Italian Faces: Bruno Vespa

In Italy Bruno Vespa is considered an important and accredited journalist by many. He has been editor of the TV news “TG1″ (Rai1) for three years and since 1996 he is the host of one the main Italian political talk show “Porta a Porta” (Rai1).

In 1992 when he was editor of TG1 he stated that his reference publisher was Democrazia Cristiana, the party that dominated Italian politics for over fifty years. DC collapsed in 1994 as consequence of Mani Pulite investigation that disclosed a huge corruption at every political level. After the fall of the party many members of DC joined Forza Italia (Silvio Berlusconi’s) so that FI became the party with more Christian Democrats inside.

Owing to his statement Vespa was criticized and accused to use information and journalism for the interest and advantage of political parties and political power.

This critic has been and it still is very recurring in Vespa’s professional life. He is often accused to be too obliging towards political leaders, especially Silvio Berlusconi, and political power. Comedian Beppe Grillo said about him:“Bruno Vespa is a damage for the Country, for free information and for economy”.

In May 2005 he has been wiretapped while speaking to Salvatore Sottile, present President of the Chamber of Deputies’ spokesman. In that wiretap Vespa assured Sottile that he would have done a “made to measure-installment” for Gianfranco Fini (Foreign Minister and leader of Alleanza Nazionale at that time).

Mr Jon Stewart, have you ever thought to move to Italy?

If you are American or you are used to watch satellite TV you will probably know a man called Jon Stewart.

He is the host of The Daily News With Jon Stewart, a funny and smart satirical news show on Comedy Central.

For the length of the entire show he uses all the arms that satire can offer. Commenting on the latest news he does not save anybody: democrats, republicans, government, journalists, whatever concerns politics and recent events. Nobody is safe. Jon Stewart does not have scruples towards President George W Bush or towards the most important political personalities like Dick Cheney or Hillary Clinton.

The Daily News is not an exception among the American TV shows, there is The Colbert Report or historic shows like the Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Late Show with David Letterman or the Saturday Night Live, they constantly direct audience’s attention to the behaviours of their politicians and their Government. Great professionals who use satire to amuse the spectator and, at the same time, to inform him. In fact they just do what they are supposed to do, satire is fun and information.

Bush’ Administration doesn’t seem an example of liberalism, but they would never try to cancel one of those shows that have demonstrated, in the course of the years, not to be that indulgent towards them.

So the question is: Mr Jon Stewart have you ever thought to move to Italy?

Girls, get naked!

This should be the slogan camping in every Italian airport, waiting for tourists landing in the “Bel Paese”. Enough with that old-fashioned “Benvenuto” (welcome).

Italy is more and more becoming, year after year, the Country of naked women.

It is not necessary to turn on the TV, where girls, practically in underwear, dance during every sort of TV show, you do not have to buy any magazine or newspaper: you just have to take a walk in the Italian streets and you will see them. In every city you will meet the come-on look of pretty and half- naked women waiting for your attention to convince you to buy a brand new mobile phone or to taste a liquor.

No doubt some years ago nobody could ever think that a liquor can be sexy.

Advertising in newspapers, magazines or street posters are full of girls. They are everywhere, it is becoming an obsession and a nightmare. And what is upsetting about all of this is that most Italian women are not annoyed by this, on the contrary, girls dream to appear in these street-posters or to become one of those ladies dancing in TV.

Surely TV has played a big role in creating this conception of society where men are the machos, with power and control and the highest positions at work, and women are the “pretty things”, obsessed by being attractive and sexy, in the way admen tell them to be, and forgetting about the main part of their body, the brain.