"Antonia Shapovalova, ‘a commissar in the pro-Kremlin movement Nashi’, has designed lingerie with a view to persuading the young ladies of Russia to have more babies.” This sounds like quite the titillating daydream in post-Soviet Russia. What does the lingerie look like? How does it work? Of all things, the dainties address (hoping to undress?) and appeal of solidarity to Russia’s political Big Boss Man, Vladimir Putin (whose nickname is Vova.) "Vova, I'm with you," is printed (stitched? branded?) across the front of the tiny briefs. Imagine undies with a similar indication of reproductive support for U.S. president George W. Bush! (Of course, his last name alone is fertile undergarment commentary.)
This bit of sartorial politics is reported by Aida Edemariam in an article titled "The Rise of Pants Campaigns” (The Guardian, April 08 2008). Ms Edemariam goes on to reveal that there is, it seems, a precedent for this kind of political voice. "In the run-up to the 2004 US election, for example, an outfit called Axis of Eve organised what they called ‘Operation Depose and Expose’: gaggles of women flashing red, fuschia, black and lavender drawers at TV cameras. It was the slogans that were the point, however. ‘Weapon of Mass Seduction’, many of them read. ‘My Cherry for Kerry’ and ‘Expose Bush’. This time round BarelyPolitical.com has got in on the act, selling skimpy red boy-shorts with ‘OBAMA’ written in big white lettering across the back.” This is an interesting reverse spin on the notion of dragging politician’s names through the mud.
There even occurs mentioning the Unmentionable on ladies’ unmentionables. "Just this February Agent Provocateur, not generally known for its serious political leanings, designed a pair of Guantánamo Bay orange knickers, accessorised with a tiny pair of handcuffs, some fetching black ribbon, and the slogan ‘Fair trial my arse’ curling across the rear. Vivienne Westwood (whose son runs Agent Provocateur) sent some down the catwalk at London Fashion Week. Even Gordon Brown was presented with a pair.” I wonder how they Mr. Brown looked in his pair.
Subversion of lingerie to political ends is much like the odd transformations that occur in sleep dreams. What is considered "normal” and "proper” is ignored with alacrity, in order to get messages across to the dreamer. in dreams. As in setting out goals and striving toward ideals in the waking world, so too in sleep dreams, the outrageous is commonplace.
Finally, the reporter comments: "The effectiveness of pants in the fight for justice across the world is unrecorded.“ Will there be a bumper crop of Russian babies in the following months? Will this Russian dream have come true? Only time will tell. (Kiss and tell?)
This, of course, is an important aspect of all dream work: to verify in the waking world how our dreams are actually playing out. In order to make dreams real, we must put our money where our mouth is …