Rai broadcast two comedians' gag about the birth of Christ and the open sky. On December 26th, during the Rai2 program “Da Natale a Santo Stefano”, Biagio Izzo And Francesco Paolantoni They parodied the Christmas scene. The first one plays a Maria the intention to converse with the angels, the second that of one Joseph surprised by an unexpected pregnancy. This was enough to provoke criticism. Out of Carlo Giovanardi To Maurizio Gasparri and from For lifeeveryone to denounce this “blasphemy” of the sketch that aired on Boxing Day. Until one of the two comedians reacted in kind. “Bigots, racists, obscurantists,” expressed Paolantoni, saying he was worried: “This Rai scares me.”
But let's start with the criticism and let's start with the last one, that of the Senator from Forza Italy Gasparri. Among the numerous statements published in recent days, he has not failed to dedicate one to the Christmas scene. Just enough time to get back to work, and on January 12th he proposes against broadcasting and parody. More: deposit a question at the head of Rai in the Supervisory Commission, where he defines:blasphemous” the depiction in which he even mentions the man dressed as the Virgin Mary and asks if the company does not consider this “offensive and capable of greatly offending the sensibilities of viewers, believers and not only believers” and what initiatives intends to seize it in this regard.” In essence, explained Gasparri, “it was a vulgar parody of the Holy Family, which is broadcast on a public broadcaster on the very days that the Catholic world celebrates the birth of Christ.
It aired last December 26th @RaiDue the program “Da Natale a Santo Stefano”, hosted by Stefano De Martino, in which Biagio Izzo and Francesco Paolantoni staged a blasphemous and vulgar depiction of the Nativity.
Especially on the most important days… pic.twitter.com/pXvhfLb6DG
– Jacopo Coghe (@jacopocoghe) January 8, 2024
Also “despised and indignant.” Jacopo CogheSpokesperson for Pro Vita & Famiglia, e Giovanardi, founder of Popolo e Libertà, who attacked the depiction, describing it as a “desecrating and very tasteless imitation of the Nativity”, with Saint Joseph complaining of having had a prostate operation and therefore being unable to reproduce, and with a as Virgin Mary disguised man, depicted as an absent-minded mother conversing with a cartoon angel. “I, being so Catholic and religious, never imagined such a reaction,” Izzo commented. “Pro Vita Famiglia – wrote Coghe in , so that similar episodes do not repeat themselves in the future.”
“We apologize If we touched someone's sensibilities perhaps, that wasn't our intention, we just wanted to entertain people. There is no controversy and I hope the matter ends quietly,” he added. My colleague Paolantoni Fanpage gave a much less conciliatory interview. And responded to the criticism: “We didn’t believe that these heads were like that.” darkened from the desire for bigotry and from the exaggerated, dark and mediocre idea of what satire and irony are. This is not Vatican television, it is state television. I don't understand why secular state television should prevent something like this. There is freedom of expression. To me these things smell like obscurantism, like dictatorship, like ancient stuff. They frighten me.” He describes the controversy as “shameful” and adds: “They pretend to be Christians and then demonstrate aggression and lack of democracy.” What kind of Christians are they?” As for the opportunity, the disguise as a virgin Criticizing Maria at all and remembering that he had already thought about it Massimo Troisi With his Smorfia, Paolantoni brings a new beginning: “Under these things there is subtle racism and sexism. At that time he was an actor who played Madonna in an ironic and satirical way. There was no desire to offend, just a desire to put together something funny: they are sublimeThat’s the dramatic thing.”