Russian media doctors up a Fathead commercial for anti-Western propaganda
On November 28, 2014, Russian mainstream television channel Russia-1 aired a shocking video. The program claimed that by the first grade, Western children are forced to learn everything there is to know about sexual intercourse and are told to pick which gender they would like to be. Decrying the loss of traditional values in the Western society, the host proclaimed that Europe is obediently following the United States off the cliff.
Russia-1 proceeded to show the video, purportedly depicting an American boy being led to his bedroom by his father. The astonished child is subsequently shown a newly-decorated wall above his bed, depicting cartoon images of naked adult males, posing on their own and during sexual activities. The host angrily exclaims: “Is it appropriate for a child’s bedroom to look this way?”
The program’s guest commentator, Maria Mamikonyan of the Russian Parenthood Resistance movement, proceeded to add that Western societies are normalizing previously prohibited sexual activities, including incest. The program went on to show images of children watching videos that depict kissing adults. Another guest tearfully rejoices that only Russia has real democracy. Subsequent discussions claim that children are being taken away from any parents who support traditional values, in what the program refers to as “gender fascism” in the West.
In reality, the clip of a shocked American boy was crudely doctored up to deliver the desired impression. The latest fake of Russian propaganda was created on the basis of a Fathead commercial, which shows the child’s bedroom that was decorated with the image of a monster-truck. Blatant fabrications by the Russian media have become so commonplace that they no longer shock seasoned observers. In light of Putin’s crackdown on Internet and rapidly dwindling freedom of the press, Russian audiences have very limited opportunities for learning the truth.
