Borys Balanenko, psychology student
“Absolutely yes and I was surprised in a bad way to hear this joke by Kvartal 95. The audience of this festival is international and includes many Russians.”
Artem Kuras, university lecturer
“I’ve never liked Zelensky, and I find his sense of humor cheap and provincial. He’s a showman, not a serious comedian, and unfortunately there are currently no great living comedians in Ukraine, such as the 20th century’s Pavlo Glazovyi and Ostap Vyshnia.
Alina Maksymova, college student
“I think it is inappropriate to compare the country you were born in and live in to a porn actress. It is disrespectful to both Ukraine and its citizens. This whole case may be forgotten over the next couple of months, since Kvartal 95 has always been very popular.”
Serhiy Martynenko, IT entrepreneur
“Of course, we live in a free country and (Volodymyr) Zelensky did not break any laws.But how should we react to comments like this? In my opinion the best way would be to boycott Kvartal 95 shows.
Vira Hambarska, college student
“As the saying goes, there’s a grain of truth in every joke.”
Editor’s Note: At a comedy show in Latvia on Sept. 10, Ukrainian comedy company Kvartal 95 jokingly compared Ukraine to an actress in pornography films for soliciting Western aid, provoking the outrage of fellow Ukrainians.
