From Tuesday to Saturday last week the 61st San Remo Music Festival took place. This is the Italian equivalent of the Eurovision Song contest but instead of lasting 1 night it lasts 5 nights. Each evening on television from 9.00pm to midnight the competition unfolds with the winner finally (!)being announced late Saturday evening.
On Italian television variety shows it is traditional to have 3 presenters – one short man and two tall, beautiful women or one old man and two tall, beautiful women or one ugly man and two tall, beautiful women or one short, old, ugly man and two tall, beautiful women. In the last couple of years the San Remo Festival went against this trend and had a single presenter and a show which had been declining in popularity bounced back. However, this year it reverted to type and had: Gianni Morandi the Cliff Richard of the Italian pop world; Elizabetta Canalis best known for being the current girlfriend of George Clooney; Belen Rodriguez an Argentinian showgirl who is famous in Italy for a series of television adverts and her body. And the show was a great success with over 50% of italian television viewers opting for the festival. We opted instead for going out.
The idea of one man two women presenters exists in other types of tv programes. The highlight must be a programme called “Vivere Meglio” (Live Better). It aims to give advice on health and lifestyle issues and has the winning combination of 1 short, old, ugly man with 4 tall, beautiful women.