happened here - a lot of energy on the planning side, but not a lot of purpose on the function side... anyway, just my thoughts.. thanks for sharing, Hanna!
December 29th, 2011, 09:27 PM
Eric C.

Quote:

One would want to save the chance to protest, so that they are taken seriously when something really important happens..

So, your saying is you can't take women's bodies seriously. See, now you're being sexist. =)
December 29th, 2011, 09:35 PM
Eric C.

Quote:

I think they should organise themselves a bit better and make sure that it's clear what they are protesting about.
The protest in Belarus seemed completely pointless and poorly executed.

A dozen of political prisoners is no argument for you? People whose only "crime" was to take on the election race... I have nothing to comment over here.

As for "poorly executed", could you share your thoughts on how they could perform there better?
December 30th, 2011, 02:43 PM
kidkboom

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric C.

So, your saying is you can't take women's bodies seriously. See, now you're being sexist. =)

Haha. Okay, point taken. :wink: