Can a "blonde parade" pull Latvia out of recession?

Posted By Joshua Keating Monday, June 1, 2009 - 2:13 PM Share

In some countries, notably Iceland, the financial crisis and its political fallout has proved an unexpected boon for women's rights.

Other countries do this sort of thing:

The global economic crisis has hit the Baltic state of Latvia particularly hard and left the population feeling blue. But one group of Latvian women has taken a novel approach to fighting the pervasive feeling of doom and gloom.

On Sunday, a procession of more than 500 blondes paraded through the capital Riga wearing pink and white. Many were escorted by lap dogs wearing the same cheerful hues. Their goal: to use their beauty to shine a little light into the dark mood caused by the global downturn.

The march was organized by the Latvian Blondes Association. I have to wonder what sort of issues this group addresses during normal times.

ILMARS ZNOTINS/AFP/Getty Images

EXPLORE:EASTERN EUROPE, FINANCIAL CRISIS
 

BENJAMIN ESTES

12:47 AM ET

June 3, 2009

I'm kind of obsessed with this story

Yet can't find much information on the organization. And, unfortunately, since I don't speak Latvian I have no idea what is going on in that website. However, this article states that it's going to be an annual event and that there's even a campaign to get UNESCO to declare May 31st International Blondes Day.

I also don't think they've been around that long and might have even been organized for this specific event. I have little more to go on, honestly, than a vague memory of what I heard on a Russian internet radio station as they were mercilessly mocking the Latvians for this - because, as we all know, The Kremlin's response to national economic crises are never ridiculous. I wasn't paying too much attention because I was making breakfast. According to what I think is a summary of a Reuters TV broadcast, the group is recently established.

So, the question isn't what issues they've addressed in the past but what glorious causes they'll adopt in the pursuit of their terrible plans for a blonde global hegemony.

I personally can't wait.

 

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