(un)happy Baku

We all know the Pharrell Williams and his trendsetter song "Happy" from the animated Pixar movie "Despicable me 2". 

There is even a new trend to send in videos from around the world titled "Happy from XXX" representing cities and countries from across the globe. 

But when I watched this morning "Happy from Baku" video I couldn't help but wonder- are we really?! Yes, people in the video look very happy (granted half if not more of the people starring in the video are well known artists from Azerbaijan and a few random passerby). 

Maybe Baku is happy and so are its residents but I thought of all the recent activists, bloggers, journalists, and advocates who were sentenced to jail on trumped charges in just past one month. I am pretty sure their families, friends are not happy. 

So was this video mocking all those people of Azerbaijan who don't feel happy at the moment? Because I am pretty sure with the unemployed, hungry, struggling to get by, average Azerbaijanis there is nothing to be happy about. Nor there is anything to be happy about the level of our deteriorating education system, health care system, social services. The Baku thats in the video isn't everyone's, not the happy part at least.

Last year, there was a remake of another popular video- Harlem Shake but because there were no famous people in it and because it wasn't supported by Azerbaijani government its maker is actually in jail today, yes- convicted for 8 years! Will the people who made the "Happy" video convicted now too?! Of course not! So let them be happy, the few who care little about others.