Russia’s Middle Finger for Hillary’s Reset Button
A sphinxlike Russian newscaster named Tatiana Limanova flipped the “bird” while pronouncing Barack Obama’s name on Russia’s REN TV – the country’s largest privately owned channel. The video of this exotic event is spreading like wildfire over the Internet as if it were a UFO sighting, causing Americans to question the algorithm of Hillary’s “reset” button. As a Russian speaker, I have received quite a few emails asking for the translation of the lovely anchorwoman’s segment.
Responses to the Russian video in the American blogosphere range from marriage proposals and offers to get Tatiana on Fox News to reporting her to the White House website AttackWatch.com. Not to discourage America’s newly found respect for the Russians, it is my sad duty to inform all that the reality is less poetic, for the Russian anchor’s middle finger is not what it’s being made out to be. In case you’re wondering, this is not a parody or yet another progressive truth adjustment. Sometimes you win; not this time.
This is what Tatiana Limanova says in Russian:”Dmitriy Medvedev has become the chairman of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) today.” She stutters while pronouncing the name of the summit and continues: “Previously this position was held by Barack Obama.” That’s when she flips the bird and dispassionately goes on to describe the APEC press conference in Honolulu, with Medvedev talking about the Russian-American missile treaty.
Apparently Tatiana’s gentle finger was directed at her filming crew, who probably had made comments about her stuttering in the first sentence. She heard it in her earpiece and flipped the bird in response, thinking she was speaking off camera over the footage of the conference. Reading Obama’s name as she did was a mere coincidence.
Tatiana Limanova has a reputation to uphold — after all, she is a winner of the prestigious TEFI award, presented to her by the Russian Academy of Television for being the best newscaster in 2010. Flipping the bird at another country’s leader doesn’t agree with that status, nor does it agree with the unwritten ethics of “edgy” journalism that require attacking one’s own ruling elites first. Given that REN TV is considered the last bastion of free media in Russia, an “edgy” newscaster there would sooner flip a bird to her own president, Medvedev, than to the U.S. president.
In addition, Russians typically don’t make the same distinction between the president and the country as we do; Obama for them personifies America. So if the “bird” were intentional, it would be directed at the United States as a whole rather than at Obama personally. And that is unlikely since the rest of REN TV programming is mostly made of the following American shows in Russian translation:
- Formula-1 motor racing
- Family Guy (as Гриффины)
- The Simpsons (as Симпсоны)
- Friends (as Друзья)
- The X-Files (as Секретные материалы)
- M*A*S*H (as МЭШ)
- My Name Is Earl (as Меня зовут Эрл)
- Top Gear Russia (Russian: Top Gear: Русская версия)
- Prison Break (as Побег)
- The 4400 (as 4400) — a science fiction TV series produced by CBS Paramount Network
- Supernatural (as Сверхъестественное)
- Jetix, children’s adventure programming from Disney
Personally, I find it newsworthy because the lovely Russian newscaster was broadcast internationally doing what so very many of us Americans would absolutely love to do … and have done many many times, just not in front of a news camera. Can the cosmos be telling us something in that Americans from fly-over Idaho are shooting at the White House in the same week as an emphatic middle finger is flashed cheek-by-jowl with That Person’s name? I think it can not possible be a coincidence, and encourage Arab, Japanese, Brazilian, and African newscasters to also get their game on by doing the same thing.
I’d also encourage Canadians, French and Germans to join the f-you Obama pile-on, except I’m not sure if they’ve gotten over us not speaking to them during the Iraq war, so maybe it’s best to leave that scab alone until after November 2012. Does China even have newscasters, and does anyone besides the CIA watch them?
I have a definite fondness for Israel and Australia, so those nice countries are excused from participating, if they don’t want to.
One of my friends at university had a somewhat subtler way of “flipping the bird” to people. He worked part-time at a hardware store and sometimes encountered really obnoxious customers. Whenever he felt the need to tell them off, he’d simply rub the side of his nose with his middle finger a couple of times. It was impossible for the customer to prove that he was really being given the bird – it could just have been an innocent scratch – so he was pretty much safe against being fired even if the customer had complained.
I’d love to see our media adopt that gesture whenever Obama’s name is mentioned. Then again, almost no one in the MSM is actually hostile to Obama so maybe we’d better just have everyone who dislikes Obama make that gesture whenever his name is uttered.
Think how satisfying that would be! I’d LOVE to see a video where a group of people are talking about Obama and the conservatives are all scratching their noses at every mention of his name
This seems like the kind of initiative that would soon go viral….
Whenever he felt the need to tell them off, he’d simply rub the side of his nose with his middle finger a couple of times.
Obama himself did exactly that during one of the debates of 2008. He has also been filmed with feet up on his desk, soles aimed at the viewer in a gesture taken as an insult by some other cultures of the world.
Of course, some of us assume different things. I assumed that Ms. Limanova’s gesture (a) didn’t mean the same thing in Russia it does here (the British version is a “V” with the back of your hand toward the viewer- and dates to the Middle Ages), and (b) judging from the angle, wasn’t aimed at the camera anyway.
As for President Obama, when a man talks about Austrians speaking “Austrian”, and the U.S. having 57 states (was he confusing it with Heinz’ Ketchup?), I assume that anything he does gesture-wise is probably unintentional. Because he’s simply too obtuse to know what he’s actually doing.
Next to making Jimmy Carter look good, The One’s major legacy may be making Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid appear… almost lucid.
cheers
eon
I seriously doubt he was thinking of Heinz because that is an American cultural icon, reflecting an “exceptionalism” which he doesn’t believe in. Perhaps Obama was thinking of the 57 members (56 states plus the PA) belonging to the OIC – the Organization of Islamic Conference (now Cooperation). Then again, since he referenced “one or two more states” he had yet to visit, maybe he was just showing his ignorance.
–carrying ketchup or channeling the Islamic Organization Conference, which has 57 member states.
The photo of Obama with his feet on the desk is an insult in any culture, and was probably interpreted so, even by those of nations who do not think viewing the soles is per se an insult. The incongruity of such nonchalance in a formal, working setting, since a staged photo, spoke volumes.
Furthermore, it was “giving the bird” in a blatant fashion to the American people, for it is not “his” desk, but the nation’s. It’s an antique with American history, and as such it deserves to be treated with respect. The person who does not respect our history and its symbols does not respect we the people.
Anyone with half a brain knows the BO doesn’t respect anyone but himself.
NanGee;
Some of us in Canada(hopefully lots of us)have been giving the theoretical finger (we in Western Canada call it the “Prarie Fencepost”) to Obama for three plus years. Our pension plans and economy are also not producing the way we would like. Only you folks in the States can improve this situation, like you did in the 2010 election season with the improvement in the Congress. We consider ourselves good friends and allies with you all, and could not have a better neighbour. Just stick that “Prarie Fencepost” to Obama and retire him.
Thanks for clarifying that in a clear and thoughtful manner. That makes perfect sense that she thought she was off camera and was flipping her team the finger for making fun of her. Better luck next time I guess.
This incident reminds me somewhat of one from World War II (what the Soviets call The Great Patriotic War) where Winston Churchill, on a visit to Moscow (in 1941 or 1942 if memory serves), flashed his famous “V” for Victory sign for photographers. (See http://successinsuccession.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/v-for-victory/ for an example of Churchill giving the sign on another occasion).
Soviets weren’t familiar with Churchill’s previous media appearances in the West and thought he was symbolizing the number 2. They took this as proof that Churchill had agreed with Stalin’s urgent request for the Western Allies to open a second front to ease pressure on the Soviet forces that were struggling so hard to survive Hitler’s invasion. This led to great jubilation in Soviet society which was followed by great disappointment when it was learned that Churchill was definitely NOT committing to a Second Front so early in the war.
What most Americans do not realise is that whilst giving the ‘V’ sign with the palm facing the recipient is V for Victory giving the ‘V’ sign with the back of your hand facing the recipient means exactly what the ‘finger’ means. I believe the finger is a ‘European’ gesture possibly Italian and that is how it came to the USA. Us Brits are far more Anglo Saxon (or we were until we were immigrated into oblivion) and we still prefer the good old Anglo Saxo “F… You” and a two fingered gesture waved vigorously with the back of the hand facing the enemy.
The origin of the two fingered ‘V’ sign dates back to the 100 years war between England and France. English Long Bowmen were the weapons of mass destruction of the age and any that were captured by the French had their two string pulling fingers amputated. So before battles the English archers used to vigorously raise a Two Finger salute to the opposing French to show them that their Archers fingers were intact and doom awaited them. It passed from this into common usage to show disrespect for an enemy or antagonist.
The most interesting thing in this article, for me, is that Russians are adopting Che Guevara T-shirts from American popular culture.
I wish I read Russian. I can’t figure out how to email that station to congratulate her and ask they not fire her. She should get a promotion. That made my day!
Alas. Fox News is now reporting that she was fired. Too bad.
FoxNews will also occasionally allege Obama is eligible for office of president, or at least give things the Bill Sammon refute when Obama’s eligibility is commented on or questioned.
– me!
Oh how the mighty have fallen. The left is in high dudgeon over the flipping of the bird, after all it is an affront to their belief in The Won. Funny that, they didn’t say a word when a shoe was thrown at Gee Dubya Bush.
All this really proves is that she’s human and like others in public places, sometimes makes mistakes. She’s obviously not the first person to think they were off camera or microphone and to do something impolite. Too bad if they do fire her, also too bad that she didn’t seem to really mean it. Of course the excuse of flipping off the camera crew is better than admitting she was flipping off BO. I would have applauded her for that.
After this episode perhaps many in Russia will understand that a countries citizenry is not it’s leadership. It seems the Russian citizenry would know this as well as any group of subjects.
They know who on the crew caused the problem.
It’s possible he will wish he had been fired should a group of Russian toughs decide to express their displeasure with losing their favorite anchorperson.
I wonder—-Do Russians refer to Vladimir Putin as ‘the Little Father’ as I frequently do? Would someone enlighten me, please. Also, we all need to somehow express sympathy and support for Tatiana. Maybe FoxNews could hire her?
Too bad!! It was soooooo good!
Great juxtaposition anyway!!
Thanks for the update!
She was demonstrating real broadcasting skill – she was reading the news in front of her, listening to the internal commenting on her mistake, responding to those comments with the finger – all without stumbling in her smooth, professional, delivery. Stupid to fire her for such a mistake; an on air apology would be sufficient.
If she WAS fired, she should be hired by either the Romney or Gingrich campaign teams. They need a tough person like that working for them. The could call it a “worker-exchange program” too. Talk about “communications.” She really does get to the heart of the matter, doesn’t she?
How come the poor Newsreader gets sacked while the Affirmative Action Teleprompter Kid the USURPER Barrack HUSSEIN Obama was not even picked up on HIS one finger salutes in debates with McCain and others. Seems the Lame Stream EneMedia has one law for the Messiah and a completely different one for mere mortals.
Ah schucks!! That’s too bad. I really liked the original version of the event.
I hope Tatiana wasn’t fired.
Russia’s Middle Finger for Hillary’s Reset Button
Don’t clean up Shrillary’s retarded mess for her. It was an “OVERCHARGED” button and the middle finger is a textbook example of indicating being “overcharged”.
Let us not forget that Barky enjoyed childishly giving the finger to various people – including Shrillary – except that Barky would do it in a 3rd grade manner by putting the finger on his cheek and smirking. He did that a few times during that pathetic campaign. It was like watching an elementary school brat (and a pretty stupid one, at that) running for our highest office as a prank. Well … the joke was on us.
Let’s not forget the snot-nosed little brat’s cupping his balls during The Star Spangled Banner.
He just did that to try and protect hisself from me (as if that were even possible) … kinda like how I feel when I walk down the street at night and hear footsteps behind me … Then I turned around and was relieved to find – oh … you all know the story.
MSM you can spin this anyway you like but flipping the bird is universal!This women did what a lot of Americans are doing behind obarry`s back because if they do it out in the open, obarry`sd thugs would pay you a visit. How many stated is obarry suing now? /
Absolutly does not matter. There are millions of us right here in America that would gladly flip the finger to Obama on or off camera.
Obama flips the bird at America every day. 20 years in a church that’s a black version of the KKK is not a love message for America, especially when the pastor uses the Bible to argue that God should damn America because 12.56% of the population are unhappy.
Suing AZ in favor of illegal foreign nationals is not a love story; if those in question were white Obama wouldn’t have even noticed they were being “profiled.”
Appointing “wise” Latinas and otherwise selecting people out by gender and color is pretty much saying white people are an epic fail and he’s going to straighten out the racist ship. What’s competence compared to the right social standing?
Hopefully Fox will pick her up- I could watch this everyday
Someone up above mentioned Barack doing the ‘cheek scratch’ version of flipping the bird during the 2008 election. For those of you who missed it, here’s the precious moment:
http://www.docmercury.com/rainy/scoring-a-10-in-the-political-olympics
Truly a master of the craft.
Well, that Oleg’s take and he’s supposed to know. But, I disagree just the same. Russians (and I don’t include Ukrainians in this instance, that’s another story) love their Motherland and detest the farce that is their government. Therefore “Russia”(meaning government-Kremlin) and its people are not one and the same.
The same applies to the USA and its people and Russians understand that well.
In my trips and stays in Russia (not the usual tourist havens, Moscow and St. Petersburg)Russian people like America, hope it will return to what is has stood for, and Americans are looked upon as individuals as many of us would look upon Russians.
They do not associate Obama with the character of America. Perhaps, Oleg being in NYC sees Americans as New Yorkers do. There’s a helluva lot more to our country than NYC.
This poor newscaster has been fired for her gesture (which, unfortunately, was apparently was intended for her camera crew for remarks she heard in her earpiece). If she was sacked for flipping off her co-workers that is one thing, but if she was sacked for appearing to flip off Mr Obama that is a travesty! We need to contact REN-TV and express our support for Tatiana’s political commentary and ask them to reinstate her! She only did what millions of Americans would like to do.