Scathing Putin/Simpsons Remix Goes Viral

A two-minute animated short that satirizes Putin’s twelve years in power in Russia has gone viral, gaining more than 1.7 million views in just over a week. Egor Zhgun, an animator well-known for his socially-incisive animated mashups, released the video on YouTube two days before Russia’s March 4 presidential election. Despite a vibrant surge in anti-government protests in the lead-up to the election, there was never much doubt that corrupt state agencies would ensure a landslide victory for the prime minister. Zhgun’s video, which bases itself off of characters from ‘The Simpsons,’ provides a clever but sobering look at the disturbing institution that the Russian presidency has become.