It has become a cliché that Donald Trump is a US president like no other. But in the scandal over his alleged collusion with the Kremlin in the 2016 election, a new aspect to Trump’s past has emerged — his short-lived career in Russian music videos.
Back in 2013, Trump was attempting to hold the Miss World competition in Russia. And Aras Agalarov, one of the richest men in Russia, was trying to help him. As is the way of these things, Agalarov’s son Emin also happened to be one of Russia’s most popular and well-funded music stars. And Emin and Trump found a way to work together.
The video to Emin’s “In Another Life” single opens on a boardroom filled with nervous executives, who have all clearly seen “The Apprentice.” A luxury leather chair at the top of the table is empty: The big boss isn’t here yet. To pass the time, a catalog with pictures of young women is passed back and forth. Just like real businessmen, people draw on things with pens.
But what’s this? Emin is bored. He’s nodding off. And now we’re in a luxury apartment with him, where he’s struggling to dress himself successfully. Shirts fly around the room. Groups of Miss World contestants appear and flirt passively, causing him to spill his coffee. To celebrate, Emin shadow boxes around a piano and then jumps on the furniture. Then, just as a woman who doesn’t appear to be a Miss World contestant slowly jumps into a hotel swimming pool, we hear a familiar voice. “Wake him up right now!”
Back in the conference room, Emin has slept through the start of Trump’s presentation. We know what’s coming. “Emin, you’re fired.”
Although Trump only appears for a few seconds, his worldview and aesthetic are present in every detail of the song, according to cultural commentator Peter York. The apartment that Emin dreams of is decorated in Trump’s style, just as the boardroom is modeled on “The Apprentice.”
“In the world of Russian new money, Trump is a shining star of aspiration,” York says. “Trump is their idea of what Western hot money looks like. Everything is too big. Oversized. It’s too bling. It’s gold, gold and more gold. Marble, marble, marble. Very few pictures but those that are there are pictures of yourself. Make it big, and make it gold.”
Whatever the connection between Trump and Emin now, it appears that in 2016 the Agalarov name was still enough to inspire confidence at the Trump campaign. In emails to Donald Trump Jr., Emin is mentioned as a possible conduit for damaging intelligence on Hillary Clinton from Russian officials. Perhaps it is time for another board meeting.
[Source”timesofindia”]
