Pussy Riot Outwit Colbert During Interview

Even though they don't speak English, the two members of Pussy Riot who appeared on The Colbert Report last night caught on to all of Colbert's jokes and really held their own. Colbert interviewed Masha Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova with the help of an interpreter and talked about their jail time, Vladimir Putin, and why they chose to call their band Pussy Riot. All of Alyokhina and Tolonnikova's answers were all very smart and clever which isn't surprising seeing as they've always been open about their political mission, but is when you consider that Colbert's satire is sometimes confusing to English speaking guests who don't have to wait to hear every joke through an interpreter.

When Colbert asks why they were jailed, Tolokonnikova responds simply, "We sang a fun song in a church." (Three members of Pussy Riot were arrested in March 2012 for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” after singing a protest song in an Orthodox cathedral.) Colbert mentions that he's a friend of Putin's and says that he is leading Russia into a "brighter future." The women respond, "We have different ideas about a bright future and we don’t want a shirtless man on a horse leading us." Here they are referencing the numerous (and ridiculous) pictures that show a shirtless Putin enjoying various outdoor activities including horseback riding and fishing.

The women go on to talk about how they believed they were released from prison as a PR stunt to make Russia look better in the eyes of the world going into the Sochi Olympics. They do not think it worked and bring attention to the fact that there are still others in prison arrested on similar charges.

The interview ends with Colbert asking why they named their band Pussy Riot. They respond, "We wanted to let English speaking people enjoy themselves." Colbert, who usually keeps a straight face, can't hold it together and has to laugh at their joke as he does several times during the interview. Pussy Riot's responses are just that good.

Watch the interview for yourself below to hear more about Pussy Riot's time in prison and the reason why they are in the U.S.