tina and Yulia Volkova,
her partner in song and spit-swapping, were originally joined together
by a television producer named Ivan Shapovalov — a man who reportedly admitted to a British tabloid
in 2003 that he was inspired to create the duo by watching "underage"
pornography. Though the pair pretended to be in love, Katina admitted in
an interview with The Daily Beast last year that it was an act: "That was my role. I never was a lesbian. I never was attracted to a girl."
So... how is it even remotely conceivable that Russia, under fire for its recently passed anti-gay legislation, would want to push this pair into the spotlight? Here are a few potential reasons.
1. t.A.T.u. is the only Russian act to break big in the United States.
Check out the Wikipedia page for "English-language singers of Russia." There are 12 artists listed, including t.A.T.u., and chances are you've only heard of one of them. The pickings are slim for Russian artists with international followings. There is no post-Soviet equivalent of the Spice Girls. Sorry.
2. It's a bid to appear "gay-friendly."
To their credit, t.A.T.u.'s sapphic act probably did have some sort of affect on the public acceptance of bisexuality in their native country. Katina told The Daily Beast that she and Volkova regularly recieved mail from teenagers who were struggling to find acceptance: "[We] received so many thank-you letters, especially if you are a teenager when everything is over the top, and then you understand you are different and society doesn’t support you, it’s really tough, a lot of people commit suicide ... I was so surprised by those letters.”
3. Putin is too busy to give it his all.
The President would love to throw one down on the mic, but he has dignitaries to greet and stuff.
So... how is it even remotely conceivable that Russia, under fire for its recently passed anti-gay legislation, would want to push this pair into the spotlight? Here are a few potential reasons.
1. t.A.T.u. is the only Russian act to break big in the United States.
Check out the Wikipedia page for "English-language singers of Russia." There are 12 artists listed, including t.A.T.u., and chances are you've only heard of one of them. The pickings are slim for Russian artists with international followings. There is no post-Soviet equivalent of the Spice Girls. Sorry.
2. It's a bid to appear "gay-friendly."
To their credit, t.A.T.u.'s sapphic act probably did have some sort of affect on the public acceptance of bisexuality in their native country. Katina told The Daily Beast that she and Volkova regularly recieved mail from teenagers who were struggling to find acceptance: "[We] received so many thank-you letters, especially if you are a teenager when everything is over the top, and then you understand you are different and society doesn’t support you, it’s really tough, a lot of people commit suicide ... I was so surprised by those letters.”
3. Putin is too busy to give it his all.
The President would love to throw one down on the mic, but he has dignitaries to greet and stuff.
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