Who’s insulting Armenian Dignity?
So, Nigel Charnock, a British based dance artist has been condemned by the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosian, by dancing on the Armenian flag, as well as wrapping it around his naked body. Some ministers have gone as far to brand the dancer ” a criminal” under a law which claims any defacement of the Armenian tricolour constitues prosecution.
Charnock has apologised for his performance, brought over by the British Council, and he stated that he only wanted it to represent the love felt when he was in Armenia.
I couldn’t help but wonder - whilst I appreciate, seeing an Armenian flag danced upon and wrapped around a male body, is probably not a pleasant sight…we may consider the deeper meanings of this, Charnock has said why he did it. What made me sneer inside was the numerous other, far more obvious “insults” to Armenian dignity that one may come accross every day in Armenia :
The piles of rotting rubbish on the streets, people eating seeds and throwing them all over the floor outside an Opera house home to a stage named after one of this Century’s most prominent composers, or watching Armenian Grandmothers beg for money so desperately, whilst the dust from a hummer owned by a well connected “guarantor of Armenian dignity” covers the citizens on the street… Tell me, where is the ranting and raving about these everyday insults to Armenian dignity? Who is going to brand these people criminals?
Amen to that, brother.
Comment by Onnik Krikorian — 2/3/2007 @ 12:33 pm
I’m most frustrated to know that the Minister of Culture could be such an outspoken idiot!!! And how the hell do they find such degenerates-brainless $$$$heads to represent culture in this country.
This is most outrageous - I’m frustrated and ashamed to have such stupid ministers in the government.
Comment by Observer — 2/3/2007 @ 8:54 pm
As an Armenian person, I would not enjoy seeing anyone rapping his/her butt with Armenian flag and that does hurt my national dignity indeed, but cannot resist commenting that I would not emphasise the gander of the one who is doing it as the issue is not about sex and sexual preference.
However, Mrs Hasmik Poghosyan, self-conscious decoration of in Armenian political arena is not the very person to comment on the issue I think. She was so honest in confessing in her life mission as a woman (armenianow.com) that I can hardly consider her competent to comment on art, dignity and politics. Presumably it is good to have her somewhere around in a poorest ministry to show female participation in Armenian politics.
Moreover I would like to comment that British culture is not limited with Shakespeare, even though our mother-wife-Biologist-teacher-culture-minister might not be aware of it evidently and the jump of her imagination on British culture breathes out in relevantly modern times.
As for keeping Armenian national dignity high with tidy streets, I am afraid, this is our choice, and British dancers do not throw their waists in Armenian streets. I am sorry, but I think we do where we make the environment comfortable to us, and we deserve the result:(
Comment by Grigor — 2/3/2007 @ 9:40 pm
Despite the fact that there are other “insults” to Armenian dignity that the original poster had mentioned, trampling all over the Armenian flag is still insulting and, I believe, justly punishable by law (I would need to check on that one). Therefore, I support the cancelling of the show. Having said that, the Minister’s statement was ridiculous!
Comment by Vahagn — 2/4/2007 @ 9:29 pm
Whatever else? Meghaaa! What is wrong with dancing with a flag? Any flag?
Philistines who have never seen Nigel Charnock perform condemn his act. Armenian dignity? Armenian idiocy more like!
Having followed Nigel Charnock’s career over the past couple of decades I must confess that I see him as one of the British greats. I was a great fan especially in his DV8 years where he tackled many difficult issues including AIDS. I would think that having a great contemporary dancer in Armenia would challenge and inspire those who saw him perform.
The culture minister’s stupidity and ignorance is monumental. She has done what politicians are good at doing. Scoring cheap political goals. Long after she is gone people will still be admiring Nigel Charnock.
Finally, what does insulting Armenian dignity mean? Ms Poghosyan must have been in bed with Cemal Cicek, the Turkish Justice minister who is a great advocate of defending ‘Turkishness’. Defending ‘Armenian Dignity’. Give me a break. I agree with Harmick’s comments (except the one smacking of homophobia!). Perhaps if some half with had shot Mr Charnock she would have explained ‘he insulted Armenian dignity!).
I also want to ask why, oh why is Armenian dignity so prickly or any different from the dignity of the Portuguese or others who did not find this same dance offensive?
Was it also, perhaps, that a gay male dancer was an easy target in a homophobic, hypocritical, backward and barbaric society? What kind of government does this country have that gets outraged by a dance while being totally indifferent to corruption, poverty and the countless outrages comitted in Armenia every day?
Stop censorship. Leave art to the artists. Politicians have no place determining what art is acceptable. Nigel Charnock should NOT have apologised. This uncultured culture minister should be sacked!
Comment by Vasken — 2/4/2007 @ 10:50 pm
I do not protect Nigel. I do not protect British Council. I protect MY freedom of choice! The Ministry speaks on behalf of the Armenian people… excuse me, I am not in that group in this case.
I had a phone conversation with the Press Department of the Ministry. The lady I was speaking to said:
“The British actor is going to apologise.”
I replied: “I am sorry that…” (Cavum em vor…)
She did not let me finish my sentence and screamed in Armenian:
“De tenc cavacac el mnaceq…” That was the end of the conversation.
What is this? Isn’t this worse then dancing on our flag?
I called Astghik Avetisyan who proudly signed the legendary letter. She refused to talk to me. Why? If you put your contact info including your mobile why refuse talking to people who do not agree with you?
I respect the rights of those who did not like the play but in return I require respect for MY rights.
Comment by Naira Sultanyan — 2/5/2007 @ 3:05 pm
Is there really a law against damaging or misusing the Armenian flag? I don’t remember seeing it in the constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression.
I don’t think it’s a big deal that someone danced on/with the flag. An artist should be able to do whatever s/he wants. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.
Now Nigel Charnock has become a minor celebrity because of the attention he got
. Good for him.
Comment by nazarian — 2/5/2007 @ 7:06 pm
So get this, in an interview with Armenia TV after that first performance, Nigel made some comments regarding the complexes of our society and that he wasn’t the one who pulled out of the second show for feeling bad about his performance, but rather the Ministry telling him to get lost. YET, Armenia TV completely translated his interview incorrectly. Here I was wondering, “How can a true ‘artist’ feel so bad about this incident, say he was truly sorry and that he would not do another show because of feeling such guilt.”
Another dumb ass Culture Minister trying to win points. WHEN THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A NORMAL MINISTER OF CULTURE???
Comment by Der Hova — 2/6/2007 @ 2:19 am
we Armenians are so infatuated by our “symbols” but can care less about our fellow Armenians..and we claim to be the first Christian nation..what happened to the Christianity in Armenians?
Comment by Frieda — 2/6/2007 @ 10:30 am
Can I add a little note to Nazarian’s comment? Nigel Charnock is pretty huge in contemporary dance circles in the UK and europe and does not need Armenia to turn him into a ‘minor celebrity’. On the contrary Armenia becomes the laughing stock within the international artistic community.
Naira Sultanyan’s point is pretty serious. When will those petty officials in their ministries learn that they are there to SERVE the CITIZEN?
This is what makes Armenia a third world country and we must all help pull it out into the first world (which in my book means including free speech, no censorship and respect for human rights for all citizens including popular and unpopular minorities).
Comment by Vasken — 2/7/2007 @ 2:48 am
Another example of fools leading the blind!!!!!!!!
Comment by arapo — 2/21/2007 @ 12:20 am
Hi there,
In any country’s constitution there’s a clause on the flag being the symbol of the nation. Liberal or conservative, black or white, homosexual or straight, old or young, all ought to respect their symbols. Now, I do know how petty officials make Armenia’s days of freedom miserable with their zero-to-minus-infinity level of professionalism. However, that should not be placed as a counterargument for any artist of any background rubbing his but with any other nation’s flag or even worse dancing on it.
It is sheer ‘hooliganism’ in the most gentlemanly meaning of the word. Nigel wouldn’t have dared to do the same with a Portuguese or for that matter the EU flag, let’s say here in Brussels. That would have created an EU-wide debate on so many levers in so many Member States that the EU would go through another EU-constitution-like dark tunnel.
By choosing to ‘artsitically express’ his views and ‘love’ for Armenia by making a ridicule of one of Armenia’s very basic yet significant symbols, he blatantly treated his audience as a third-world-country audience. Therefore, his apology is right on time and deservedly so harmful to his career.
So, whether the Minister of Culture used the opportnity to sieze a career highlight or not, it IS the duty of any country’s Cultural Affairs administrator to intervene and send a note (and not a trained murderer such as the case in Turkey).
Therefore,
- pointers to the due intervention,
- apology accepted,
- and get off the murky waters of apples and oranges equilibrium when posting arguments.
Comment by Annathens — 3/6/2007 @ 4:28 pm
…Such riffraff blemish the reputation of the nation (at least, of me and all those disinclined to think in terms of the Caucasian populace, while having roots there - and some being bound by whatever circumstance - to live there). I mean, we are talking of a nation here that, despite bragging to have descended from the first Christians, practices (and so in the XXI century) (religious, e.g. moslim) animal slaughter… how could civilisation possibly influence them apart from the benefits of the technological advances of the much more (not sufficiently, of course, but far more so) civilised West!..
I personally am of the opinion that savages must either be assisted, by whip, if needed, into civilisation completely, or - be stringently kept from all influence of it and live in darkness (not only moral, but technological as well)…
And to the ultra-patriotic faceless armenian crowd, whose voice has clearly sounded in a number of replies to this blog entry: go get civilised, idiots! Find a good ground for cocking about on your ethnicity before you do!..
Comment by Unum, sed Leonem — 5/7/2007 @ 3:09 am
First of all Unum, sed Leonem you are a self righteous moron.
NOW ON TO THE SUBJECT
Annathens sad it best. I just wanna add a few things. Art has limits when it comes to national symbols. Flag is one of them. I am sure that most of the Armenian population supports the ministry’s decision. THATS WHAT MATTERS.
Most of the posters here are trying to sound ZARGATSATS, as if the majority of Armenians in Armenia don’t know how to appreciate modern “art”. Walking on our national symbol and wrapping it around a naked body is a disrespect.
Oh and just because our gov. is corrupt that does not mean that this move by the ministry was in error; even a broken clock can be right twice a day.
Again Annathens an excellent post
Comment by AKS — 6/4/2007 @ 4:45 am