Paul the Spud has been tracking the developments surrounding Vladimir Putin tenderly kissing the tummy of a young boy.
Used to be that rulers would demand minions kiss their pinkie rings and grovel appreciatively, so I maybe I should applaud the stunning reversal displayed by Putin. Unfortunately, one doesn’t need a prudish nature to be made uncomfortable by middle-aged men kissing strange children on their bare bellies.
Putin was headed for some rocky PR… until he introduced the kitten defense (via Paul again, this time @ Shakes Sis):
“People came up and I began talking to them, among them this little boy. He seemed to me very independent, sure of himself and at the same time defenseless so to speak, an innocent boy and a very nice little boy,” Putin told the Web cast.
“I tell you honestly, I just wanted to touch him like a kitten and that desire of mine ended in that act.”
Check and mate.
Kitty adorability is strictly irrefutable. Even the hardest soul softens in the presence of kitties. Who could resist nuzzling a kitten? Now that he’s invoked kitty-love and associated it with this boy, the minute someone mentions the word ‘inappropriate,’ Putin can simply say, “is it inappropriate to cuddle THIS? Excuuuuse me for making a little room in my heart for kittens.” If you point out that one mightn’t treat unfamiliar children as baby pets, Putin could say in feigned incredulity, “how dare you afford the right of affection to animals but not humans, and especially children!”
Thus, Putin has entirely obstructed judgment.
Rumor has it Sony‘s trying to engage in a similar distraction tactic. Anything’s okay when kitties do it:
Who? Us? Play video games? Never.
Dunno if that would make the teenage boys the ads were aimed at feel all manly, though. Might backfire.
That was the greatest series of kitten links I have ever seen. The rest of my day is so much brighter now.
Kitten pr0n, so satisfying.
Aren’t you afraid all the pics of adorable kitties will harm your punkass image? btw, don’t forget that a picture of a a kitten and a dog can also be incredibly cute.
Why does everyone assume punk and punkass are the same thing?
We’re trying to preserve our cred.
I don’t think “kitty” and “cred” go together in the same universe, though, I have to be honest. Cred of no kind can be maintained via kitty pics, except perhaps the President of Russia.
Is it just me or does anyone else think the dynamic has changed since Nixon gave the Checkers speech. You know, the pols now have to look kind of relatable and the demand for overt signs by the ruled of obsequity to the ruler is less than it was at one time? Any thoughts?
BTW, marc, Harpers published a scary excerpt several years ago from reading material used by Russian second-graders. It was essentially Putin campaign material of the “Who is the great man, stalwart defender of freedom and judo champion that will bring glory back to Russia?” sort of propaganda (Putin is a top judo competitor). Eek.
Dog-and-cat pictures can be very cute.
I’d go for the penguin chick defense myself. Kitty’s got some competition in the irrefutable cutness department.
Pff! Penguin chicks are too exotic. We’ve all nuzzled kittens, rich or poor, so we can relate to Putin’s desire. He’s just another kitten lover. Only Al Gore and Morgan Freeman have ever nuzzled penguin chicks, and a penguin chick afficionado might come off as elitist. He loves the working man’s idea of cute, dammit!
Holy shit are those things cute though.
can’t pay attention to the content of this post. too distracted by pictures! of! kitties! ; )
Anything’s okay when kitties do it
This is a fact. A kitten holding up a convenience store with an assault rifle would be fucking precious.
i love the cat…is best..