Fridge vs. TV

In Russian political jokes, the expressions "battle of the fridge vs. TV" (битва холодильника с телевизором), "refrigerator and TV set", etc., refer to the relative influence of the actual living conditions ("what's in the fridge") and state propaganda ("what's on TV") on the opinions of the ordinary population of Russia.[1][2]

It appears that the TV is winning. For example, while in 2015 polls the majority agreed that Russia is in crisis, the blame was commonly put on the West, rather than on the government.[1]The situation began to change around the 2021 Russian protests.[3]

Still, the very existence of the joke indicates that the grip of the state propaganda is incomplete yet. [4]

References
  1. https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/russias-war-fridge-vs-tv-50460 The Moscow Times, October 25, 2015
  2. Телевизор против холодильника, Ekho Moskvy, February 17, 2016
  3. Kramer, Andrew E. (January 31, 2021). "Russia's Economic Slump Erodes Consensus That Shielded Putin". New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  4. The TV vs the fridge: A Russian joke shows why Putin's propaganda isn't working on his own people, Business Insider
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