Filling in the gaps

Having a degree in Italian Literature and Language allows me to do many things here. I can talk about Dante’s Divine Comedy at length, conjugate random verbs into strange tenses and discuss the development of the Italian Language from regional dialects into one unified language over the course of the past 100 years. Surprisingly however, these topics usually don’t come up on a Saturday night out with the friends.

How often, over the course of an evening among friends in your age group, do you cite random quotes from a Will Ferrell movie? Or maybe you prefer a classic scene from Saved by the Bell (my personal favorite being Jesse Spano’s caffeine pill addiction. She was so excited, so excited- so…so…scared). As much as I wish these “classics” held the same significance for my Italian friends as they do for me, I have had to catch up on some of their own childhood highlights.

Here are some little tidbits that you can all throw into a conversation to help you fit in- and win some points with the locals at the same time.

Topo Gigio- Topo is a little Italian mouse who has been prelevant on Italian television for the past fifty years. He sings songs and always wants a kiss goodnight before leaving a scene. He is also well traveled, as he was a reoccurring guest on the Ed Sullivan Show (so, Topo Gigio and The Beatles got their American break in the same place). He was also known to pop up from time to time on the record player at my Grandma’s house, as we are, after all, Italian Americans.


Raffaella Carrà- Raffaella is the Italian answer to Cindi Lauper and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. She was popular in the late 70’s and her songs remain a staple of any Karaoke night or party with friends. This is one of her highlights, Com’è bello fa l’amore da Trieste in giù (Tanti Auguri). Remember it is appropriate after she sings “Tanti Auguri,” to yell “Graaa” and throw your head back in a “Fainting Southern Belle” type move.


Adriano Celentano- ahhh, il GRANDE Celentano. Adriano Celentano is one of the first, and biggest, Italian pop stars. He enjoys the type of fame that Billy Joel finds on my native Long Island. Here is a clip (oddly from a concert in Germany) of his song Il Ragazzo di Via Gluk which is a song about Urbanization. I like to think of it as the Italian “Down-easter Alexa.”



Amici- Amici is one of the many shows on Television hosted by a woman named Maria De Filippi. It is almost an Italian “American Idol”, except that there are competitive dancers as well as singers. The “nasty judge” is also one of Adriano Celentano’s nieces, who used to be a dancer in her own right. The show is highlighted by a drag queen named Platinette, an American dancing teacher named Garrison. One of the competition’s challenges is an abbreviated musical, which I have included a clip of. I warn you that it is a little long- but trust me, it is worth it!