Paulina Szewioła: Spend Public Money, Have Fun. Skolim Should Teach Us a Lesson

Skolim’s popularity alone should not qualify him for publicly funded appearances, argues Rzeczpospolita columnist Paulina Szewioła. The artist, known for Latin rhythms and disco polo, has recently appeared more often in settings that are supposed to be family-friendly and representative.

For readers unfamiliar with him, Skolim is a musician whose songs include vulgar language and sexual allusions. Yet the singer known as the “Polish king of latino” has increasingly been invited into spaces where that repertoire can sit uneasily with the occasion.

One recent performance showed him singing his usual material in the company of children. The scene triggered a storm online. Much of the criticism focused, understandably, on the responsibility of parents who brought children to the event.

Szewioła is less certain that the artist alone should carry the blame. Her broader point is about the public purse: an entertainer’s popularity should not be the sole criterion for spending public money. The controversy surrounding Skolim, in her view, offers a lesson about who public events are meant to serve and what standards should apply when they are funded by taxpayers.