I am an Italian citizen (and very proud of it), so I read the Italian news every day. This is not really “legally relevant,” but the BBC has a very funny article on the current Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Belusconi, visiting President Obama: “Oh no, Silvio! Will Italian PM avoid offending anyone on US visit?” So far, Silvio Berlusconi has embarrassed the whole country multiple times with his gaffes (more or less intentional), such as the now-famous description of President Obama as “young, handsome, and sun tanned.” Still, maybe Berlusconi will spare us this time.
To quote part of the article,
Beppe Severgnini, columnist for Corriere della Sera and author of La Bella Figura – A Field Guide to the Italian Mind, thinks the risk of a PR disaster in Washington is low. He points out that Mr. Berlusconi does not speak English, Mr. Obama does not speak Italian, and they will only meet for one hour to discuss preparations for the G8 summit, which Italy is hosting next month.
And, as Mr. Palandri, a professor at University College London, puts it, “Even if he does badly he won’t be in an embarrassing position — because we could not be in a more embarrassing position than we are now.”
Yet, as the article indicates, Italian public opinion is totally polarized against and in favor of “Silvio.” In fact, many find him very funny.
I think President Berlusconi could in reality be the actor of a sort of comedy (a “cabarettista,” as a good friend uses to define him), that typical (even if somewhat tragic) Italian comedy that will never be accepted in any “serious” countries, but that makes millions laugh in Italy every year. Still, this does not justify insensitivity or just saying whatever is in your mind at any given moment, and a head of state should know better.
As Dante was making Ulysses saying to his followers in the Inferno just before crossing Gibraltar to adventure in the unknown, “fatti non foste a viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e conoscenza” (“you were not made to live like beasts, but to pursue strength and knowledge”). Unfortunately, the “bestiality” part of man shows up as bad humor in many Italians including “Silvio,” but, even if this is not justifiable, considering what other heads of state are also doing in this world (even if they are less gaffe-prone for sure) I am really not ready to say that Silvio Berlusconi is so much worse than many others.
Irene
I really don’t know much about Berlusconi, although I think I would like to. During my general counsel gig, it seemed that we had little business in Italy or designs on Italian companies. My poorly informed impressions are that Italy (perhaps in response to the ascendancy of the EU or perhaps in their hard won distrust of charismatic leadership) has sort of tossed it in on their national leadership which seems to have more entertainment than substantive significance. This seems to be less a reflection on Italians than on their perhaps unflinching recognitions of the limits of what their government can do for them.
I am also willing to cut Silvio a bit more slack on the Obama joke than I would an American politician because your country does not share our racial past. Yes, I suppose he should know, but we have to know.
Of course, I am fully prepared to be told that I don’t know what I am talking about because, in this case, I really don’t.
But what really interests me is that there is a form of comedy in Italy (“cabarettista”) that is so low brow that others – and I’m thinking of us and the UK – wouldn’t take it seriously. Because I am not sure there is anything so low brow that we wouldn’t take it seriously (or that we would take it more or less seriously than anything else). Perhaps a workshop (with popcorn)for you to explain?
A workshop (without popcorn but with some caffe’ and biscotti if I could choose!) would be a wonderful idea! Let’s plan that for next year sometime. I will have to do some serious research to be well prepared! on the other side, I would not put the US and the UK together (at least from the perpective of the average person on the street …) as for the type of jokes and “humor” in general … the British dry humor is a world apart from anything else (and is by far my favorite type of humor!)