First, I would kindly ask that "appropriate" and "appropriation" are not used as antonyms, as they are in the title of this piece. I get that it's a catchy title, but it is really misleading. Comments on this and other blogs have frequently shown that people often do not grasp the concept of appropriation very well, and even those who do frequently have differing opinions on it. This title is not doing this confusion over the concept any favors.

Pussy Riot is anti-capitalist. They did not even want to make money through merchandise as a punk band (which even the most vehemently anarchist punk bands usually don't take issue with), and the imprisoned members fired their lawyers for attempting to profit from the international attention the trial received. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pussy-riot-prisoners-sack-lawyers-who-cashed-in-on-fame-8336171.html It's ironic and inappropriate that a company is using their cause to advertise their wares, no matter where the profits go, and no matter if the products in question were something bland, like plain ol' yogurt, rather than sexy lingerie.

Personally, I also have an innate cynicism and skepticism over whether charitable products, such as the Gap Red campaign, Feed bags, Toms shoes etc. do substantial good. Even if efforts such as these truly donate their funds to the causes as they say they do, I just find buying and selling charitable stuff really superficial and self-serving for other profit-making endeavors. ***Disclaimer: I haven't researched this at all, so I may be completely, stupidly wrong.

At the same time, leaving aside profit and products, I am ambivalent if it's ironic to use sex appeal to bring attention to this issue. Of course this is treading very complicated ground, not least because the company in question appears to be a British brand. But still, I would not sever all possible comparisons to Femen, however tenuous. And recall that Pussy Riot also used sexuality in their performance art. In many arenas, Eastern European feminism is vastly different in how it views, approaches, and integrates sexuality from the brand of feminism that we usually see on this blog and links it frequently connects to. In some cases, it is night and day really. It is important to be aware of this, no matter where one stands on this issue.

Have you ever covered a critical analysis of the feminism of pussy riot on this blog? I understand that this is a sociological IMAGES blog, but if absolute statements are going to be made such as "...feminist collective performed guerrilla musical protests..." then a more critical analysis must be performed. The enormous popularity and media coverage of Pussy Riot (as well as "celebrities like Sting, Yoko Ono and Madonna speaking out for the women") should be a critical thinker's first hint that something is not quite right.

http://radfemworldnews.wordpress.com/tag/pussy-riot/

Understanding the fundamentally non-feminist nature of the group will make more sense out of the reasoning behind this lingerie product that is "using a woman’s sexuality as the bait" in service to said cause.

I think what tips the scales is that they claim to support a feminist group by not even showing the woman's face until the last few seconds and boasting about sending people out in next to no clothing in -15C just because it pleases the male gaze.

Tom, both your article and your follow-up comments refer to a "Cause," particularly a "radical feminist" one. What I'm not clear on is what precisely that is; I see several different causes going on here.

The lingerie ad directs us to the website freepussyriot.org , which has no categorically radical feminist content. Rather, its front page urges viewers to contribute to the relief fund for the band members and their families. That's one cause. The site also brings attention to political imprisonment and the suppression of dissent in Russia. That's another cause, and certainly the one that Pussy Riot has most come to symbolize. Then there's the demonstration that got them arrested in the first place, which protested the unholy ties between Putin's regime and the Orthodox church - a matter of interest not only to feminists or radicals.

In light of those three causes, the video does not seem all that ironic. The lingerie stunt may not be the kind of solidarity that the members of Pussy Riot would have approved of, but even if purely by virtue of being shot in Moscow, it can still be read as a form of performance protest.

I haven't questioned the notion that the band also happens to have "radical" feminist and anti-capitalist politics because I've heard it said so many times now, but the fact is, the vast majority of people who now know the name Pussy Riot have never heard any of their seven songs, and fewer still can understand any of the words. The feminism, though of great interest to the band members themselves, seems slightly tangential to the reasons we outside of Russia have ever heard of these women (one would hope for an equally fervent show of support for imprisoned peaceful activists who were not female, young, or attractive).

Blush does not understand the band Pussy Riot!'s message. By reading the trial transcripts found in PUSSY RIOT!: A PUNK PRAYER FOR FREEDOM (Feminist Press 2013)--the only book published on the movement--or following the movement in the news, you would see that Pussy Riot's outfits of balaclavas and colored dresses aim to desexualize the female body. Instead of being "hot bods" or "pretty faces" they members of Pussy Riot! represent themselves through simple colored dresses, face masks, and their lyrics. Representing their campaign through sexuality, not to mention expensive high-end corporate merchandise, completely goes against their radical goals. Frankly, seeing a woman almost naked but for a mask brings to mind ideas of kidnapping and S&M more than feminism. Just because a model put on a baklava does not mean she represents the Pussy Riot! cause. By wearing a baklava you can believe yourself to be a 'Pussy Riot! supporter', but it means nothing if you do not continue to then support the women--not for their aesthetic beauty or what they wear, but for what they are shouting and demonstrating! Stop commodifying Pussy Riot! and start actually understanding their message!

FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!
FREE PUSSY RIOT!