Robbie Williams cusses his way through 'FIFA World Cup' Opening Ceremony and even flips fingers at camera
Robbie Williams is a badass, and he wants the world to take notice of that fact. The singer performed four songs as part of the opening ceremony for the FIFA 2018 World Cup and caused quite the controversy by swearing at the camera.
Moreover, the musician added an extra line to the lyrics, and instead of singing the usual lyrics "Pimping ain't easy, most of them fleece me", he sang an additional line "but I did this for free," reports Mirror Online.
It is being speculated that Williams added the extra lyric as a musical slap in response to the recent news stories which surrounded his decision to accept the World Cup gig. He was also accused of "selling his soul to Putin" by quite a few politicians and human rights campaigners, after reports of the nerve agent poisoning on British soil of Sergei and Yulia Skripal became viral.
Williams said after the ceremony that opening the event to 80,000 fans and many millions all over the world was a boyhood dream, and went on to add, "We'd like to invite football and music fans to party with us in Russia, in the stadium, or to tune in their TVs a little earlier for an unforgettable show."
On the other hand, it is being reported that Williams' finger-flipping antic might cost him a brush with the law, since he broke the law in Russia, since the country clamped down on explicit language in the arts in July 2014, banning the use of swear words in the arts.
According to The Independent, the law states that those who break the law will face "fines of between $70 and $1,400 depending on whether they’re an individual, an official or an organization."
However, his actions on camera seem to have triggered a lot of football fans worldwide, who instantly took to their social media handles to express their thoughts on Williams swearing and using profanity in a nation that looks down upon such actions.
One user was in disbelief, asking, "Did Robbie Williams just put the middle finger up just now or am I bugging??"
Another user wrote, "Turned on FOX just in time to see Robbie Williams give the middle finger to the worldwide audience. God, I love the World Cup."
Some people were furious about Williams' action with one person tweeting, "Robbie Williams swearing at the camera at the opening ceremony of the World Cup just shows you what a tactless and classless person he is. Absolutely disrespectful and coupled with a nonchalant performance. He won’t care though. He will still get paid millions for it."
If poetic justice prevails, Williams could face punishment as a result of his transgression, but only time will tell if the host nation decides to punish their own choice of performer for the World Cup opener.