On the set of television talk shows, the moment when the audience in the studio should show violent emotions is determined by the director. He presses the button, a light comes on in the hall, announcing that it’s time, and the extras, like Pavlov’s dogs, begin to portray delight or indignation. But, when suddenly something goes wrong, or if the puppeteer hesitates, the crowd freezes in indecisive silence, trying to understand whether the cue from the stage now needs to be supported by clapping or accompanied by an exclamation of disapproval. The Russian government has so accustomed society to joy and sorrow on command that until the sign “laugh” or “mourn” appears on the scoreboard, no reaction will occur. Yesterday in Dagestan some scum shot five women near a church in Dagestan, but today everyone doesn’t give a fuck. On TV, this was mentioned only in passing, between Trump’s next statement and Saakashvili’s deportation. Well, because elections are coming up in the country – this is not the time to shed tears! And no one began to change avatars in social networks, no one launched any flash mobs in support, the police of grief did not go through the tapes in search of those who regret wrongly. The lamp did not light up, which means that we can assume that nothing happened
