Russia cleans up tongue

Thinking about making a film? Better leave out the foul language if you want it to be seen in Russia. The same goes for plays. Even rock stars will need to leave their potty mouths at home. Why? Because Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a new law this week that bans swearing at arts, cultural, and entertainment events in the country. Any new film containing obscene language won't be granted a distribution certificate, so there's no chance of seeing it at the movie theatre. And copies of books, CDs, or films containing swearing can only be distributed in a sealed package labeled "Contains obscene language." According to the Kremlin, the legislation "bans the use of obscene language when ensuring the rights of Russian citizens to the use of the state language, and protecting and developing language culture." But Putin better be careful about his next move because while some may hail attempts to clean up the nation's language, it will likely be seen by critics as the latest step under Putin's leadership to limit freedom of expression and promote a conservative, nationalist viewpoint. A report by rights group Amnesty International in January highlighted a denial of "basic freedoms" in Russia, which last year introduced a law barring anyone from talking positively about homosexuality in earshot of minors. And that, readers, is why Putin needs to go.