MOSCOW — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Wednesday criticized a group of customs officers for a YouTube video celebrating the lavish lifestyle they say comes with their government jobs.
The mock rap video made in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok shows customs officials in sunglasses driving a Rolls Royce and drinking champagne surrounded by scantily clad women...No disciplinary action has been taken to date against the officers who posted the video, but Putin, Russia's paramount leader, condemned the bling-filled video's tongue-in-cheek look at corruption..."I like to joke and laugh a little myself, but this kind of creativity should be saved for a talent show," said Putin, who has hinted he may run for president in 2012...The average monthly salary for customs officials — $1,000 — is also the size of the average bribe in Russia, according to a recent report in financial daily Vedomosti...Russians lament corruption and bribe-taking by government officials to carry out standard procedures and the customs service is perceived as a major offender.
Didn't understand a word, but I know it was awesome. Something tells me if our TSA and customs people were allowed to accept bribes everyone would be a whole lot happier. And Putin can cut the shit with his lip service punishment to these guys. He know's this video was the bomb, he's just upset he wasn't invited for a cameo role. You don't put out the best music video of all time in Russia without at least throwing Putin in a background shot somewhere.
The slow motion scene from like 4:05 on made the video for me but really the whole thing start to finish was better than any video I've seen on MTV since 1998. American hip-hop artists should just be hanging their heads in shame here. Stamp-Sluts (chicks that get off on the authority of a man in control of a rubber stamp), bottles of alcohol, jewelry and cars, that was your territory at one point. Look at the class these guys exude, not one asshole in a baggy t-shirt or a wife beater. Straight high fashion apparel all around. Better pick your game up Young Money or the Rap VMA of the year is going home to Mother Russia this year.
