Elisabetta Povoledo reflects on the question that has been confounding all of us: "Is Nutella left- or right- wing?" Nutellologist Gini Padovani has the answer:
"All generations have appropriated Nutella - they all feel as though it belongs to them. It transcends generations. It is national-popular," he said, referring to a concept coined by the founder of the Italian Communist Party, Antonio Gramsci. "Today we would call it bipartisan."
This happens in a context of ideologisation of taste, which Padovani says is a uniquely Italian phenomenon, arguing, "It's only here that people say that a shower is 'left' while a bath is 'right,' jeans are 'left,' a jacket is 'right,' or that Nutella is 'left' and Swiss Chocolate is 'right'."
This all makes perfect sense to me, even though most of my politics are "left" and most of my tastes are "right." Which makes me a centrist, doesn't it?
Thanks to the brilliant Edin Hajdarpašić for bringing this to my attention.
2004-12-12
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3 comments:
I take showers, wear jeans and live on Nutella. So, I guess, I am an extreme Leftist even according to Italian criteria.
But do you do all those things at the same time? That would have to make you an anarchist.
Hmmm, in rapid succession yes, but I haven't tried it simultaneously yet...perhaps tonight...I'd like to see how it feels to be an anarchist, always wanted to be one ;-)
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