Newcomers are frequently shocked watching TV in Italy. Visitors are either tickled pink or gobsmacked (as I was) at the degrading roles women play and actually clamour to play on television. As per the decorating yet silly showgirls of 1950 only with 2008’s amped sex appeal. Veline is the name generally used for the girls on the most popular TV show Striscia yet also applies to the many “Valette” with the same role used in various other programs. Like all new things discovered in a foreign country this too can actually become ho-hum after a while.
See for yourself the new Veline at this opening of a TV show:
Remember when Jen Hawkins G string was exposed walking off the catwalk and it made the news? Funnily enough if you go here you will need to tick a “Yes I”m over 18 box” before permitted to watch it! Well here such immodesty is a daily occurence and certainly not accidental! Semi naked girls twist and twirl for their few minutes of fame in the spotlight as they go through the motions of simple tasks such as handing the actual presenter the news or pause to read a quiz show question.
Why DO these girls do this?
For Career, Fame & Money accumulating in High Profile Love…
- Snapped up no questions asked for TV presenting or Soap acting (Whereas hard working educated journalists go through hell to get recognised as a respected Journo with the right to work in Italy)
- No need to learn Italian to get a job on television in Italy ~ many Brazilian models have made it this way and is one of the attractions to the job
- Many marry or date wealthy older men:
- Brazilian Thais Wiggers married Teo Mammucari 20 years older then her & just had a baby
- Even reknown bachelor Flavio Briatore (Naomi Campbell’s ex and man who refused paternity over Heidi Klum’s child) married Elisabetta Gregoraci
- Maddalena Corvaglia even dated one of the hosts of the show she worked on; broken off only when she decided to remove one final bitsy layer for a nude shoot
- Countless date & marry famous soccer players
Italy’s perplexing attitude towards women & sex can be seen through TV and includes (but is not limited to):
- Veline/ Valette prancing in as little as a G string (I kid you not) on any number of quiz shows & comedy news programs at Prime Time for all the family’s viewing
- ACTUAL soft porn is shown on 2-3 free to air channels every night
- “Sex and the City” is set aside to the late night time slot of 11pm – presumably not for it’s sexual content but for its “feminist” overtones making men appear less “manly” and therefore stupid
Still don’t quite grasp the extent of this phenomene? Go here & here to see what is unbelievably a normal part of the daily grind for Italian viewers.
If you are from a more conservative country or one with more feminist attributes this can be rather confrontational. I find it astonishing that women willingly allow themselves to be objectified in this day & age. I have never seen such obvious displays of sensous teasing on television! It’s not as if they are getting their clothes off behind the pretense of making a sexy music video clip (which once questioned is expected now); this job position’s existence and purpose is purely about titillation.
Search the word “Veline” in Youtube the accompanying tags will tell you that this is not a respectable way to make your name. However gorgeous girls as young as 18 continue to line up and are split into blonde and brunette categories every summer for the special honour of being the Veline of Striscia la Notzia. (This years winners were the first video shown) Parents of winners are interviewed later crying tears of joy that their precious child earnt the privelige to shake what her mama gave her into the living rooms of 60 million people.
Look at the doubtful lengths the competition went in their hopeful endeavour to be a glorifed showpony:
This is the opportunity Italy readily and eagerly offers to women in media. Certainly other more respected roles exist (see girl host in background of above video) but can you imagine if it was your job to present with 2 scantily clad girls perched on your desk in front of you! I feel funny even reporting this to you all; but the reality is that this is a part of everyday life here. Even older viewers (a heavy majority) don’t complain. They just accept it as a part of their culture; an Italian love of women.
Love of women? Or love of demeaning women?
Would you be supportive or incredulous if this was shown in your country? Please ~ express your thoughts below!
15 Comments
October 20, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I finally decided to write a comment on your blog. I just wanted to say good job. I really enjoy reading your posts.
October 21, 2008 at 9:45 am
Wow, I never even knew – how bizarre! I would definitely be leaning towards ”incredulous”.. !
October 21, 2008 at 11:18 am
Adrian Michaels, a British journalist called *Italy, the land that feminism forgot* in an article in FT that greated quite a stir here. Veline on tv is just a symptom of the real problem. Have you counted te number of women MPs or Senators? How many women reached management positions in Italian companies? Oh and it just gets worse after you have a kid!
October 21, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thanks Joanne…. I have noticed that the few women politicians are stunningly beautiful and always dressed with loads of sex appeal… I’m not sure if thats a prerequiste to success here or if they don’t think they would get respected otherwise but it strikes me as strange since I can’t think of a single Australian female politician semi attractive or who would ever dare to dress provactively for fear of the public outcry… When Sandra Sully (a news reader in Sydney) skirt shows a bit of her legs crossed it sends shockwaves through the nation LOL And we’re supposed to be laid back & easy going…. I looked up that article you mentioned & it was a brilliant read… Link here for others interested: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7d479772-2f56-11dc-b9b7-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
October 21, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Wow, that really is bizarre, especially considering Italy appears so ostensibly Catholic and reserved at least to the UK if not the rest of the world. I guess it’s similar to our “Page 3 Girls” many of whom try to pass off appearing topless in papers as “empowering”.
October 21, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I am so sick of half naked dancing girls on tv! Italy is the country where the Vatican will not make brothels legal, but they allow all these porn stars…sorry ’show girls’ dance half naked on tv night and day.
October 21, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I understand that every time someone from a foreign Country come to Italy and watch at my TV he remains blinking at it with a lost look just thinking “what the hell is that?!?!”.
Yep, i can understand it, actually it happens to me ALL THE TIME.
Under the veil of the XX century Italy still remains a “macho society” where in tv or on magazines women are always naked. The main goal of the veline, and all the girls dieing to become one of them, is getting married to a soccer player and become famous for that. It is just a way to lower the cultural level of the Country and to have a bigger control on the way to think, act and be of people, and of citizens.
Just look at the Italian politics: the Minister for the equal rights is an ex valletta, who posed naked for a calendar and who had a screen test to become a velina. How sad.
And yes Italy is the Country where the Pope lives and preaches chastity and decency so all this may sounds a little contradictory for such a catholic nation.
But the most important lesson come from the Church year after year it has been their impudent way to be hypocrite. So if you think about it, it is not that contradictory.
October 22, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Yes it’s totally bizarre Vixel & Leanne!!!
And Alessandra the Minister is an ex Veline?? You mean the lady who spoke against legalising prostitution..? Gosh…. It’s true that opportunity in Italy is sparse for women, young people & foreigners! (that would be me) Which leaves…. oh ~ old men!
October 23, 2008 at 7:02 am
Very sickening and disturbing indeed. Think of all the oppression women suffer in the Middle East and yet there are women in the free world willing to subject themselves to such traumatic sexual exploitation. Another form of keeping women under control – unfortunately being made easy by willing participants.
October 23, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Yes, the lady who spoke against prostitution and who stated that she doesn’t understand who sells her own body has been a showgirl, posed naked for pics….and it seems (foreign newspaper said it) she had a phone call where, talking to another italian female minister, she explained how to do oral sex to the prime minister. Ops! http://ghostomjoad.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/el-clarin-sexgate-a-la-italiana/
She is the flag of feminism!
October 24, 2008 at 6:51 am
That is a bit messed up, to say the least. Almost surreal.
November 9, 2008 at 11:34 am
[...] Va-Va-Voom Veline [...]
November 23, 2008 at 10:05 am
eew. that is gross.
January 19, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I’m putting Italy down as a future vacation destination.
I’m glad some places aren’t infected by feminist cancer.
You’re probably a little jealous that they’d never let you on these shows.
January 20, 2009 at 12:52 am
In Italy they actually know what beautiful women look like! *claps hands* bravo.
We don’t need many fat ugly slugs on TV that want to have the “right” to make television and the world ugly as sin!