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Russian campaign: Strip for Putin, win an iPad 2?

Political campaign appears to encourage women to strip down in support of a Vladimir Putin 2012 presidential run, with a new iPad 2 offered as incentive. But the stripping part may also be a misunderstood pun.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

strip for Putin campaign
Putin's Army expects an iPad prize to bring out the bodice rippers. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET

Leave it to Russia to combine nudity, politics, and gadgets. With a presidential election approaching in 2012, an active movement is under way to get popular former president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin back into the presidential seat.

What better way to drum up support for the candidate than having women who support Putin appear to suggest stripping down for a chance at winning an iPad 2? According to an article in The Telegraph, a video proposing just that showed up on parliamentarian Kirill Shchitov's blog. You can check it out below. Don't worry. It's safe for work.

The busty woman in the video scribbles, "I will tear my clothes off for Putin" on a tank top with blazing red lipstick. The iPad 2 makes a sultry cameo appearance for incentive. (Clarification, 1:52 p.m. PT: There is some debate as to whether the girls in the vid are literally talking about stripping or are simply using a Russian pun for "I will tear" to say they love Putin so much they will tear anyone apart who is against him and show it by ripping their clothes apart.)

In any case, the video is definitely suggestive, as the girl featured in it says, "Please upload a video where you tear something or someone apart for your president" and she proceeds to tear her shirt apart. The campaign comes courtesy of a group that calls itself Putin's Army. Women are encouraged to submit videos of themselves tearing their clothes for Putin, and one lucky winner will take home an Apple tablet.

Putin hasn't yet announced that he will run for president, but perhaps this will nudge the notoriously manly man into an official decision.

Somehow, I don't think this sort of political movement would get very far in the upcoming American presidential election. Maybe we'll get "Bikinis for Bachmann" or "Overdress for Obama" instead.