Well, I'd love to say I'm surprised...but I'm not. Especially after that Italian crucifixion/rape analogy ad that was posted on here (and the resulting comment thread), I can't say anything sexist in Italy would really shock me. How unfortunate. :(

Oops, my bad! I forgot that Europeans are more progressive then us in every imaginable way, and nothing they do can be taken at face value from a North American perspective.

Also troubling to me is the quote from Grazia Francescato, whom NPR calls a "veteran feminist" (which I can't verify immediately -- I'm taking NPR's word for it for now, unfortunately):

"We have gone from equal opportunities to equal opportunism... You try to be very appealing to the other sex, especially to very powerful men. I am very, very disappointed by women."

Yikes. So high-profile feminists are giving up, shaking their heads and disapproving publicly of showgirls, or...? Who exactly disappoints Francescato, I wonder? I had her at the beginning of that quote, but the last sentence is awfully depressing and indicates some fractiousness in Italian feminism, if Francescato is indeed a major player in it.

I was also curious about the phrase of this sentence of the article:

Feminists were powerful in the 1970s, winning universal health care and legalization of divorce and abortion, but then there was a backlash.

It's interesting that the reporter frames this backlash as devoid of agency -- "there was" one, rather than something like "these particular antifeminists responded with" one.

And this bit regarding Italy--

Only 2 percent of top management positions are held by women — that's even behind Kuwait

--rubs me the wrong way. Particularly the "even." It suggests, to me anyway, some journalistic incredulity at the idea that a European power could be less progressive on some aspect of equal opportunities for women than a nation that granted women full political rights just three years ago.

Anwyay, being unfamiliar with Berlusconi's pre-PM media career, I wish the article discussed the specific ramifications of his so-called model in greater depth, in lieu of those few quotes trying to ring Italian feminism's death knell.

Not coincidentally, Italy is currently tied with Mexico for the distinction of having the world's highest c-section rate-- nearly 40%.

Considering that Italy does not have the same abundance of medico-legal disputes and insanely high medical malpractice insurance costs as the U.S., WHAT messages are Italian women receiving that would lead 25% of them to abandon the act of normal birth?

I think the article posted answers that.

(25% is speculative btw... just subtracting the 15-ish% that is considered the high end of the optimal c-section rate above which c-sections cause more harm than good)

Wow.

Showgirls are the #1 role model in Italy!?
But before I got totally bonkers, does anyone know what is the #1 role model for young women in the United States? (I honestly don't know - any link or info would be appreciated!).

I also find it very concerning to read Gruber's statement about the growth in violence against women...is there seriously little to nothing being done about that? (Again, I don't know - I'm going with what the article is saying...sorry!)

By the way, did anyone else read the comments?
The two that made me want to cringe/cry/oddly-enough-laugh-at-the-absurdity were:

G R (12qwer345643): "Wow, what a suprise that feminist media dominated NPR runs a story like this- bashing another country because it doesn't conform to the fascist gynocracy that America has become!"

Allison Whackbar (AllieWhackbar):
"Let the dumpy women of the United States lead the feminist cause. Should we ask Italy to make inferior wine, cuisine, and fashion also to suit our tastes? Viva Berlusconi!"

Wow.

Showgirls are the #1 role model in Italy!?
But before I got totally bonkers, does anyone know what is the #1 role model for young women in the United States? (I honestly don't know - any link or info would be appreciated!).

I also find it very concerning to read Gruber's statement about the growth in violence against women...is there seriously little to nothing being done about that? (Again, I don't know - I'm going with what the article is saying...sorry!)

By the way, did anyone else read the comments?
The two that made me want to cringe/cry/oddly-enough-laugh-at-the-absurdity were:

G R (12qwer345643): "Wow, what a suprise that feminist media dominated NPR runs a story like this- bashing another country because it doesn't conform to the fascist gynocracy that America has become!"

Allison Whackbar (AllieWhackbar):
"Let the dumpy women of the United States lead the feminist cause. Should we ask Italy to make inferior wine, cuisine, and fashion also to suit our tastes? Viva Berlusconi!"

The link doesn't work, at least not for me.

In America, the most popular female role models are probably actresses, singers, and general celebrities (like Paris Hilton). Shows like American Idol probably produce important role models too.

The difference between sexualized showgirls and sexualized actresses is that, at least in America, showgirls are a symbol of sexism, while acting and singing are plausibly legitimate. Burlesque dancing, along with beauty contests, swimsuit calendars, and cheerleading, are seen to have no non-sexist purpose. I don't know how showgirls are perceived in Italy, but I think that's why Americans are so distressed by this.

I'm not saying that Italy isn't sexist, but this story doesn't prove it. The reporter uses the word "showgirl" in a misleading way. It seems to me like "showgirls" are basically what we call celebrities in the US and I'm pretty sure celebrities are major role models for American women.

Also, she attempts to prove her point by saying that "only 17%" of their parliament is made up of women. That's "worse than Rwanda and Burundi." Never mind that bordering-on-racist comment. Guess what other country has a legislature with only 17% women? Um, that would be the US. F'real. Do the math.

So, if this stuff actually proves sexism, then she's only proved that the US is as bad as Italy.

I can only add (my 1 little opinion as an expat) that Italy is still pretty traditional where the family is the most important unit rather than the individual (as the case for the US). Italians still rely on heavily on connections for many aspects of life including jobs; the system is less meritocratic.

For those still unsure about media perspective, in light of the anti-rape campaign ad: it comes down to sex versus violence in the media:

In Italy, sex and nudity have become almost mundane. Ho, hum. Plunging necklines, soft porn at midnight on the local station, even a few naked men plastered around the city.

Now switch out the words 'sex and nudity' and put in violence and now you can say something similar about the US.

Violence has become almost mundane. Ho, hum. I don't need to give examples across the spectrum of media (music, tv, genres of film) because we all know what I'm talking about as does the rest of the world because we are so good at what we do that we export it as well.