Recently, a friend of mine became interested in the meaning of a particular Russian word (also used in our virtual spaces), which I prefer not to repeat here. Broadly speaking, it denotes meaningless noise, argument, or “discussion” on social networks, and its etymology is related to fulfilling natural needs.
I naturally avoid using that word due to its crude and almost blasphemous nature. However, it seems to accurately reflect the level and content of some “discussions.”
One such “debate” arose with the arrival of American actor Kevin Spacey in Armenia. In my opinion, he is an extraordinary master of his craft, a worthy heir to the best traditions of 20th-century theater and cinema. I find it remarkable that he is a fan of Chekhov. I don’t know if the experts will agree, but it seems to me that his acting technique embodies the outstanding achievements of the Russian theater school.
However, the Armenian “discussion” (let’s avoid the Russian term) was not about Kevin Spacey’s acting. Our “debate” is a provincial reflection of the same level of American and generally Western, to put it mildly, “discussion,” commonly known as cancel culture, rejection, or boycott culture.
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Four or five years ago, this “culture” reached its peak, and since then, a decline has been observed. At its most extreme, cancel culture boycotted everything from Christopher Columbus to Winston Churchill. In fact, it rejected the entire course of history based on extremely arbitrary and vague principles. Kevin Spacey also fell under that wave for actions taken decades ago, which were not considered particularly unforgivable sins at the time.
The question is, why are we Armenians reacting to a “discussion” that went out of fashion four or five years ago? There are two reasons. First, we don’t want to lag behind the “most advanced” trends of the West. Second, rejecting the past is deeply relevant to our current state of mind.
Aram Abrahamyan
