This show is really good - "Servant of the People" on Netflix
"Servant of the People" - the Ukrainian TV show about a mild-mannered high school history teacher (Zelenskyy), a divorced father, who lives in a modest apartment in Kyiv with his parents and neice, and who is surprisingly elected as President of Ukraine after a profanity-laden YouTube video of him righteously ranting--filmed and uploaded secretly by a student--goes viral.
His rant was prompted after his students were dismissed, mid-lesson, to go outside to build voting booths and other election related preparations, and he's given to understand that his class was chosen for this diversion because it was "just" History--you know, not important. "Why my (history) class? Why not math?" And his colleague scoffs, "That's like comparing a dick with a finger!"
And thus, his rant begins:
"I'm fed up. Fuck! I'm sick and tired of all this! Mathematics is valued as a science, that's fine. But history, as you said, is dog shit? Then we wonder why our politicians make the same mistakes when they enter the halls of power? Because they're great mathematicians! All they know is to divide and subtract. That's all!
"They force the kids to assemble the booths. Why is it a hard knocks life? Because our choice begins in a wooden voting booth. You know? And who's there to vote for? It's always the lesser of two assholes and it's been this way for 25 years.
"And you know what else? Nothing will change again. You know why? Because you, my dad, me, will once again vote for another shitstick! Yeah, because we all know he's an asswipe, but the other person is worse! Then these shitsticks enter government. And they loot and talk shit, talk more shit and swindle! Same shit, different day.
"No one gives a shit! You couldn't give a fuck! Me, not a damn soul! They couldn't care less! No one ever gives two shits at all, for that matter. If I could have just one week in office, I would show them! Fuck the motorcades, fuck the perks, fuck the weekend chalets! Fuck it all dammit! Have a simple teacher live like a president and a president live like a teacher! I tell you this as a teacher of history. But you don't give a flying fuck! Bastards!" /rant
In Russian with subtitles, no dubbed version available. It's *not* a sitcom with a laugh track, in case you're worried (like I was). There are 23 half-hour episodes.
Even having known about it, and having been following the news closely since this invasion began, I must say that watching this show--and I've only just seen the first episode--is having a profound effect on me, on multiple levels. And knowing that this show was a hit in Russia (as well as Ukraine, obvs) really adds another dimension in thinking about how the general Russian populace might be digesting current events.
I highly recommend everyone watch it. Seriously. Plus, it's really good. But, fair warning: it will exponentially increase the pain you already feel about this war.
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