Vanity Fair no. 1/2015

More toads than princes

I am tired of reading about Italian men killing wives or female partners. There is one every other day. And who knows how much more than moral violence they are forced to endure. I have a neighbor on the landing, here in Lambrate, who I see occasionally with some marks on her face. His arm was once bandaged. She lives with a boyfriend. And my blood boils. What can I do? Sometimes I think that part of the responsibility of the violent is in the family where they were born and raised as princes. Samy73

What about the horror that, of necessity, must precede the culminating action? Chilling. Days, months, years of overpowering, harassing, bullying, annihilating. And all this horror is granted to man (man?) in the name of love, in most cases. I will not venture into an in-depth analysis because anger alters me to the point of taking away my lucidity and Christian charity. I simply marvel and be amazed. The woman remains prey over whom the man has the right of life and death. This is a perpetual tragedy. And I just don’t know how it will change trend.

Let’s make peace.

We are finally almost out of the holidays: I couldn’t take it anymore. Christmas et similia make me feel even more strongly the cheating, the bad faith, the bitterness, the menefrecklessness of the rest of the world. And maybe mine as well. Now it is possible to start hating ourselves openly again.

But didn’t even a smile tear at the sight of a child’s eyes who believes in Santa Claus and waits for him for sure? Am I being too melancholy? Yes, intentionally. Perhaps one should set one’s gaze and attention on our species when individuals are still soto seven years old. Another world. What does not exist. What I would like. What I will not have. Hi

I don’t support inter

I don’t support Inter Milan, but I loved Jose Mourinho. His communication geniuses from “I am not a pirate” to the handcuff gesture-I always found them very funny. His press conferences were real shows. As an interista, but also in general, do you miss José in Italy? I would like him to return to coaching any soccer team, even Milan. A loving kiss, Luca

Luca, honey! Unforgettable Mourinho, of course. The excitement of the triplete will never leave my Interist heart again. But who I miss is him, my beloved President, who left us in the lurch, in the hands of the “Filipino” with the results we are seeing. Disaster, cockamamie.

In(sing)us again

If you were to go on Tale and Which Show, which colleague of yours, male or female, would you want to play? And what song would you sing or want to sing as he/she/it? Yes, it is true, you have already interpreted other people’s songs stupendously by making them your own: but which one would you sing as well as the original? What a stupid question, right? Greetings. John

Caparezza, I would say. I love it. “I’m out of the tunnel” would be perfect. At least we have a laugh… Hello, John. What a strange question, my friend.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You Of Jan. 2, 2015 Mimi; a unique and unimprovable performance

Dear Mina, I have been meaning to write to you for some time to ask you for a small favor. I am about to record a small gift for my aunt who is an avid lover of Ivano Fossati and Mia Martini. For the occasion I would also like to “record” a cover of “E non finisce mica il cielo,” a great song composed by Ivano and performed by the great Mia. Here, I would like to know if you have ever sung it or will ever sing it. Meanwhile, greetings from Belfast. Mirco aka Beakerbeetle

No, dear and brave Mirco, I have never engraved it. It is a splendid piece. I love Fossati, I love everything he did. Of course, a beautiful gift, the one you are preparing for your aunt… Know, however, that Mimi’s performance is neither reinterpretable nor even improvable. But it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it? Hugs to you.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You of January 5, 2015 We Who Wanted to Adopt.

Dear Mina, We are a couple and, unable to have children, years ago we get the wonderful opportunity to adopt one, wonderful one. Then we realize that there is still plenty of room and love to give. And we jump into a second adoption. The state offers us the opportunity. We find an entity to be mandated to adopt in Ethiopia. And we pay for services for procedures, documents, translations. That’s 9,500 euros. We wait. We wait and wait. We call, we protest, we insist. It has been almost 5 years and we have not adopted. The wait has worn us down. The whole family can’t take it anymore. We want to start living again without the anguish of a phone call that doesn’t come. We decide to revoke the mandate. Closing the tubes. Lost everything: a second child, years with frayed nerves, money. The institution will not return one euro. For the state, our waiver will result in nothing. Our pain and injustice suffered will be invisible to all. Kind regards, Cristina Audisio

Hello, Cristina. You know, your story, slow and painful, is identical to that of many couples who have been waiting and are waiting for years. In this “matter” someone who had some humanity and some decisive decision-making power should get his hands on it. It cannot go on like this. Who can we turn to? Who wants to take this blessed responsibility?It would take a man with the heart and, sorry Holiness, the balls of Francis. But, unfortunately, he doesn’t exist. He just doesn’t exist.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You of January 7, 2015 Singing? You learn from what you hear.

Dearest Mina, a friend of mine has been studying singing for more than 20 years and is unable to establish himself. Hearing him makes me “weep”: he sings with that teacherly coldness. As a bet, he introduced me to his teacher who, after hearing me, asked me how many years I had been studying and who my teacher was. I replied that for 25 years I have been listening to Mina. I think more than the study, what makes the difference is what you listen to. I, however, just sing liturgical songs in my Parish (St. Vincent De Paul) and I am happy that way. Thank you, too. Rosa Zingarelli

But what a wonderful letter, sweetest Rosa. Thank you, thank you very much. You know, I would suggest to your friend to at least drop the teacher. It is always wasted money, as I have been saying for a very long time. Unless one wants to sing opera. Of course, there perennial study and training. Even when you become Pavarotti. I would love to listen to you. Send something. A kiss, my friend.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You of Jan. 8, 2015 Daniele, purest and rarest talent

Dear Mina, surely you are aware of Pino Daniele’s death. I feel it very much ours, since I am from Naples. RIP. Edward

Of course, dear Edward, it is yours, but it is also very much mine and those who love, dare I say it, aristocratic music. Music made with seriousness and respect. And with a quality, with a very pure and rare talent. Irreplaceable. Honoring Pino Daniele.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You Jan. 12, 2015 We live in a society where “social” has been favored over “personal.”

Hello feeble moonbeam, how are you doing? I hope all is well. I wanted to ask you, what do you think about associations? I, in fact, hate them! While in some ways they are useful in keeping kids from “losing” them through wrong paths, in others I find them absolutely misleading: they run the risk of homogenizing minds and making them devoid of free thinking. Maybe I am exaggerating? A kiss in the wind. Luke

We have always associated with it. To go hunting, to cross the seas in search of new lands. And without associating, one cannot see how the master stonemasons of the Apuan Alps could have carved the marble to be delivered to Michelangelo or how the splendid technical individualities of a Rossi, Conti or Cabrini, could have exploded in the choral victory of an unparalleled World Cup. We associate because man is a “social animal.” You exaggerate, therefore, in disputing the fact. But if you are referring to the “…isms,” to the shift from the natural human need to feel associated to the institutionalization of a sense of belonging that leads to the labelable and branded group, I can approach your wariness. To arrive at the huddle, the sum of an indistinct thousand is not enough: it requires the commonality of mutual units that exist a priori and that, perhaps, in coming together and mingling, enhance an already constituted identity. In contemporary liquidity, “social” has been favored over “personal.” And there is an illusion of association. But it takes a considerable amount of luck to find a thought that is an expression of a powerful self, untangling photos of summer swimsuits or ski suits, posted with winking intent for a virtual audience, in a total mess of shrugs and hymns to fanaticism. No, at least in a physical group you can still look each other in the face.

Vanity Special There’s Mina For You Jan. 14, 2015 With Pavarotti I would have made a nice duet

Hi Mi’, how are you? Have you ever thought of doing a concert with Luciano Pavarotti? Kisses Ale

That seems a little late, don’t you think?Maybe if you had written, “Had you ever thought…” I could have answered yes. And how. Maybe a whole concert no, that would not have been the case, but a couple of pieces together with him could have been very interesting. That’s okay. The thing is just postponed. Bye, baby.