by Casey Moffitt
photo by Sacha Lecca
“The members of Pussy Riot walk into a bar. Each orders a White Russian. The bartender turns around and hands them a photo of Donald Trump.” Oof! This goofy little joke may sound harmless, but Pussy Riot has made a career out of poking the bear of authoritarianism, most specifically at Vladimir Putin of the band’s native Russia. The rotating cast of characters takes the biggest opportunities it can find to embarrass the Russian leader, whether during the Winter Olympics in Sochi or the World Cup Final match in Moscow, rallying against the oppression of women, the LGBT community and authoritarianism in general. Meanwhile, Pussy Riot’s music has taken a drastic turn recently. Instead of throwing fits in a punk tantrum, Pussy Riot has opted for more pop-oriented songs sung in English. Still biting and brutally satirical, songs like “Make America Great Again” and “Bad Girls” are also surprisingly catchy.
