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Vlada Sahovic feels our drinking rights impinged with the enforced early closing of one of Budapest’s fave nighspots, but wonders is it really a bad thing?
In September one of our basic rights was taken away from us. We were forbidden to drink the fruits of the almighty Dionysus beyond midnight. We were to drink no more at our favorite spot... that is until one morning we arose from our slumber to the clear and loud voice of a generation, posted via that all encompassing network of the internet, which told us: “We Are Still Open!”
However, on reflection, after much ruckus surfaced in relation to Szimpla Kert’s new closing hours of midnight, we can’t really argue that it is too much of a shame and scandal in all objectiveness. We can understand the neighbors, who work all those draining early morning shifts, not wanting to listen to drunk foreigners screaming in the middle of the night. We can understand the local municipality trying to assist those people. We can also understand the management of Szimpla being pissed off because their earnings will be substantially decreased.
But there are other things that are less understandable in the whole situation.
Seeing as there are so many places in the wider center of Budapest where one can have fun and get intoxicated well into the early morning hours, why would limiting Szimpla Kert be such a dreadful thing?
First of all, Szimpla is often the host of multicultural, syncretic manifestations which, in light of the current world trends can be said to be an important factor for the social-cultural fabric of a nation. Szimpla tries to host and promote multicultural mixing and to serve as grounds for experimental modern art. Its decor hints at this. It also holds such happenings as board-game tournaments and second-hand sales. So what does this have to do with staying open and causing noise after midnight?
Well, the sad state of affairs is the following: it is the current trend among the younger members of our society to stay out real late, even unfashionably late. Hence, places like Szimpla Kert earn most of their profits after the midnight hour. This is not a justification, just the bare state of affairs. An institution like of Szimpla cannot manage to host music and visual art performances, nor can they run a profitable business in the end, if they do not work the “rush hour”. That is perhaps why people protested.
Well, the sad state of affairs is the following: it is the current trend among the younger members of our society to stay out real late, even unfashionably late. Hence, places like Szimpla Kert earn most of their profits after the midnight hour. This is not a justification, just the bare state of affairs.
An institution like of Szimpla cannot manage to host music and visual art performances, nor can they run a profitable business in the end, if they do not work the “rush hour”. That is perhaps why people protested.
On Wednesday the 13th of September a small crowd gathered in front of the Erzsebetváros Municipal building to protest the new restrictions imposed upon Szimpla. Even a politician, called Gusztav Kecskés, running in the local elections came there to show his support for the youngsters. The group of thirty or so relatively tranquil people stood in front of the building and yelled out slogans and obscenities at the representatives of the municipality, who were probably sitting rather calmly in their chairs, unobstructed by the apparent murmur outside, which was in all likelihood blocked out by the sound of automobiles and public transportation). So as the thirty or so people disbanded after a mere 40 minutes or so of occasional shouting at closed doors, one could not but stay disillusioned and in thought.
Although there still seems to be a will for some sort of concrete, non-conformist action from today’s youth, it always seems to be connected either to some new forms of conceptual/consumer art, partying, fascistic socio-nationalist protests and plain vandalism, rights to freely express yourself and once more, the right to party. Although Szimpla Kert is dear to us all there might be other more pressing issues around. So as politicians spend their time buying popularity votes and young people continue protesting for their right to party, I wonder: what was Hungary’s GDP last year and how many Roma are hampered by domestic cultural views? Never mind: “One White Russian please!”
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