152. Why does The Times Find Looking Inside Berlusconi's Pants So Fascinating?

Photo: Silvio Berlusconi arriving at a June 2nd Republic Day Celebration

I found the biggest laugh of the year in a sentence regarding the Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, in today’s “The Times” UK. After listing, what appeared to the columnist's a litany of unspeakable mortal sins, of the man, he or she (for there is no name of authorship, which in itself says a lot) concludes with: “What is most shocking is the utter contempt with which he treats the Italian public.”

The reasoning behind such a statement, to me, sounds quite puerile when one considers that at least, depending on how much mud his opponents are able to throw around at the time, 60-75% of the Italian population love to be treated with such "contempt" given that’s whom they voted for and being well acquainted with the man, know full well the treatment in store- so obviously this "contempt" can be seen through the eyes of that prestigious newspaper alone.

Indeed, I must correct myself here. This "contempt" can also be seen through most of the Italian press which the columnist claim are held in intimidation: “Few media outlets in Italy are able to make this point without fear of retribution.” What retribution can the Cavaliere inflict on Italian newspapers and state TV? I wonder between me and me. Rather I should say the opposite is true. If this were truly the case how come that a very high percentage of newspapers in Italy print in bold capital letters on their front page that he is an unfit father, a lecherous old man, a despot.... the list is endless of the shit they throw around and invent against the Italian Premier hoping some of it will stick- well, not on my face it won’t. And I’m nobody remember, just a household blogger who is tied with bonds of affection to her adopted land, Britain, giving her humble opinion which hopefully will re-establish the equilibrium between fact and fantasy. I am not, as those who commented on yesterday’s article in this same paper by Rosemary Righter, who appears to be the only one who seems to understand Italians and politics, one of those “hopefuls” trying to gain an invitation to that famous villa Certosa, which has been painted as a den of iniquities. Some who left comments said that Ms Rosemary Righter is merely seeking an invitation to Villa Certosa which to my mind only shows that such people are incapable of understanding that bias and ignorance, as some writers seem to enjoy engaging upon in their articles as seen of late, should not be a part of a journalist’s repertoire.

“The point...” that few media outlets in Italy are able to make is referred to the columnist’s “bad morals” of the Premier which as I have explained before are forever plastered on our newspapers, otherwise how did the writer get to know about the interminable list he/she has made? And I also love the way the writer indulges in preaching to the Italians when he/she states that all “This is patronising nonsense. Italians understand just as well as Americans what is and what is not acceptable. And like Americans, they regard a cover-up as contemptible.” Wrong! Mr Clinton’s popularity was never higher in Italy than when he was caught out having oral sex in the oval room, or whatever room it was. He was, and will always be welcomed here in Italy as a hero! It is not that Italians are lecherous, it’s just they know life is beautiful especially in bed and at Villa Certosa.

But what makes me laugh is that Berlusconi is quite skilled in taking his opponents for a ride, in other words he gives them the “idea” that something peccaminous is going on when in effect it hardly touches the level of Boy Scout ramblings and I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife Veronica is not in league with him in all this, at least judging from her highly peppery remarks; thus allowing his opponents, mainly the Italian press, which is mostly owned by the left wing, and at this point, the foreign press, fabricate a whole mountain of fairy tales out of a simple event.

Taking the Noemi issue as an example. Berlusconi has certainly done her a favour, would her “Pre-Raphaelities” face be so famous had she not been involved? She now has her career mapped out and wouldn’t be surprised if we see her in some Hollywood Studio sooner or later. Her €5,000 birthday necklace? All the ladies receive such a gift if they are guests at Villa Certosa. Which gives me an idea. Maybe I should ask for an invitation too after all that’s why I’m writing this article, is it not? Pity I’m only a decade or so younger than the Premier, I don’t think I would be allowed in? Drat!

The writer seems to think the Premier has something to explain in Parliament. Personally, I think there’s very little to explain. The fact that he has blocked 700 photos which were taken, through lenses that allow you to see Planet Mars, inside a personal residence is not an issue. After all it is not just Berlusconi that is photographed but hordes of private citizens. The Queen or the British PM would never allow anyone to publish photos taken with a one metre long lens of the goings on inside their back yard, now would they? How is it that this fact seems so hard for The Times to understand when applied to Italy? Besides 700 photos are hardly anything- I take that amount during a Corpus Christie procession- Check with Twitter, I often post how many photos I take on a given occasion. By the way, just heard on the news that there’s a photographer in Sardinia offering photos of the interior of Villa Certosa at astronomical prices- anyone interested in seeing the colour of Berlusconi’s bathroom tiles?

Maybe some conveniently prefer to forget that the marriage has long been only on a formal basis as was obvious but none of the two ever said so. However, in the whole of Berlusconi’s political career, Veronica was by his side only three times in all. The French President and Prince Charles both underwent the same dilemma resolving the problem by re-marrying, whereas, in Berlusconi and Veronica’s case, the children being so young, neither desired an official separation. And let us also remember, since the writer reminds that we Italians “ought to reflect, on the candidates thought suitable for Strasbourg and on the level of prime ministerial candour...” Of course no mention of the “candour", and whiter than white morality of British public representatives, even less of their newspaper ethics. Charles did far greater things against Diana, though the Italians have never made a big issue out of it and reserved a genuine welcome for him when he visited Italy last April, I too dedicated My Today’s Picture to him. However, he was for years unfaithful until Diana decided to bring it out in the open much to the joy of the British press who enjoyed to offer private parts on a platter for the whole world to savour- Let me remind The Times that it was from the moral level of the “Victorian” ethics of the British press that I got to know that the future king of England desired to become a tampax in a certain lady’s vagina. And you have something to teach Italian voters about the level of morality of their candidates? In comparison Berlusconi’s antics can be likened to Sunday School activities.

Which brings us to, why have all these parties then? The columnist interpreted these occasions as “abusing his position to offer them jobs as models, personal assistants or even, absurdly, candidates for the European Parliament.” Berlusconi’s son is the vice-chairman, no his father is not the chairman, of the board that has control of three national TV channels and the director of one of them, Emilio Fede of Rete 4 is forever in search of talent... Translate that as you wish but one has to be extremely narrow minded if one is in show business and not have parties! By the sound of the article it seems that Berlusconi is there alone in this magnificent Villa with a harem of young girls! For heaven’s sake- Of course he is not alone- there are thousands of people involved in running 3 TV stations! Certainly a list of candidates for the European elections from this bevy of girls as The Times writer suggests, has never existed, this is a pure left wing fantasy. Of course I can’t expect the BBC to conduct its business in such a manner and neither does the Italian State TV but that doesn’t mean that it is peccaminous for independent TVs to do it. Most of the work involved behind the scenes of this kind of business has to take place during social occasions and integration- for obvious reasons. This happens even with normal firms who try to get their employees to integrate on Twitter, for the same reasons. I am an ex-drama student, I should know.

But the bottom line is that this is all left wing propaganda and as Ms Rosemary Righter alluded in her article yesterday Britain is indeed in need of another Berlusconi, but in return, we do not want your Gordon Brown who will most likely crash bang us into bankruptcy- something Berlusconi has not and has no intention of doing, not even over his dead body.

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