Gorbachev on Pizza

The dynamics involved in how well the commercial has translated to both the west and to Russia actually appear to me to be two sides of the same coin. Insofar as it relates to the west, this screams a further affirmation of victory in the Cold War and a chance to rub salt in the wounds — for Russians it is similarly what many in the country perceive to be a prolonging of their embarrassment and humiliation. Its impact as a cultural object takes different shapes depending on who you ascribe it to. Pizza Hut is an American corporation — so if we take it as the US’ object then it evokes feelings of a power play — taking one of Russia/USSR’s most prominent leaders and essentially poking fun at their collapse as a superpower — it is almost reminiscent of using a defecting spy’s information to toy with the psyche of your enemy. In this context it understandably translates very poorly — the antagonistic nature of the nation’s relations is still very much present and the feelings stemming from the ideological conflict are still very raw — it likely benefits Pizza Hut in the sense that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” and they got the desired effect of eyeballs on their product — but for Russians it strikes a deep nerve. It isn’t just that they are proudly waving a flag that proclaims ‘capitalism won’ but that the flag-bearer is a man that many feel allowed it to do so. Conversely, as the commercial was made for the Russian market, it can be seen as its cultural object — this requires a bit of generosity as it is served up with very tongue in cheek undertones — but assuming you do so it translates incredibly well over to the US. In fact the campaign enjoyed a decent measure of virality in the years that followed as viewers grappled with the awkward mix of amusement and bemusement that befalls every person that stumbles upon it — it featuring Gorbachev was a delight as opposed to a slap in the face — emphasising the superior popularity he enjoyed outside of Russia as compared to within it — the architect of communism’s collapse seen as a badge of honour rather than a mark of shame.