Recently Freed Pussy Riot Members Kicked Out Of Pussy Riot
Image: Denis Bochkarev
Lady Gaga had it right: fame is a monster. And now Pussy Riot members, Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova and Maria “Masha” Alyokhina are feeling the sting of their overnight celebrity status. They’ve been dishonorably discharged from the feminist art collective. The group held their tongues while Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina toured The Netherlands, Japan and Singapore and said nothing when they appeared on The Colbert Report , but kicking it with Madonna at the Amnesty International concert, it appears, was the final straw.
According to Gothamist, the duo were kicked out rather unceremoniously via a message their fellow Pussy Riot members posted on the group’s website. Apparently, what did them in was Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina’s willingness to make a paid appearance. Here’s an excerpt from the statement:
We’re a female separatist collective. We never accept money for our performances… we only stage illegal performances in unexpected public places. Masha and Nadia are out of the group.
Ouch.
Here’s hoping that the fact that Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina can no longer use the Pussy Riot name in good faith doesn’t hurt their cause. Onward and upward, ladies, onward and upward.
Follow Nikita Richardson on Twitter @nikitarbk
