Flood power? Russian accounts bombard DiCaprio’s Instagram with pleas to #SaveBaikal
There are hundreds of comments in Russian on Leonardo DiCaprio’s Instagram account, calling him endearing names and asking for help. Why? It’s a long story, which also involves Lady Gaga, Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper.
In case you are not following celebrity gossip, model Irina Shayk broke up with actor Bradley Cooper a month ago after being together for four years. Some fans of the Russian-born Shayk (her real family name is Shaykhlislamova) believe that the culprit is Lady Gaga. And they came in their droves after the singer, flooding her Instagram account with angry comments. The shouting was so loud that the media took notice.
That flood campaign may be as toxic as they get online. But it also gave the idea to some Russians with a better cause on hand. If Lady Gaga haters can get noticed, why not do the same to enroll beloved actor and environmentalist icon Leonardo DiCaprio for their campaign for Lake Baikal?
Also on rt.com Russian PM to look into plans for construction of Chinese water-bottling factory at Lake BaikalSo now DiCaprio’s Instagram account is besieged by Russians, calling for his attention with comments. Some appeal to his Russian ancestry:
“Leo, isn’t your grandma Russian? You must be hardwired to ache for our birches, crop fields and bears!”
“Lyova, all our young days were about you, we wore T-shirts with your face and know ‘Titanic’ by heart! Levchik, I cry each time I see you on that door in the middle of the ocean, soaking my gown wet. You are like family to us!”
“Leo, help, save our Baikal! We’ll thank you with all we can. We can send you cooking recipes! Or a bear to guard you!”
Well, not all comments take this jest tone. Many earnestly try to describe the perils facing the world’s largest lake. But flooding people is meant to be fun, at least for those doing the flooding. Some commenters even suggested combining the two flood campaigns and see if they can bring DiCaprio and Shayk together.
The invasion was apparently started on Tuesday by a local media outlet in Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryatia that lies some 100km (62 miles) east of Baikal.
Lake Baikal is one of Russia’s national treasures, so there are always plenty of people in the country campaigning to protect it from some threat. A now-defunct paper plant located near it has been the usual target for scrutiny for years. This year the attention of activists was directed to plans by a Chinese firm to erect a water bottling plant on the lake.
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