Robbie Williams might just be in trouble with Russian authorities after flipping the bird straight at a TV camera capturing the 2018 World Cup opening ceremony.
Williams, who performed at Moscow’s Lushniki Stadium before Russia’s 5-0 pummelling of Saudi Arabia, was smack-bang in the middle of his tune Rock DJ when he let it rip.
https://twitter.com/EnglishRussia1/status/1007290750202273792
Why the 44-year-old decided to be a bit cheeky during his massive performance is currently unknown, but several outlets report the gesture may have breached Russia’s broadcast guidelines.
In its assessment of the performance, The Independent noted that Russia changed its laws on profanity in artistic performances in 2014, mandating that offenders who use profane language during a program could be slogged to the tune of about $1,800.
Whether Williams will be hit with that fine is yet to be seen – the final decision on whether a profanity violates the laws is decided by an expert panel – but broadcasters worldwide have scrambled to apologise for the display.
In the US, a spokesperson for the FOX network said they were sorry the crude finger was blasted onto screens nationwide.
“The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony was a newsworthy event produced by a third party and carried live on FOX,” they said.
“As it was broadcast live, we did not know what would happen during Robbie Williams’ performance and we apologize.”
As we wait for answers, let us commiserate the fact he did not rip the flesh from his body as in the song’s 2000 music video. That would have been a much more compelling way to open the tournament, tbh.
