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one. Kind of like “Gosh dang it! " or “Gol darn it!” doing a stand-in for the real thing. Still,
Maremma or Madonna, we know who's being called out on the carpet when the going gets
rough.
Aside from Sean Penn, can you imagine an American getting angry and shouting out,
“Madonna, you slut!” or “Madonna, you pig!” The very thought of it exposes a huge cul-
tural difference between our respective worlds. Americans get mad at God or Jesus Christ;
Italians express their righteous indignation at Mary.
Another way to say it is that Americans are from Mars, Italians are from Venus. When we
come from the States to Italy, part of what we love is that the feminine aspects of exist-
ence are exalted here. The mother goddess culture of the ancient Mediterranean world has
somehow managed to survive transmogrified in this Christian society to which it brings its
blessings. In a myriad of details great and small, immanence triumphs over transcendence,
knowing how to enjoy takes precedence over knowing how to do, the rich present over-
shadows the pale future.
The Maserati, the Ferrari, andthe Lamborghini are all mechanically unreliable, butthey are
the most beautiful cars on earth. The elegantly tailored policewomen with their long hair
and high heels don't derive their identity from their work—they bring it with them to the
job. The notion that they should suppress their physical attractiveness in the name of some
unisex ideal would be alien and abhorrent to them. The chef who steps bashfully out of the
kitchen to meet your group really loves what he does, will never become wealthy, and is
genuinely pleased that you enjoyed your meal. He's not working for a contractor's license
in the evenings and dreaming of a better tomorrow.
All of this is not to suggest that a society that passionately loves Mamma is necessarily
superior to one that strives to please Dad. Each set of values brings its gifts along with its
limitations. The highways that we built in America fifty years ago are still superior to the
roads being built in Tuscany today. In fact, there are any number of things that we know
how to do in America that the Italians could stand to learn. All the Italians have to teach us
is how to enjoy life on earth.
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