A bizarre, year-old report that described cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’ as Kremlin propaganda for kids has been revived in The Times, prompting commenters to wonder if the publication had run out of ideas for its usual Russophobia.
The adventures of pesky little Masha, who befriends a bear and other animals in the style of Tiny Toon’s Elmyra, has been enjoyed by children and parents worldwide. The Russian-made cartoon then came to Netflix, whose Russian- and English-language services jointly reach over 21 million subscribers. What could possibly be sinister?
“Children’s show is propaganda for Putin, say critics” – reads the headline on a weekend edition of The Times.
UK journalists have dug up a report from Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat paper, which was based on an interview with an Estonian professor who claimed that ‘Masha and the Bear’ was intended to create a positive image of Russia in children’s minds and was a danger to Estonian national security.
The Times said that similar concerns were expressed in neighboring Lithuania and cited University of Buckingham Professor Anthony Glees, who believes that: “Masha is feisty, even rather nasty, but also plucky. She punches above her slight weight. It’s not far-fetched to see her as Putinesque.”
Some internet users, even those with anti-Kremlin views, saw the story as a new low in anti-Russian hysteria.