Our cultural advent calendar runs until the end of the year, with our ups and downs of 2022, today the villains of the year and how a Eurodance hit from the 90s saved the day.
2022 was the year of the villain.
a bold statement, I know, but let it get through to you.
Wherever you looked this year, there was always a powerful antagonist who drove your mind away.
Vladimir Putin and the atrocities committed by the genocidal megalomaniac in the last year; the revolving door of British Tory prime ministers who show their utter ineptitude as sensitive people; Kanye West’s bullshit-talking manner and open racism; the clumsy and dangerous actions of the unbearable tech brother Elon Musk, who has posed as the most incompetent Bond villain of all time and this is a Has proven once and for all An egogoblin is like Give a toddler a harpoon and expect things to turn out for the best.
There’s even a ridiculous group that still believes it’s still a good idea to fly to faraway destinations to attend COP meetings, hypocritically pontificate about the climate crisis and lecture the world about how we should all get better while being treated to expensive meals and well-meaning dance performances about nature. If any of them had a bit of common sense, they would recognize that a simple video conference would be enough, that the money spent on the meetings could be used elsewhere, and that not traveling could already reduce their carbon footprint.
Take your pick
One person, however, was a belated entry in this rich list of people who make me dive into a vat of piranhas filled with weights on my feet — a man who seemed hell-bent on refuting Darwinism this year.
I’m talking about FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
The 2022 World Cup was the scene of much controversy, particularly regarding the treatment of women in Qatar, the LGBTQ community, and migrant workers’ rights.
When asked about the controversy and Qatar’s poor criminal record when it comes to Qatar’s human rights record, Infantino held the most disturbing press conference ever, an hour-long tirade on the eve of the opening game that has stuck in my mind since the Swiss-Italian multi-millionaire uttered these words:
“I feel like an Arab today.”
Uuuhhhh…
“I feel gay today.”
What kind of new hell is this now?
“I feel handicapped today.”
You aren’t, and to say that is profoundly deaf and insulting. But keep going.
“I feel like a woman today.”
Me too every time I listen to Shania Twain, but that’s barely the right time and place.
“I feel like a migrant worker today.”
No, you’re just the gibberomelette that collects an official annual salary of 2.7 million euros a year and has glossed over the discrimination, inhumane working conditions and deaths of migrant workers so that you and your corrupt organization can line your pockets. Around 6,000 people died helping to make the World Cup possible and their families were denied any real compensation. You’re not a migrant worker, but you’re making Voldermort misunderstood.
“As a child, I was bullied at school because I had red hair,” he continued to show that he understood oppression.
Yes, just so we’re clear: Infantino — whose name is a wonderful example of nominative determinism — thought it was all right and good to compare ginger with belonging to violently oppressed groups.
He posed as a poster child for intolerance and bigotry and, in my opinion, embodied the greed and corruption not only of FIFA, but of all these morally bankrupt men who believe they can get away with murder.
But because anything that lets the light in always has a crack, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, the above-mentioned villains have their brighter counterparts.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy went from comedian to war hero and showed the world what courage and resilience look like in the face of oppression; a tattoo removal company offered Kanye West parades free of charge; the ability for Musk to turn off Twitter with him and thus free the world from an increasingly toxic platform that seems to exist solely to spread meaningless affirmations, spread hate speech and Spreading false news. Sehoods, is Tempting; and whether I agree with Just Stop Oil’s methods or not activists who have made headlines this year by throwing various liquids at works of art, the debates about their brand of civil disobedience are only for those who want to maintain the status quo — these are activists who stand up for what they believe in and warn the world of an existential threat, something that should be taken seriously and welcomed.
As for a positive counterpoint to everything Britain has been through this year, my imagination has its limits…
And in Infantino’s case, there were three positive downsides that almost restored my mental health:
1) The German team covers their mouths before their game to protest against FIFA and the fact that they were not allowed to wear the “One Love” armbands to show their support for the LGBTQ community.
2) This photo shows Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib wearing a “One Love” armband in front of the unbearably complacent Infantino.
Pay particular attention to the woman on the left in the background, who knows exactly what’s going on and whose beautifully smiling eyes seem to say “Yes, Queen.”
3) Last but not least, I’ll mention Gala and her Eurodance hit “Freed From Desire” from 1996, which became a surprising World Cup anthem this year.
The song by Italian singer-songwriter Gala Rizzatto brought me back to a time when I could only listen to Now 34 (i.e.: the best compilation ever) and how I meticulously copied the lyrics of the song from a Smash Hits magazine to make sure I had the right number of ‘nas when I read out the multiple “na-na-na, na-na, na-na” s of the banger wrote.
To this day, I have no idea what it all means.
A celebration for a lover who is looking for love and freedom rather than money? An anti-capitalist call for arms? A Buddhist hymn?
Who knows? However, it was something really heartwarming for me to hear this Madeleine de Proust from the 90s, especially when you consider how much she has become an LGBTQ anthem and how the song was also regularly played in France at demonstrations dedicated to sexist and sexual violence.
It’s a far cry from what happened in Qatar and what Infantino stands for — and that’s why it was a tonic for my tired ears.
Thank you Gala for bringing some light to a dark, dark place.
Now put it all together — and with the right amount of NAS please:
Befreit von Begierde, Geist und Sinne gereinigt Befreit von Begierde, Geist und Sinne gereinigt Befreit von Begierde Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na
Our cultural advent calendar runs until the end of the year, with our ups and downs of 2022, today the villains of the year and how a Eurodance hit from the 90s saved the day.
2022 was the year of the villain.
a bold statement, I know, but let it get through to you.
Wherever you looked this year, there was always a powerful antagonist who drove your mind away.
Vladimir Putin and the atrocities committed by the genocidal megalomaniac in the last year; the revolving door of British Tory prime ministers who show their utter ineptitude as sensitive people; Kanye West’s bullshit-talking manner and open racism; the clumsy and dangerous actions of the unbearable tech brother Elon Musk, who has posed as the most incompetent Bond villain of all time and this is a Has proven once and for all An egogoblin is like Give a toddler a harpoon and expect things to turn out for the best.
There’s even a ridiculous group that still believes it’s still a good idea to fly to faraway destinations to attend COP meetings, hypocritically pontificate about the climate crisis and lecture the world about how we should all get better while being treated to expensive meals and well-meaning dance performances about nature. If any of them had a bit of common sense, they would recognize that a simple video conference would be enough, that the money spent on the meetings could be used elsewhere, and that not traveling could already reduce their carbon footprint.
Take your pick
One person, however, was a belated entry in this rich list of people who make me dive into a vat of piranhas filled with weights on my feet — a man who seemed hell-bent on refuting Darwinism this year.
I’m talking about FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
The 2022 World Cup was the scene of much controversy, particularly regarding the treatment of women in Qatar, the LGBTQ community, and migrant workers’ rights.
When asked about the controversy and Qatar’s poor criminal record when it comes to Qatar’s human rights record, Infantino held the most disturbing press conference ever, an hour-long tirade on the eve of the opening game that has stuck in my mind since the Swiss-Italian multi-millionaire uttered these words:
“I feel like an Arab today.”
Uuuhhhh…
“I feel gay today.”
What kind of new hell is this now?
“I feel handicapped today.”
You aren’t, and to say that is profoundly deaf and insulting. But keep going.
“I feel like a woman today.”
Me too every time I listen to Shania Twain, but that’s barely the right time and place.
“I feel like a migrant worker today.”
No, you’re just the gibberomelette that collects an official annual salary of 2.7 million euros a year and has glossed over the discrimination, inhumane working conditions and deaths of migrant workers so that you and your corrupt organization can line your pockets. Around 6,000 people died helping to make the World Cup possible and their families were denied any real compensation. You’re not a migrant worker, but you’re making Voldermort misunderstood.
“As a child, I was bullied at school because I had red hair,” he continued to show that he understood oppression.
Yes, just so we’re clear: Infantino — whose name is a wonderful example of nominative determinism — thought it was all right and good to compare ginger with belonging to violently oppressed groups.
He posed as a poster child for intolerance and bigotry and, in my opinion, embodied the greed and corruption not only of FIFA, but of all these morally bankrupt men who believe they can get away with murder.
But because anything that lets the light in always has a crack, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, the above-mentioned villains have their brighter counterparts.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy went from comedian to war hero and showed the world what courage and resilience look like in the face of oppression; a tattoo removal company offered Kanye West parades free of charge; the ability for Musk to turn off Twitter with him and thus free the world from an increasingly toxic platform that seems to exist solely to spread meaningless affirmations, spread hate speech and Spreading false news. Sehoods, is Tempting; and whether I agree with Just Stop Oil’s methods or not activists who have made headlines this year by throwing various liquids at works of art, the debates about their brand of civil disobedience are only for those who want to maintain the status quo — these are activists who stand up for what they believe in and warn the world of an existential threat, something that should be taken seriously and welcomed.
As for a positive counterpoint to everything Britain has been through this year, my imagination has its limits…
And in Infantino’s case, there were three positive downsides that almost restored my mental health:
1) The German team covers their mouths before their game to protest against FIFA and the fact that they were not allowed to wear the “One Love” armbands to show their support for the LGBTQ community.
2) This photo shows Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib wearing a “One Love” armband in front of the unbearably complacent Infantino.
Pay particular attention to the woman on the left in the background, who knows exactly what’s going on and whose beautifully smiling eyes seem to say “Yes, Queen.”
3) Last but not least, I’ll mention Gala and her Eurodance hit “Freed From Desire” from 1996, which became a surprising World Cup anthem this year.
The song by Italian singer-songwriter Gala Rizzatto brought me back to a time when I could only listen to Now 34 (i.e.: the best compilation ever) and how I meticulously copied the lyrics of the song from a Smash Hits magazine to make sure I had the right number of ‘nas when I read out the multiple “na-na-na, na-na, na-na” s of the banger wrote.
To this day, I have no idea what it all means.
A celebration for a lover who is looking for love and freedom rather than money? An anti-capitalist call for arms? A Buddhist hymn?
Who knows? However, it was something really heartwarming for me to hear this Madeleine de Proust from the 90s, especially when you consider how much she has become an LGBTQ anthem and how the song was also regularly played in France at demonstrations dedicated to sexist and sexual violence.
It’s a far cry from what happened in Qatar and what Infantino stands for — and that’s why it was a tonic for my tired ears.
Thank you Gala for bringing some light to a dark, dark place.
Now put it all together — and with the right amount of NAS please:
Befreit von Begierde, Geist und Sinne gereinigt Befreit von Begierde, Geist und Sinne gereinigt Befreit von Begierde Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na