Looking for a gay man. A Russian MP is the face of a strange reality show

The principle of the unusual show is simple. Eight participants, living together in a villa, must complete a given task – and in the process reveal which of them is homosexual. The successful contestants will share the prize of two million rubles (approximately CZK 675,000) among themselves.

However, if they don’t guess correctly, the only gay one among the contestants will get a prize. “Pay close attention to your neighbor, perhaps he is the weakest link,” Milonov urged participants, according to the Pravda Komsomolská newspaper.

He is known for his violent homophobia. Last year, he proposed the sterilization of gays, saying that shelters should be set up for them.

Lap dance, grope…

The show is very popular with Russian audiences, even though it may seem like decadent entertainment. The challenges that should provide opportunities for participants to observe each other’s manifestations of sexual orientation are varied.

This is part of a broader strategy of waging a culture war to distract people from more serious problems.

Dan Healey, a professor at the University of Oxford

In one of the episodes, the contestants undergo a “loop dance” first from strippers and then from strippers. Others are watching. Another challenge was that participants were able to touch scantily clad men and women through the opening.

While some found the show to be weird trash, others spoke of interesting insights into Russian perceptions of homosexuality and masculinity.

“This is part of a broader strategy of waging a culture war to distract people from more serious issues,” Oxford University professor Dan Healey, who studies modern Russian history, told Insider.

“It also says something about Russia – it’s different from Europe and the West, it has its own rating of values,” he added.

Camilla Salazar

"Unapologetic social media guru. General reader. Incurable pop culture specialist."

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