The New York Post is running a sensationalist piece today about the gymnast Alina Kabaeva giving birth to a son, which may or may not have something to do with the unconfirmed speculation of involvement with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.We've hit up the story here and there in passing on the blog, but RUSSIA! magazine served up the most information. I don't know why, but I am rather disinclined to believe the story - it just doesn't fit Putin's M.O. I also think Alexander Lebedev would've been forced to shut down the newspaper which broke the story regardless of whether or not it was true or false, which is a needless reminder of the status of freedom of press in Russia today.
Worst of all, I'm also afraid of what would happen if it were true ... which could of course reverse, not exacerbate, the Prime Minister's recently slumping popularity.
All I know is that I could have done a better job of the tabloid headline. (Chip Off the Ol' Bloc? Anyone?).
Having sex with nubile young women doesn't fit Putin's M.O.? Just how, exactly, James, did you become familar with his bedroom habits?
I know nothing about the prime minister's bedroom habits, and don't care to learn. He just has a way of making problems disappear.
Does he have a habit of killing his only son? As of now he has only girls, you know. His mother is rather to famous to make disappear, isn't she?
What's more, as the Post reports: "Considering Russia's Muslim population is about 30 million, it might not hurt him politically to have a beautiful, half-Muslim wife."
I do not understand why the New York Post suddenly decided to post this story. RUSSIA! posted this story back in May, and got no response. That alone makes me think it is a hoax.
P.S. You should start writing tabloid headlines as a side job.
NINA:
Its a pity you didn't actually read the Post story before making your loopy comment. It states: "ReadRussia.com, one of the many Web sites reporting Putin's presumed paternity, said, 'The most puzzling part of this story is that at press time, not a single major Russian media [outlet] has reported that Kabaeva had a son.'"
MANY RUSSIAN WEBSITES. Repeat MANY RUSSIAN WEBSITES.
And NO major media outlets? Not even to prove it's not true? Isn't that rather odd?
Did she have baby or didn't she? Do you have ANY evidence AT ALL to show she didn't? If she did, who's the father? Do you have ANY evicence as to paternity?
Maybe YOU'RE the one who should be writing bizarre headlines.