Italian Fashion: Dress for Success

A woman recently posited over on Facebook:

Why do I dress 'nicely' for a quick trip to the market just to go out for some bread? I mean, I love dressing up, but really? When you just need to step out for a second? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Bella Figura. That's what she's talking about. 
As I state in my book, if *only* Americans took the time to get out of their pjs to go to Walmart, KFC or - heck - on a plane...Italians look good even when they're wearing faux-ripped jeans and a pair of Vans. So, they've let their guard down when it comes to honoring their dead...but, I still enjoy the whimsical scarf-wrapping which 25 years later I am still unable to replicate. A friend now living in Malta says that she used to ask an Italian neighbor to "do that thing you do" every time she went out of the house and wanted to wrap a scarf round her neck.
I saw an elder woman leaving her low income housing unit the other day. There she was, with her green loden wool skirt and matching jacket. Perfect hair and shoes to match. I stopped just to admire her as she got into a waiting car. It's the last vestiges of an age where unemployed men would don hats and berets in fine silk suits just to queue up for the unemployment line. I was watching history turn a page.

Photograph by Alexander Beyer of an Italian lady 'vestita di tutto punto" - dressed to the nines - as featured in the street fashion blog Advanced Style.

The rant continues:

I was completely casual and comfortable and about to run out of the house but then stopped myself. I knew I would get "the look" from everyone had I done so. I turned right round to put on some make up, change my shirt, slap on a blazer and cute shoes...Only because this is the norm where I live. Honestly, in LA you could wear your pajamas out and no one gives a crap. But, here... I had on jeans, a t-shirt, sweater, and ugg boots and still had to do a double take and just say No.

The outdoors of any neighborhood all look like it's gangland territory. But the people behind those graffiti-splayed walls....well, I pray they never let that go..even when just stepping out to pick up a loaf of bread. But speaking of bread, just don't get me started on the French and how they look with a golden baguette tucked ever so neatly under arm...

Italy's Fertility Day Gives Birth to Brilliance

After years of proffering their unique brand of slap-stick humor (reaching its zenith with Johnny Stecchino, Alberto Sordi and I'd say, La Messa è Finita) it took an inane piece of legislative propaganda to make an entire nation find its sarcastic funny bone. Italy's Fertility Day may not have created the bump it was aiming for, but it certainly made for a nice bump in Twitter stocks. 
Here's the best of the bunch - delineating the best uses for a woman out there -- after which I'll break down the whole insipid debacle bit by bit:

Basically, Italy's Minister of Health (headed by a woman whose closest brush with laws and healthcare was in reading the Patient Bill of Rights once in a doctor's waiting room), decided that - instead of working with her buddy over at the Ministry for the Economy to improve work conditions and markets -- they would just give women a job to do: make and raise children. 

So, Fertility Day was planned. Italians scratched their heads on the terminology used for this piece of fascist propaganda, wondering if this meant that Brexit hadn't pulled out fast enough. For everyone else who figured fertility was close to fertilità, they either went out and watered their plants, or tuned into Pope Francis to see why he issued the statement- in English.

Women soon took umbrage at the idea that they were being asked to basically, lie back and think of Italia. Infertile women, single women who would like to adopt but can't, couples wishing to use surrogates (and can't) and all the other categories of ladies-in-waiting were irate...and not only because of the hormone imbalances as they shot themselves up hoping this time they'd fall pregnant.

Italy has cut 15% in education spending. There aren't enough day cares to meet even a fraction of the demand. And wage stagnation (steady since 1992) has eaten into incomes, with many couples struggling to make ends meet; and those are the ones with two jobs. Women's work is extremely low-paid, and the only fringe benefits are for the boss.

Women who strive to get through college (over 60% of the degrees, though our Minister isn't one of them) find themselves shut out of the job market due to plain and simple discrimination, or baseless fears that in the country with the lowest birthrate on earth, they'll be putting buns in the oven one right after the other. Like China, the single child home is a feature of the Italian landscape.
Men were not considered part of the solution, although my book illustrator, Gianfalco, offered up a pretty good one himself.

click on photo for full post redirect

The commentary was endless...and most of it was sheer brilliance. Except for the (men) naysayers who chose to rant on women who spoke truth to the power of the ill-informed.

So, after backtracking on their misconceived missive, they next double downed to issue  a pamphlet on the topic of substance abuse. 

Again, the Twitterverse was on fire: Showing sparkling white good families having fun in the sun, compared with the bad things that might happen if you surround yourself with dark people of course doing dark drugs.

It appears our Minister has let go of her communications specialist at this point.
And with that newfound Italian wit of days of yore, Italians offer a terrific turn of phrase which admirably sums up the entire fiasco:  

The mamma of imbeciles is always pregnant.

When Will Italy get the Picture?

In this group of pictures, can you spot the mistake(s)?*



Growing up, I would spend countless hours tuning my laser eyes on those brain riddles, mazes, word searches and drawings. So I admit, I may have a sort of pronounced proclivity for this sort of thing; or in the very least, an acute attention to detail. Whenever these ubiquitous thumbnails come across my screen, I tend to think they are stock photos sadly selected by an unpaid intern in some random social media room. Purposefully employed to promote every iteration of event, conference, meeting and launch. The selection above comes from a pit-stop on the site of the purported Wall Street Journal of Italy, il Sole 24ore. Touting themselves as warriors raising the battle cries of our age -- they purport to shed light on economic growth, education, culture, and more for my fellow paesani in the land of Sole. Except, time and again, it's only half the story; or 49% rather. Amazon warriors need not apply. 

Italy is not the only country that runs a foul of mass misogyny (the Vatican, or Saudi Arabia come to mind). You don't need to look too far back when an all-male panel (a "Manel") convened in the US Congress to 'investigate' and weigh in on American women's reproductive rights (we lost...now how on earth could that have happened?). The scene was staight out of a Sharia Courthouse, except the women were spared stoning...But the geyser of misinformation-by-example spilling over and onto every little girl growing up in this culture, is crystal clear: only men can add to GNP / GDP / or be eligible for public office. Any gains we've ever had in this regard have been at the hands of indefatigable women plugging one by one, each and every wellspring of male privilege. 

While Italy is going through one of its worst periods of economic recession in modern history (sadly, since about the day I arrived in 1992), youth unemployment at 51% and a brain drain to match Syria's...You can meander on over to the foremost economic journal in the country only to find "experts" wringing their hands over what counter measures could possibly be employed to reverse course. Almost never do these measures involve the empowerment of women; unless they are taking measurements of the pole dancers for the after-party. 

A top lingerie company in Southern Italy with worldwide exports boasts that out of 700 salesmen, they have - count - 700 salesmen. 

They blithely turn up their noses of the wealth of studies and information put under their very noses by real experts -- like their very own Abramvel (author of Meritocrazia and Regole), who, while heading up McKinsey & Co., demonstrated that companies with over three women in the boardroom outperformed the competition 9:1. Nine times. 

Men in power (and that's pretty much all of them) still haven't cottoned onto the fact that there exists in Italy a rather strong continuum that starts with keeping women out of public and economic life to women-as-(near naked) adverts to women as plastic surgeons' grostesque fantasy dolls, to women being massacred -- in their homes or on the streets where they live on a nearly daily basis. 

Italy is the country that has brought us lasting imagery as it excels in cinema, staging, sports culture, the arts, big businesses, and even aerospace. When will the daily newsfeeds catch up with the rest of us, and depict women as they truly are. And then, all of us, along with il Sole24ore can truly claim our enlightened country as the Land of the Sun.

e-Harmony Italian style - Davvero?

...Really?!  I received in my inbox an invitation to try out eHarmony online dating. I think it was in Italian, and I thought, I would check out the types of guys they thought might be my perfect online match. After all, stranger things have happened. 

Now, I don't know if it was because I selected to receive their barrage of questioning in English, but, certainly, my country choice was Italy. So, I went in to face their 1375 questions that might identify that perfect person to spend the rest of my life with, or, in the very least, once mamma had been laid to rest.

The questions clearly did not change algorithms to your demographic. Suddenly, I felt like maybe it was a site for tweens trying to find someone to join them at a One Direction concert.  Who do you prefer? Madonna or Lady Gaga (citing one of the questions in which there was a minimum of name recognition)...Incredibly, None of the Above was not an option. If you chose one or the other, you received a quick, cheery message that chirped, "Great! You want to meet someone who likes Madonna!" Well, actually, no. But let's move on.

The queries were far too American-centered for my taste - and for Italy. And while I'm the first to admit that...if I've got a problem with the dating website, one can only fear for the actual date itself...One question after another referenced U.S. TV stars or movies I'd never heard of. Or shopping malls or other bizarre American traits.

So, I don't know if there's an Italian version of questioning out there, or if eHarmony just translates from that original set.  Skimming thru the questionnaire, I realized I needed a Red-White-Green version that would help me suss out the opposite sex and, pronto. 

ScrapsYard.com | Heart Break | Forward this Picture
So, eHarmony, here's a teaser for you to help you get a jump start on the Italian dating market:

• Do you still live at home?
• How old were you when you left your home?
• Do you think it's okay for your mamma to do your laundry?
• Do you believe that socks and underwear must be ironed to the point that they can stand up straight in a drawer?
• Ironing is only for women, true or false?
• Do you agree that courses served for all meals must be planned well in advance? And, perhaps in consultation with your mother?
• Your ideal living situation is in the same apartment building as your mamma?
• Laughing out loud is not good for women, true or false?
• Animals are part of the family, or filthy beasts?
• A kitchen is not fully cleaned until all bacteria is removed from every visible surface
• Pizza shall be eaten with a fork and knife always? Or just under duress?
• Sundays are for watching football? Being with mamma? Or relaxing at home?
• Just because you're married 'doesn't mean I'm dead' - true or false?
• Plastic surgery? Or botox?
• Berlusconi or Beppe Grillo?
• An 'open marriage' is only disrespectful if your partner finds out, true or false?
• Do you think bare feet in the house causes warts?

And, if you're going to give me musician choices, let's hear: Pino Daniele? Jovanotti? or Ligabue?

Anyone have any more to add?

In Italy, a child...by any other name...

Will still poop its pants. 
That Italy is a male-chauvinist society is fairly common knowledge. I often bring into the blog the latest in keeping women well-heeled & childless in their monster SUVs [after all, going barefoot even in summer is barbaric, and pregnant? No one can afford kids anymore].  But in the name game, as one commentator told the press, Italy isn't in the 20th century, they're in the 1800s.  Well, as of today, all that changed.  Thanks to a dynamic couple from Milan, who refused to take "No" for an answer when told that their child could not bear the mother's last name. [For purposes of this post, I'll ignore the obvious - that even women's last names eventually lead back to a patriarch somewhere].
An Italian friend who had four kids 40 years ago with the woman who would become his life partner, was told that because they were unmarried, he would have to list on the birth certificate, 'Padre Sconosciuto' - Father Unknown.  Fast forward to our Milanese couple in 2012, and they were told that their offspring, if the were to sport the mom's name, would have to be listed the same way.  Outraged, and with the rest of the world on their side, they took their case to the European Union - and won.
Not so long ago, Italians decided that women could, indeed, change their own names.  But the laws drew the line on the kids.  I always liked the fact that women kept their own last names in Italy - but I've seen plenty of times, when the father is not part of their lives, how strange it is for the kids and their mom to have different identities altogether.  Gladly, that's not the norm.
So, Italy, one hyphen at a time, is allowing for names to be joined, for women to take their partner's last names, for children to take hers.  The last bastion is, in naming them strangely like Wednesday Addams, or Apple and such.  In one instant, and I believe it was a person who wanted to call their kid Adolf Hitler, or something like that, the judges intervened and refused to allow the name to go through. 
Moreover, middle names still cause problems.  I was actually not admitted to hospital once because I had filled out all the forms in the spaces provided: LAST NAME / FIRST NAME. Not thinking of my (largely unused) middle name.  When they took one look at my i.d. card, they said I'd have to start all over from scratch, months away, in order to get admitted properly.  I took the papers out of their hands and swiftly added my middle name to them...offering politely, that I had no idea what they were on about.
What would the Italians have done if they had gone the route of the Spaniards, and offered up a half dozen last names for every child birth?  Most of whom hail from the matriarchal side of the family?  I shudder to think of the bureaucracy that would ensue.

A few more fun posts on the Name Games of Italy:
Italian Name Origins
How (not) to correct your dual last names 
Fun Italian names

Italian Politics: The Party's Over

As we get ready to ring in a New Year, I can't help but think how much I have to be grateful for as the year in Italy, at least, has been winding to an end (though it feels a bit more like it's been sliding into home base after a hit with bases loaded).  The last few weeks have been rough and tumble at best, but there's been great - no, grandissima - cause for celebration.

Berlusconi getting ready to (try) & get some tail --
now, don't forget the little blue pills!
from www.wonderfulworldofanimation.com

First, the Senate voted to remove Silvio Berlusconi from their cozy citadel of comfy perks including the most significant one, immunity from prosecution. I've been relishing his  blustering ever since which, at first reminded me of the Wizard of Oz at the moment Toto pulled away the curtain. Nowadays, he's starting to remind me of Elmer Fudd (fittingly, in this episode, he shouts, "The long arm of the law is weaching out & closing in on you!"  So much so, I wish media outlets would put the gag order in effect.  If they'd just stop reporting his bullshit, maybe, he'd finally go away.  Pay no attention to that man hiding behind the mask of makeup &amp hair plugs!

Next, Prime Minister Letta announced that govt financing of (the hundreds) of political parties would finally be put to an end.  It is one of the largest and most efficient 'industries' in Italy -- that of plainly milking funds.  Hang your shingle out under the guise of 'political party' and you're open for business.  Whoever said that government didn't work?  I rejoice in silence while waiting to see the fifteen hundred new avenues the parties will come up with to get their money back [My guess?  Submitting sandwich & espresso receipts in the millions].  I mean, these are the same people who were discovered printing zillions of bus tickets and selling them (Not that I would know...you can't find a bus ticket within a 1 mile radius of my house).
For the record, the last time these parties got their financing pulled (for urgent expenditures going toward villas - parties - vacations - you name it), by virtue of a wild public referendum, the politicians simply renamed the expense ledger.  For years, this act of sheer chutzpah has been festering like a boil -- and was one of the main reasons by my guess that put Mr. Grillo into power.  It is a symbol of all govt waste, like Imelda Marcos and her infamous shoe collection.  Mr. Letta & Co., realize they have got to cut it loose.  Let's see if it really happens this time.

But then, the best news of all.  Youthful Matteo Renzi, the dynamic Mayor of Florence, was finally elected by a virtual landslide to head up the Democratic Party (of the left).  In many circles (on the left) he is vilified.  I don't know why, exactly, perhaps seen as yet another political hack, or not red enough.  And I don't care.  He is half the mean age of these joker power brokers and, he hand-picked 7 women on his 'cabinet' out of 12 spots.  Talk about a sea change.  This staff has an average age of 35.  At that age, they still haven't been in politics long enough to figure out how to stash away fistfuls of bribes in suitcases. Yet.  I was hopeful about the woman at the helm of the Latium Region - But then she was caught handing out high-paid positions as if she were the head of Goldman Sachs on coke.  If this dream team can figure out how to win: Without pocketing the 45 Million euro in their coffers for party financing (gifted by the hard-working proletariat) / Keep it all clean / And actually do something to improve this country, it will be a New Year after all.  

*some live links above

Berlusconi's Indecent Proposal

Ill-matched Lovers by Quentin Massys

Back in the 16th century, it was a fairly common theme in art to portray the lascivious old man trying to cop a feel off a young, fair maiden.  And, I think it's probably fair to say it was a case of art most certainly imitating life.  So it should come to no surprise that even in our day, it's still a familiar tale, told in movies, on the streets, in offices round the globe.  But what has happened over the centuries is, the revolting act can not only take place, but become fully expected and even promoted in modern "civil" society [I'm thinking Woody Allen, Morgan Freeman, Luciano Pavarotti, Jack Nicholson, Pippo Baudo, Flavio Briatore...].  In fact, over in Hollywood, if you were clocking it, the age gap (or the expanse) between the (un)sexy stars with guts and their hottie maidens is growing by generations, movie by movie [just compare The Great Gatsby or Summer of '42 with As Good as it Gets or Hannibal].  Women may be blinded by the sparkle of stacks of coins, but 9 times out of 10, unless you're a call girl (and even then), there's a significant Ewwwww factor in place.
So when Berlusconi, our Prime Lecher, ogled the young woman up on stage this campaign season, people just smiled, giving him the right to be as vulgar as possible; the next day, he'd just say he was 'kidding around'.  Unfortunately, for me and most of Italy, it was no laughing matter.

Here, Silvio asks the presenter from Green Power if she comes. Not good enough, he asks her how often she comes. And then asks what the temporal distance is from one to another, finally asking her to turn around again so he can check her out.  In his defense, naturally, it's because he "appreciates women and shows them respect".  But a journalist from La Repubblica got it right when he put black on white what all the rest of us want to see, instead of applause, smiles and laughter:

"It's going around the web, hence round the world, the nth video trash of the King of Trash, Silvio Berlusconi. This time, he delivers a flurry of indecent barbs to one unlucky employee; only to be met with enthusiastic applause and gaffaws.  Of course, it's nothing new nor heretofore unseen. But each time, we're left speechless by the seeming acquiescence of the victim; this time in the form of a young woman who, questioned about her orgasms, smiles happily as if the dirty old man who's put her on the spot was instead a gentlemen presenting her a bouquet of roses.

Just once, publicly, I'd like to see someone (feminine, to be exact) say, "How dare you - you pig!" A typical line that one uses with strangers on the street. The spell would finally be broken, the indecent remarks would return to be considered improper, the grunts left as grunts.  

I must confess that I don't understand why no one (esp no woman) can seem to find the time, the flair, the dignity to remove herself from this miserable status of being a decorative, even unpaid, part of this spectacle."   

As for the 'victim' in all of this, she is reported to have said later that she was not in the least embarrassed, and was "honored" and actually enjoyed the playful repartee'. So much for a morality tale.

2012 Italy Year in Review

I love all those year end summaries you find across every category and across every type of media.  But, I'm too busy reading those, I confess I did not type up my own list.  Say what you will about next in line to be 'The Sick Man of Europe' (you might call it Greece's younger sister, la Bell'Italia), 2012 was the year that Italians woke out of their apathetic stupor and started taking on the problems that confront the country, while never giving up on what they do best: Arts - Culture - Events - Hospitality.  So, here it is, a short list of great things about Italy:

Colombus points the way toward a New World
- via Queen Isabella's court -

Great Art Discoveries/ One of the most charming towns (or Borghi) in Italy, Citerna got their Madonna back--a stunning work by Donatello, that had gone in for restoration. That's just one excuse to pay a visit to this wonderful Umbrian town (as if you really needed one).

While in Rome, the Carabinieri frequenting the market stalls of Porta Portese managed to return to an Art History professor 200+ works of inestimable value that were being pawned on the banks of the Tiber.  Now...to figure out how a simple professor amassed such a vast collection...

Then, news came from Palermo that a dozen works from the most valuable heist in the last 10 yrs were found in an abandoned farmhouse in Sicily. They had been pilfered from the church of San Nicola of Trapani.

In Madrid, the Prado showcased a 'new' Titian painting, that resurfaced after art historians decided they wanted a claim to fame it was his.

And finally, the Colosseum finally got the approval for a facelift after consumer's groups looked a major gift horse - donation by successful owner of Tod's - in the mouth -- although we lost the fun decidedly un-battle worthy Centurions in the battle in the taste wars.

I spent much of this year making my own discoveries, visiting new places far and wide, from the Tagliacozzo area in the Abruzzo to 'the city that's dying' in Tuscia, Bagnoregio, to the natural reserve high atop Arezzo, to a half dozen new Tuscan towns (well, new for me), serving up age-old delights.
Women in Italy find their voice / Post-Berlusconi, Italian women have finally decided to take matters into their own hands. They're sick of being mistreated by the media, by the politicians, by the church and by companies.  While Italy's (nearly all-male-run) enterprises still haven't woken up to smell the espresso--that women actually make household purchase decisions (and that includes autos) and still show us plenty of T&A in order to sell oh, say, most everything.  Rome's city govt decided to pass a law that ads that denigrate women would be censored.  As far as I can tell, it's been pretty well-enforced (unlike most laws - the streets of Rome are paid with good intentions).
In the Rome City Govt, women won the -stay with me here-Enforcement of the law already in place that would guarantee equal parts male/female representation.  The Mayor has done his best at playing 'dodge-'em' for three years, refusing to enlist women on his cabinet, citing the Romney line of defense: He's reviewed 'File folders filled with women' but no one willing or able to join his government. Italy's Prime Minister Monti happened to find more than a few tokens for positions in his cabinet, and a woman now heads up RAI Television.  Incredibly, Italians couldn't believe to see that their resumès are larger than their bust sizes.
Then, most recently, after woman after woman (1 every 3 days) is killed at the hands of a loved one or ex, even the EU joined the fray and reprimanded Italy to start figuring out a way to handle this pox on civil society. Which led the Church to chime in, with a Genovese pastor (you know, that city that loves to gush over native son Chris Colombus who discovered America with the help of noneother than the most influential woman of all time, Spanish Queen Isabella) and others stating that women are killed by 'domestic violence' because they dress too provocatively.  Women have come out to protest in the thousands.
And finally, an Italian researcher was lauded for heading up the CERN Particle Accelerator breakthrough - except she's a perfect example of Italy's advancing 'Brain Drain' in which the brilliant minds of Italy are turning their attentions where they can get ahead - and get paid.

The best thing in my year was
finding Arcibaldo

More in Culture / Eataly came to Rome, sprucing up the abandoned Stazione Ostiense and bringing new life to a so-so area, that hadn't seen much action since bombs fell on it in WWII.  With it, came the launch of my new heartthrob, ItaloTreno and their lawsuit win to open up the fence so people could board the train without having to run the Seal Team 6 gamut of escalators and stairs - all of which are out of service to passengers-and have been 'work in progress' for years now.  Let's just say, it took a shorter amount of time to lay the track throughout the Peninsula than to fix the escalator.  
In my world, instead, I launched my book (!) with book readings at Rome's Hotel 47, a monologue show at the Teatro Arciliuto, and invites to even our Camp Darby army base near Pisa - and now, tweeting! (@IrreverentItaly)   Rome's luxe hostel, The Beehive, launched new initiatives from a vegan dining experience, to film nights on planetary issues of our day, to wonderful films offering a great 'how-to Italy' featuring their kids.  They also hosted an Expat Writer Book fair, showcasing authors & publishers and their works around the Boot.  While this winter, we were overjoyed at the annual opening of the ice rink at Castel Sant'Angelo, in summer we loved the summer nights at the castle, with the long walk along the passetto, the wall connecting the Vatican and the Castle.
Italy gained a new holiday, after the extraordinary 1 yr celebration of a united Italy (150 years ago).  Each 17th of March (move over Saint Patrick, we're into Garibaldi nowadays) we'll pay our tribute to what the Lega Party (Northern League) is trying to dismantle, with wild claims of 'corruption in Rome' while their own party heads are caught with the hands in the till time and again.

http://www.gianfalco.it

Retake Rome gained more momentum as schools and citizens take on the travesty of graffiti that is ruining the 'most beautiful city on Earth'. And speaking of retaking Rome, Berlusconi finally got sentenced in one way or another, so is busy running for high office in another attempt to keep him out of jail (his 4 yr sentence in fact already being reduced to 1 yr for no apparent reason). Italy's cowardly parliament decided that jailbirds couldn't serve in government -- unless of course, they 'only' served a couple of years.
I finally got to put a human face and warm hand on my book illustrator and incomparable political satirical cartoonist extraordinaire, Gianni Falcone when we met on U.S. Election Night in Rome.  And, ACRoma, not only imported U.S. soccer player Bradley, they started touring the U.S. to play 'friendly' matches and draw the American crowds, to great success.  Not only did they tour, so did Jovanotti, Italian rapper - who liked it so much, he's moved to New York.  Another Italian talent lost but another American gain.
You can see more of the week in / week out amazing things to see and do in Rome and that fill my world in my column Dove Sono? (in the right hand side of the official blog page).

*check out the dozens of live links throughout this post!

Coffee, Tea, or Me? A question of cross-cultural relations

Anyone who follows the Dove Sono (Where am I) column in my blog will know that I'm in the USA, taking in some of the cultural differences, and standing agape at the many similarities in political campaigns, and of course, the notable differences (and in both cases, for better or for worse).  On the cultural side, it feels real good to be able to glide into a lane, glide along it for miles upon miles, and not have to worry about staking my claim, vying for position, or being squeezed out at a traffic light -- although in both countries texting and cellphone use is fairly even.  I still feel more safe on Michigan roads, however, due to the fact that: a) they're wider, offering more wiggle room, b) they have shoulders in case you need to make a mad dash somewhere else and c) we're still going at a slightly less speedy clip and there are the men in blue to enforce it.  But, you get my drift.
After numerous trips to the U.S. and with an abundance of coffee bars to hang out in, I found things on that front - you know, picking up a quick coffee with a colleague - was essentially just like in Italy.   Well, okay, albeit for the super-sized drinks and an overabundance of calories contained therein and the Henry Ford approach of ordering and receiving down the line one's potables...

picture from Being Latino
click for a lively debate
on who pays when

I recall when first coming to Italy on business as a (very) young woman, how horrified I was to find that, at coffee breaks and business lunches alike, the guy at the table would very courteously pick up the tab.  I was stunned to think that it might appear as if we had been on a date; In my book it both unleveled the playing field and put the gals into play.  Although it took some time, I did finally get used to the practice, but in extreme situations in which I truly wanted to generously offer a meal, or thank someone for their time over coffee, I took to insisting that my company was owned by men, so...Please don't get offended, a man is ultimately picking up the bill...On many levels, my generosity was most likely an insult to my guest, but for 'working gal' me, it was something that I felt was the right thing to do at the time.
Which brings me to the USA.  I always worked for and with Italians when I was there, and, being quite junior, it was only natural that the guy in the group most often sprung for coffee or lunch or dinner even.  As I gained in seniority, suddenly I realized that I should pay the piper.  But then, Starbucks came into the fore; and a new etiquette seemed to arise that left a lot of women bewildered.  Arranging quick meetings in these cafés, the American man would rush in, grab his very own cappuccino or apple cider, sit down and start in.  Embarrassed that no one asked me what I wanted before heading for the cashier, I would migrate up to the counter, all on my own, and order for my little ol' self.  Not only did I have to pay for my order, I was unable to offer any sort of generosity to my business contact.  I felt like Snow White calling a meeting and all the dwarfs showing up with their lunch pails, leaving her to fetch something out of the woods for herself.
In the U.S., when it comes down to business, I've not come across someone ever even feigning to want to pay for the other (and at $5.27 a cup, I can see why that is).  Time and again, it jars my sense of chivalry, while at the same time, opening up a world of feminist rights and what those struggles now boil down to; each person treated equally--even in a coffee shop.  And yet, after decades in Europe, I now found it a bit disturbing.  I mean, in Japan, your prospects may shower you with gifts, in Turkey they pull out all manner of teas and silver platters lined with cigarettes.  And in the U.S., we can't manage a chai tea with soy?  Maybe it's because I am a woman after all.  With all the options at my disposal, when a guy thinks I may start in ordering a decaf light cream latte, no whipped cream, tall cup with cinnamon sprinkles...men have reached the accurate conclusion that some things are better left alone.

Advertising Age: The ongoing saga of Italy's strained relationship with brand image

Every so often I post incredible advertisements that truly capture my eye.  Not for the wit and charm in attracting my attention (although, when I do find a decent gem, I post that too - clearly trying for positive reinforcement in the consumer goods & services dept), but for the huge bubble that opens up over my head with an even larger ? overtop.

No sooner had I snapped this gem of an advertisement, than I saw UnAmericanaaRoma  post her own views on the subject matter.  Rightfully so, Shelley posed the ad as a Quiz:  Try and figure out just what she's selling.

As I remarked on her blog, first they tried a more serious picture of the blonde all dressed in clothes and just indicating the Big News, like a smart newscaster (well, make that a smartly-dressed newscaster in most every other country than Italy where cleavage is in the job description).  Her message?  You have a one-stop shopping place for all your bathroom fixtures.
Clearly, the ad didn't bring in the hoards of customers they were expecting.
So, they decided to really sex up bathroom tiles and had her get undressed.
Next, I expect to see her naked in the shower.

Just think -- once you’ve installed your very own bathroom on a hot, sweaty July day…you’ll come out looking and feeling fresh-faced and blooming as a Bella Rosa!

The adverts may not work, given that women make the ultimate purchase decisions.  But, I'm willing to bet that the Advertising Age of this ad (my usual ranking in terms of actual years in emotional maturity of the guy who made it) is actually somewhere around 69 and older.  Who else but someone who seriously needs their plumbing revamped would base their purchase decisions on the babe flashing her bathroom eyes? 

In my humble opinion, this ad actually works -- it appeals to all the builders and contractors that have to go get their fixtures shined somewhere.  And what better to turn on your faucet than Gruppo Ediltirrenia?  With any luck, they'll be greeted by a pouty blonde to ask them how they'd like their tubes greased...

For more Advertising Age Posts, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, click on the links below!

Advertising Age 6    

Advertising Age - Ancient Rome Edition

Advertising Age - London Edition

Advertising Age - Banking Edition

Berlusconi, Monti & the Spread

All the Prime Minister's Women / This picture was posted on the Informare Controinformando News Facebook Page and compares the women Ministers of the previous Administration to those of the newly minted Monti Administration.

Above, we have (the titles above are incorrect)

Minister of Justice - Paola Severino - Lawyer, Four time Vice President of the Council of Military Magistrates, with a stellar defense career, she has been listed as one of the richest public officials.

Minister of the Interior - Anna Maria Cancellieri - Commissioner of Parma, Bologna, et.al., Prefect & Sub-Commissioner of Milano.

Welfare Minister - Elsa Fornero - Economist, specialized in pensions, & Prof of Policy & Economics, Vice Pres on the oversight board of one of Italy's top banks, Intesa Sanpaolo & advisor for Russia & E. European banks

Below, our previous ministers:

Minister of Tourism (Italy's most important industry) - Michela Vittoria Brambilla - Former model, Voted Miss Elegance for Emilia, worked for Mediaset (Berlusconi's TV co.) - Studied some philosophy & obtained journalist credentials

Minister of Education - Mariastella Gelmini - Graduate in Law/Administration outside track, President of the City Board of Desenzano del Garda (a small tourist hamlet)

Minister for Equal Opportunity - Mara Carfagna - Former topless model, ballerina & voted Miss Cinema at the Miss Italy contest - Graduated with honors in jurisprudence before working on Berlusconi's campaign in Campania.

Let's just hope that these women with the credentials can now be the ones to turn heads.

Italy's Women take the Stage

Attending the WINConference all week long in Rome, of course, gets you thinking about working women.  This year, for the first time ever, the WIN Committee set out to honor the all-to-often 'Invisible women of Italy', those courageous women who, through hard work, strong spirit and a whole lot of talent as well, stick to their goals and break a glass ceiling or two.  Out of the many outstanding nominees, here is our selection of Inspirational Women of Italy:

Emma Marcegaglia – President of Confindustria, Italy’s Business Lobby & sort of industrial Chamber of Commerce – and focal point for businesses throughout the country. Often called the Lady of Steel, as her family’s business is in the metals industry, she is the face of women at the helm, and one who has gained respect by all those around her and shows that women in Italy can break through which is often a steel ceiling.

Paola Muti – Professor, Scientific Director & Researcher at Rome’s esteemed Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena or National Institute of Tumors.

Paola has had a long career in epidemiology as a researcher & professor, and although having worked in the USA, is an example of someone countering the current trend in their field of ‘brain drain’, and who returned to Italy to continue her research & work. Italy boasts many women graduates of universities and many many more researchers, all pioneers in their field, and Paola and her team serves as a beacon of light in a country currently facing cuts in all aspects of research, universities and science.

Lorella Zanardo – For many of us in Italy, perhaps Lorella needs no introduction. But she threw a small pebble into the pond of women’s portrayal in the media, and it became a tsunami. Now dedicated to educating young women & men about the responsibility of the media to portray women appropriately and with dignity, her documentary, Il Corpo delle Donne – The Body of Women - blog & activities surrounding it have gone global. Lorella, for her work, is the body of proof that in an internet and interconnected age, “one small idea is the birthplace of great accomplishments.”

Barbara Giangravè & Rebecca Spitzmiller feted
at the WINConference VIP event

Rebecca Spitzmiller – Lawyer, law professor and nowadays, community organizer and activist in her adopted city of 25 years, Rome. Put simply, she was sick & tired of the graffiti that plagues the most beautiful city on earth. So, she grabbed her son, took some oven cleaner and started scrubbing. Since then, her initiative, Retake Rome has joined forces with the Fondazione Garibaldi to educate kids in civic pride, convincing Rome’s Mayor and the American Ambassadors in Rome to roll up a sleeve and apply some elbow grease. Even more incredibly, many of her biggest advocates and 'inside teammmates' are former 'writers' themselves. Her initiative caught the attention of Anita Garibaldi, the great-grandaughter of Giuseppe Garibaldi - the man who, with his wife Anita fighting by his side, united Italy 150 years ago - So once again a Garibaldi is literally changing the face of Italy.

And, last, but certainly not least,

Barbara Giangravè –Journalist for Siciliaonline, Barbara has chosen to stay and live in Palermo. Barbara was a young girl when the anti-Mafia prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone & Paolo Borsellino were assassinated in Sicily. After spotting a blitz of little posters plastered around town (sorry, Rebecca!) that read, “A people that pays the pizzo – extortion money – is a people without dignity,” Barbara joined this fledgling group, AddioPizzo. Today, Addio Pizzo boasts hundreds of small retailers no longer paying the pizzo, outlets where people can buy pizzo-free products, and now even pizzo-free tourism. And while Barbara is now no longer involved directly, Addio Pizzo has since been recognized by Italy’s President, the law enforcement people, even Bill Clinton for their contribution to their communities...But most of all, it's recognized by the people of Sicily who are taking on the extortionists and no longer letting the criminals take away their dignity.

Rome's Mayor in need of Sex Ed?

Rome's Mayor is under fire from women in the city offices as well as from women's groups who are growing more and more outspoken against the Business as usual way of Italian male-oriented politics.  When coming into office, he had two women on his twelve member team, despite laws to the contrary decrying "equal representation" of both sexes in city governments.  But this was before women took to the streets - fed up with the Ol' Boys' Clubs.
In January, he dissolved his team, shuffled it around -- and dropped a woman.  As I've mentioned in the past, despite evidence to the contrary, Italians seem to believe that a country on its last leg economically speaking should just go on the way it always has.  For most politicians, women should be seen (as eye candy) and certainly not have their voices heard through equal representation. But in January, women took the case to the courts.  And this week, they won.  The tribunal in fact came down on this gross lack of representation, and asked Alemanno to dissolve his Administration once again.
The Mayor's response?  Add a woman and make her Vice Mayor.  Following this logic, if the Vice Mayor position equals five men, where were we prior to this upset?  As for me, I'm starting to think that Mayor Alemanno simply skipped early elementary Health Ed.  
So, here's a video to set it all straight.  




Perhaps we should install those airport body scanners in City Hall, and maybe, just maybe, the Mayor might get his numbers right.

What's Wrong with this Picture II ?

There's been a huge tempest brewing in the internet teapot since last week, when Italy's Partito Democratico (the left and opposition party to Berlusconi's) launched their annual outdoor festival in Rome.  Women's groups were incensed to find the woman depicted headless & as a hot pair of legs, alà Marilyn Monroe, next to the businessman of the day, smiling and fully attired, in a necktie no less.

The Winds of Change

After women's groups started protesting, the PD answered the resulting polemic with their own - incredible - response:

The ad simply depicts a familiar icon and showing a pair of legs doesn't damage the image of women in the least.

They seemed to have forgotten that Marilyn is an icon for about 40% of the population - the heterosexual men amongst themselves...


As for me, while I'm heartened that women are finally taking note and speaking up, I take a more guerrilla approach: 

I find every single poster plastered by the politicos all across the country sexist - since they contain only all-male names running for offices, championing causes, speaking at conventions, rallying the crowds.  

Until the men release the women from their invisibility cloak burkhas (and not in the Berlusconi sense), it's still 'No Country for Women' - young or old.


What do you think?  Sexist?  Fun? Effective?