- Russian Military Recruitment Video Encourages Rejection of West's Excessiveindulgences
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, their military has been releasing recruitment ads to attract males. The most recent video promotes a negative portrayal of masculinity and ridicules modern notions of manhood.
"What's our strength built on?", the recruitment ad questions
The ad starts with the phrase "What's our strength built on?" The opening scene displays soldiers behind their tank, contrasted by a young man in pink attire with tattoos and earrings. The sequence then transitions to a grim-looking group in the trench, followed by a man in a café. Described as being filled with "delusions" and sipping a banana smoothie, the man in the café is juxtaposed with an infantryman opening his canned meat with a combat knife in the background. The video continues with comparisons like "sports cars versus tanks" and "men's fashion versus infantry."
In this ad, soft and indulgent men who lead luxurious lives are targeted. This theme continues an older clip where men were depicted as wasting away in the village or at a dull job, while the excitement of war awaited them. All recruitment ads are well-staged yet may seem unsettling to Western viewers, as the harsh realities of war and training are not concealed in the visuals.
Video with references
The new ad contains two references. In the first scene, a determined soldier carries a teddy bear in his pack. This references a real video of a Russian soldier with a teddy bear who remains seemingly unfazed after being hit by shrapnel, lighting a cigarette. The second reference comes from a popular seven-year-old ad by Nike, which asked "What are our girls made of?" The ad begins with a young girl on stage, whose singing initially embodies stereotypical female qualities but grows increasingly defiant and confident. The visuals include images of female athletes. "We are made of iron will, determination, and passion - we are made of hard work and courage," the ad proclaimed. At the time, feminists praised the ad. However, today, the military uses the martial female athlete image to reinforce their heroic image.
There are already counter responses to the new clip, such as a version that replaces the heroic sequences with real footage of injured and dying soldiers. Additionally, the Russian military's focus on "queer" themes has also been criticized and mocked. Even in an earlier video, one of the supposedly stoic fighters was revealed to be an underwear model, known for posing in suggestive ways.
The ad's narrative blatantly perpetuates the idea of propaganda, implying that modern masculinity and luxury are weaknesses. Moreover, the recruitment video uses propaganda tactics by referencing another propaganda piece, the Nike ad, to reinforce their military's heroic image.
