Heavy liberal artillery opened up on me here. I was branded for immoral collaboration with the regime—and that is what ended up costing me. Yevgenia Markovna Albats: Question: why did TV Center launch the program at all (make a pilot, shoot episodes, change hosts, assemble a team, spend money, promote it)? And why did it shut it down after just a couple of episodes? And one more question: was it really worth putting your reputation on the line when the outcome was obvious either way? http://ymalbats.livejournal.com/56558.html And Alexander Plushev: The talk show “Fight Club,” where I was invited to be the host, was shut down before it had really even begun. And it was perfectly obvious that it would not stop at mere blacklistings—the reason I didn’t go. They were simply wiping their feet on Navalny (who also never ended up becoming a host), and after a couple of episodes they just threw him out along with everyone else. http://plushev.livejournal.com/1331153.html Apparently I have to respond. So I will. Ab**out reputation **Yes, when I went to TV Center, the risk to my reputation was very high. But not because of any “collaboration with the regime.” The risk was that I might make a lousy, pointless show that would be quietly canceled at the end of the season because of low ratings. The risk was that, as a host, I would be torn apart by critics. The risk was that I would take part in a project people would dismiss as “just one of those talk shows.” I try to value my reputation as someone who, if he does something, does it well. And in that sense, I hope my reputation has not suffered. I am not ashamed of a single episode we shot. Not one. They were excellent programs that also got good ratings and made money for the channel. I honestly earned every kopeck invested in me. My reputation is intact. I do not think that “Fight Club,” during its short life on television, did much to make the existence of the “bloody regime” any easier. Quite the opposite. We gave interesting people a chance to appear on television. We tried to build a new format for an interactive program in which the main participants were representatives of the blogosphere. Yes, they killed us off. But I am inclined to count that decent attempt as a plus for my reputation. About “wiping their feet.” And Plushev-the-host, the noble refusenik. Frankly, saying they were “wiping their feet” on me is too harsh. To be honest, my first impulse was not to write any response posts at all, but simply to punch plus**hev in the **forehead the next time I saw him. Right there in the hallway of Echo of Moscow (a Russian radio station). In that case, at least, my reputation would not have been at stake. In that respect it is not especially great anyway. I’m a simple man. They even wanted to expel me from YABLOKO (a Russian liberal political party) over complaints from people offended by my use of force. But then I decided that punching Plushev in the forehead would be seen as a blow to the heart of liberal journalism, so I changed my mind. First of all, it is necessary to correct the respected Alexander Plushev. He was not “invited to host” “Fight Club.” He was invited “to audition for the host role.” For the role of the “liberal host.” And, surely you’ll agree, those are two very different things. More than a few dozen LiveJournal users connected with journalism—or simply politically active people—went through such auditions for “FC.” Some of them are in no way inferior to Alexander in blogging prestige. Some of these people did not pass the audition; some passed the audition but did not pass the “approvals” stage (yes, yes, there was such a stage). But not one of them started writing, “I was invited to host, and I refused.” Perhaps that is due to these people’s natural cowardice and their habitual disregard for JUSTICE. Let us leave such statements on Olexandr’s conscience, though in a certain sense his move was of course elegant and effective. I think that in the near future we should expect more shocking revelations from him on such topics as: How I was invited to present the “Weather on NTV” segment, but refused because of Kulistikov’s outrages; How I was invited to work as a soloist at the Bolshoi, but refused because of nepotism and excessively tight tights; How they wanted to make me the chief cosmonaut, but I refused because of the lawlessness of little green men who continue to treacherously abduct humanoids. And I was not afraid to shout this refusal straight out the little window of my apartment. Into the dark sky itself. To the distant cold stars. Which only seem so indifferent, but in fact are always watching me closely—me, Alexander Plushev. Seco**nd. As **I was reading Alexander, I could not shake the feeling that I had heard all this before. All this well-argued reasoning. This principled, and in places even uncompromising, position. It cannot help but command respect. But somewhere, this had all happened before. I spent five minutes digging around on the internet and found it! I do not in the least want to accuse Alexander Plushev of plagiarism. But still. He is clearly not original. He had (and still has) a TEACHER. Even a spiritual mentor. As proof, I attach this video clip. Dedicated to Alexander Plushev. A man who has a subtle feel for television, has principles, and does not hide his point of view. He understands the difficult situation on TV. And he has no intention of taking part in such disgraceful and vile behavior.
