On Italy, a string of sterotypes.

Da: Dario Q

Inviato: domenica 23 gennaio 2011 15.39
A: 'letters@nytimes.com'
Oggetto: On Italy, a string of sterotypes.

Sir,

In today’s article “Surreal: A Soap Opera Starring Berlusconi” Mrs. Rachel Donadio gives an account of the latest sex scandal involving Prime Minister Berlusconi through a roundup of the cheapest commonplaces about Italy, touching the Roman Empire decadence, Catholic culture, and Baroque architecture (which to her is about  trompe l’oeil ceilings, false doors, and facades: if she lives in Rome she should have realized by now that it is also about very concrete monuments in solid marble). Luckily, she spares us from Mafia, Opera, Pizza and the sunshine.

Her attempt to “to translate between Italian and American sensibilities” ends with the rather simplistic and racist remark that: “Whatever it is, it is very Italian”, and NYT readers will surely be astonished learning that “since the Roman Empire, politics here has been seen as a means to power and money". I wonder if Mrs. Donadio can name a country or a century where politics was not connected with power and money.

The only surreal thing here is that such a collection of banalities and stereotypes can ever be considered ‘journalism’.

Dario Q

Rome – Italy