# Tatu.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460 "2004-11-07T04:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DuhCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@DuhCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DuhCow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/1 "2004-11-07T04:33:40Z")
Are the girls in Tatu really lesbians? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/2 "2004-11-07T04:51:20Z")
Last I heard, THEY say they are, and are in love with each other, but most people suspect they are paid to be a couple as part of their recording contract. Now, whether they would actually be lesbians had they never met/gotten a record deal, who knows, that’s probably something we’ll never know, cause I’m sure by now they’ve been together long enough so that it’s normal to them, and if/when they break up (as both a abnd and a couple) they will probably still stick to women. But then again, I could be wrong. My theory is that it’s a marketing ploy. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/3 "2004-11-07T05:01:15Z")
Thanks to reading FARK I know way too much about them despite only hearing two of their songs. They were manufactured lesbians to try and get controversy out of the publicity, which worked. In their private lives they both had boyfriends and I think I read that one of them is getting married now that TATU’s commercial life has ended. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/4 "2004-11-07T05:01:43Z")
Questions about the ARTS belong in Cafe Society. Moved from GQ by **samclem** ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/5 "2004-11-07T05:07:34Z")
Well, Julia [gave birth to a daughter in September,](http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2004/09/24/56262.html) and the fact that the baby’s father was at the hospital for the birth suggests he impregnated Julia the old-fashioned way. [This article](http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/95/380/10496_tatu.html) claims that “[t]he two girls (Julia and Lena) started liking one and the same boys - the lesbian love was just a promotional trick.” Of course, the latter story **is** from [pravda.ru](http://pravda.ru), which occasionally features material of dubious provenance… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/6 "2004-11-07T06:28:28Z")
They are not lesbians. Nor are they Russians. Or teenagers. Or girls. Heck, they’re not even really a duet. The fact is, both of them are played by Mort Sheinmen, a fifty year old upholstry salesman from Cinncinati. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/7 "2004-11-07T08:43:54Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > Thanks to reading FARK I know way too much about them despite only hearing two of their songs. > > They were manufactured lesbians to try and get controversy out of the publicity, which worked. In their private lives they both had boyfriends and I think I read that one of them is getting married now that TATU’s commercial life has ended. This is basically the same thing I read in an interview in the Prague Post (in 2002) with the guy behing the manufactured duo. The manager admits to having an affair with one of the girls and is pretty clear that the whole underage lesbian thing is a gimmick. Gotta love those Russians… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/8 "2004-11-07T13:40:24Z")
I can’t believe someone started a Tatu Thread in November 2004! A year and a half ago I wrote a Tatu joke into my Stand-Up Comedy routine. I used it for about three months. After about three months people no longer got the joke because they had forgotten who Tatu were. Seiously: big laughs in Apirl 2003, No laughs in July 2003. People just forgot all about them. I was really disapointed because I thought it was a great joke and now I can’t get any use out of it! Normally I wouldn’t post material on the Board since it would suddenly property of the Reader, but since I can’t really use the joke anymore I’ll share: > [@](#): > > I found this website that claimed to have video of Tatu having sex! > > Imagine my disapointment when it turned out to be Herve Villechaize and a jar of Vaseline! (When you speak the Joke you can use “Tatu” and “Tattoo” interchangably, it loses something when you write it down!) ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/9 "2004-11-07T15:49:18Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > (When you speak the Joke you can use “Tatu” and “Tattoo” interchangably, it loses something when you write it down!) Is early in the morning, Herve is “da palne” “da Plane” guy from Fantasy Island? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/10 "2004-11-07T15:54:19Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Questions about **the ARTS** belong in Cafe Society. [emphasis added] Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence! ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/11 "2004-11-07T16:14:10Z")
The creation of faux pop bands _is_ a form of commercial art. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/12 "2004-11-07T16:20:38Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > The creation of faux pop bands _is_ a form of commercial art. Enron’s accounting techniques were certainly creative. Does that mean this is the appropriate forum for discussion of Mr. Lay and friends as well? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tatu/273460/13 "2004-11-07T16:46:22Z")
Actually, what’s more irksome (to me anyway, who never liked the way they exploited the faux lesbianisn thing) is that they had a press release in September 2004 to officially “drop the ‘lesbian’ act”. It was a short press release, that generally said: > [@](#): > > The Russian duo of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova of Tatu fame are dumping their ‘lesbian’ image for a hungry heterosexual one, in a bid to try to recapture the music charts. > > “The truth is the girls were never lesbians in the first place.They feel like they were exploited. They were only aged 14 and 15 when they started singing in concert halls and doing sexy routines,” an insider was quoted by The Sun, as saying. > > “Julia and Lena are getting rid of their skimpy school uniforms in favour of a sassier, sexier look,” the insider added. I just love the part where they “complained” to The Sun (paraphrased): “We were exploited. They made us look like sexy, lesbian school girls. Enough of that – now we’re going for a sassy, sexier look!” :rolleyes: From a longer version of the release: > [@](#): > > However, the pair, who once claimed they would jointly run for Russian presidency, said they would retain their controversial style. > > “They still want to be controversial and shocking. They want to look and act hotter than ever before - but not as lesbians.” > > After topping the charts around the world with All The Things She Said, Tatu caused controversy by appearing in school uniforms and claiming they were lovers. They claimed the whole “lesbian” scenario was created by their former manager, Ivan Shapovalov, they fired a while back (February?).