The Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi showed some odd sense of humor when talking about the new President elect Barack Obama in Russia during a meeting with Russian President Medvedev.
I mean the outgoing Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is well known for his blunt language - a tendency to make what one of his predecessors, Massimo D'Alema, described as "planetary gaffes".
I mean he is known not to be too much a friend of the left, when he said during his 2006 campaign to left-wing voters: "I trust the intelligence of the Italian people too much to think that there are so many pricks around who would vote against their own best interests."
So I guess he couldn't help himself, when meeting President Medvedev (and Berlusconi is not a fan of communists either -
"Italy is now a great country to invest in... today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls."
This is what he had to say about Barack Obama as reported in the International Herald:The Italian leader, who has a history of controversial remarks, was asked by a reporter about the prospect for U.S.-Russian relations, which have plummeted in recent months.
Berlusconi responded by saying that the relative youth of the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, 43, and Obama, 47, should make it easier for Moscow and Washington to work together.
Then he said, smiling, that he had told Medvedev that Obama "has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he's young, handsome and well tanned."
I guess he didn't expect that people in the world would not understand his humour and he followed up:News agencies said Berlusconi later defended the remark, calling the statement "a great compliment."
"Why are they taking it as something negative?" the ANSA news agency quoted him as saying in Moscow. "If they have the vice of not having a sense of humor, worse for them."
Later, Berlusconi told Sky TV-24 Ore that the remark was meant to be "cute," and he lashed out at those who don't see it as such, calling them "imbeciles, of which there are too many."
The Alien Patriot
Silvio Berlusconi Gaffe: bizarre comments about Barack Obama
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Bravo to Prime Minister Berlusconi for having a sense of humor and the courage to put it on display. Black American comedians in the U.S. are allowed to use the most vile disparaging remarks about their own race to get laughs on stage and yet the world is somehow offended by Berlusconi?
Barack Obama himself is a good example of how politically correct politicians must be. His remark about Nancy Reagan and astrology was actually pretty funny yet Obama felt the need to phone her and apologize.
Has the world lost its sense of humor? Are professional comedians the only people on the planet who are allowed to have fun?
I'm usually all for humor, but not sure if I want it in the public political arena that much.
To be provocative is one thing, but this new ambition of our politicians to make fun of other people is not the most sensitive behavior.
If somebody wants to make fun of himself, like Bush did many times, I think it makes a President more human, but to go on SNL, the Daily Show etc. or like Berlusconi to give his remarks in Russia in these tense time is maybe a little bit over the top.
Yeah Comedians are in charge of Comedy, and Presidents don't have to be funny to be effective.
Don't you ever have to bite your tongue because you think a comment might be inappropriate?
Presidents and prime ministers can have fun - but do they have to do it on the job?
TAP
Sure, I have made inappropriate comments, everyone has from time to time. The point I am trying to make is that we are all human. When someone makes an obvious gaffe that is hurtful then an apology is in order. If it was simply humor then let's not use their humanity to attack them regardless of who you support.
Richard,
You know I personally don't like BO much, but I'm not so sure if all these things said on TV are happening just by accident.
Sure Joe Biden's television in the 30's comment was definitely one of those accidents.
Obama's "Mutt like me" comment was funny, but I'm not sure if I want to hear it from a President elect.
Berlusconi's background and quotes from the past can also show a little hidden agenda behind "well-tanned".
I just think that people in the highest offices of public service should be held to a high standard as they are a role model in society.
I don't like how Bush was bashed all the time. It's just not the way to treat a President, no matter if you like him or not. Respect is a quality that somehow seems to be lost in many parts of our society.
The other thing, and this is the really scary news is that comedians like Chris Rock or Bill Maher openly say now that it will be hard to make fun of Obama, because he is so "cool".
So maybe we should let Chris Rock start to rule and BO do comedy, because both seem to have lost their talent in their own profession.
TAP