Women’s Bodies: Messages Sent by Images on Italian TV

by Hema Mali

The intervention of Lorella Zanardo at the PWA speaker meeting could not have come at a more timely moment at this particular crossroads of my life.  Just before leaving for the event, I had been discussing with the father, the merit of raising our son in Italy.   My concern regarded relationship with females, opportunities, a point of reference, enforcing values when we are constantly bombarded by an environment where breaking rules is the norm and the power of the media.

It was much to my chagrin that my son had started to watch Italian television in particular quiz shows abound with showgirls.  He was even familiar with the names and had his favourite velinas’.  He even thought that Victoria from Wheel of Fortune was pretty and I had to explain that she looked hideous because it was evident that her lips and breasts had been re-done.  How do you explain to a seven year old that she had been exploited?

Even worse to hear comments that the Italian Prime Minister was a “figo” by males from my generation simply because he was still doing it at the age of 72 and that there was nothing wrong with an old man doing it with someone old enough to be his grand-daughter.

I don’t want my child to grow up in this environment because what I see are more and more people brainwashed and I can only but explain it by what they see and read in the media.  If today’s new parent generation can switch their thinking to the acceptability of treating women as sex objects – a step back in time, what hope is there for the children of today.  I too fell victim, not having my point of reference in Italy, to the fact that the woman had to be immaculate and have a perfect presence at all times.  Being bombarded by these images, I too was nearly convinced that this is what was expected – by whom, society?  Who predicts what society wants?  Not only, but any success that a woman gains is justified, usually by men, that they must have conceded sexual favours to have had that success.  More so, after seeing the “Infedele” transmission, it confirmed the concept that Italian society is being brainwashed that exploitation of women is acceptable.  The most shocking of all is how successful Italian women in the media (not only) subject women to the same humiliation.  If this is a vicious circle, what hope is there of change?

Thus, I was happy to have heard Lorella’s presentation because it filled me with a little hope.  More so when I watched her documentary and her blog and the work she is doing going to schools to send the message not to be influenced by what they see on TV.  She externalises her anger in a calm and positive way and not by criticising Italian society but by using effective communicative methods to make people aware.

I was also moved by how she used her time, in a period of crisis, and over the Christmas period usually dedicated to family, constructively to produce such a masterpiece.  Using the same arms that try to destroy our dignity and to convert it to reveal just how ridiculous it is.

This leads me to the following question.  If the media today is a mirror of the Italian society, if the young generation of today, in particular women were to have the possibility of creating their own TV program, what kind of programs would it be?

Tags: Hema Mali, Il corpo delle donne, Lorella Zanardo, PWA, women bodies

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