Italian PM Berlusconi sez Obama is "young, handsome, and tanned"

[Lars]

gaffe alert

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 November 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7715016.stm

Berlusconi says Obama is 'tanned'












Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has provoked criticism for describing Barack Obama as "young, handsome, and tanned".

He made the remarks after a meeting with the Russian president in Moscow.

Opposition politicians in Italy said Mr Berlusconi's remarks about the US president-elect were at worst, racist and at best, undiplomatic.

Mr Berlusconi shrugged off the criticism, saying those who disagreed with him were humourless "imbeciles".

'Great compliment'

Mr Berlusconi made the quip at a news conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

''Obama is young, handsome and also tanned, so he has all the qualities to agree with you,'' he told the Russian leader, speaking in Italian through a translator.

The Italian news agency Ansa said Mr Berlusconi later defended the remark, calling it "a great compliment".

Responding to a reporter's suggestion that the remark might be misunderstood, he accused his opponents of not having a sense of humour.

''God save us from imbeciles,'' he added.

Gaffe prone

The Italian leader has a history of public gaffes.

On his first meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2002, Berlusconi complimented him with the words: "Mr Rasmussen is not only a great colleague, he's also the best-looking prime minister in Europe."

He added: "He's so good looking, I'm even thinking of introducing him to my wife."

He sparked a minor diplomatic incident in 2005 by suggesting he had wooed Finnish President Tarja Halonen to ensure her backing for Italy to host the European Food Safety Authority.

"I had to use all my playboy tactics, even if they have not been used for some time," he said, prompting Helsinki to call in the Italian ambassador to explain the comments.

[rc]

saying those who disagreed with him were humourless "imbeciles"

I can't say that I disagree. What exactly did he say that was so offensive? Obama's skin is, indeed, a darker shade of tan than mine is. What's so horrendous about pointing out that obvious fact?

[Ought Six]

Most Whites seem unaware of the fact that Black do, in fact, tan. Exposure to a lot of direct sunlight causes the same increase in melanin in the skin as with everyone else, and their skin does get darker. When Black move from tropical regions to temperate ones with a lot less sun, their skin lightens appreciably.

But even mentioning skin color with 'people of color' is a horrifying social felony to the PC crowd, so this truth is to be absolutely ignored and the offender properly attacked and punished.

[Fartacus]

Italian politicians

Like Cicciolina, the porn star who got a big old face full of AIDS from John "The Wadd" Holmes and went on to Italian Parliament

[BirdGuano]

Did they translate Borat into Italian ?

[Susie]

If the Italians are anything like the French with their 'sense of humour', then Berlesconi was being very rude.

[Toner]

Still doing it

Italians criticise Silvio Berlusconi over tanned Barack Obama 'racist gaffe'
Silvio Berlusconi has been accused of making Italy look ridiculous on the world stage after calling US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle "sun-tanned".


By Nick Squires in Rome
Published: 10:47PM BST 28 Sep 2009

Mr Berlusconi, who on Tuesday celebrates his 73rd birthday, was castigated by Italy's opposition and press for repeating the bizarre observation, which he first made last November, shortly after Mr Obama was elected.

"By repeating these quips that are out of place, the prime minister continues to damage the image of Italy," said the country's only black MP, Jean Leonard Touadi, who is of Congolese origin.

The left-leaning L'Unita newspaper splashed the story on its front page, with a large photograph of Mrs Obama wearing a black dress and strings of pearls at the White House.

"He makes us look ridiculous before the whole world," the newspaper said, adding that the comment was "a racist gaffe".

Alexander Stille, an American biographer of Mr Berlusconi, was quoted as saying that "the majority of Italians think that Berlusconi enjoys great prestige abroad, when in fact he is universally considered a clown". The left-leaning La Repubblica said the prime minister's "swashbuckling wisecracks" about the world's most powerful leader were reckless and inappropriate.

At a rally in Milan on Sunday night, Mr Berlusconi said: "I have to bring you some greetings, greetings from a man, what is his name - just a minute it was someone with a tan - Barack Obama".

For the first time he extended the "joke" to the president's wife, Michelle. "You wouldn't believe it but they go to the beach together to sunbathe because even his wife is suntanned."

The prime minister sparked an international outcry in November when, during a trip to Moscow, he praised the then president-elect as "young, handsome and even sun-tanned." He brushed off the criticism, saying he was jealous of Mr Obama's skin colour and that he was merely paying him a compliment.

But the remark may have explained the frostiness between Mr Berlusconi and the Obamas when they met in Pittsburgh at the G20 meeting last week.

While Mrs Obama kissed and hugged several world leaders, she chose only to shake the Italian prime minister's hand as her husband looked on.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ist-gaffe.html

[Ought Six]

Berlusconi saying Obama is 'tanned' causes a minor furor. But imagine if he pointed out the race of his mother, and called Obama 'White'....