Parody is the Spice of Life

   The World Cup is not just a serious showcase of the best soccer of the time.  It's a world-wide party, as I discussed in my last post.  There is a time to laugh and a time to cry, but mostly we hope it's a time to laugh, especially at ourselves.  For example, during the night of France's loss to Italy in the 2006 final, a French group called La Plage wrote a song called "Coupe de Boule" satirizing France's performance and Zinedine Zidane's headbutt to Marco Materazzi's chest.  The video was an instant hit and numerous spin-off videos pullulated You-Tube.  For a refresher, click here to hear and see the original version.   Indeed, there have been a number of songs that poke fun at various nations participating in the World cup this time around too.  Some of this may be old news to you, but I just spent 2 weeks in Italy, and I was astonished to discover that hardly anyone knew about them, in particular the German song taking a jab at the Italians.  So I intend to showcase the more important, and funnier, tunes that have hit the air- and cyberwaves this summer.

   As far as I know, this tradition of satirical songs about football began among the friends of the Gialappa's Band.  The most famous of these musicians, and probably the first to satirize, is Elio e le Storie Tese (Elio and the Strung out Stories).  He wrote a song called "Nessuno allo Stadio" (No One at the Stadium) for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.  He poked fun at the stereotypical lack of interest in football in North America, and feared that there would be "no one in the stands, no one on the bench, no one ball juggles, no one who replays (the actions), no one at the stadium, no scalpers, no one scores, no attacking fullback."  Thankfully, Elio's predictions were completely off base, and the World Cup was a success among Americans.  Elio is also famous for another song released in 1998 called "Ti Amo Campionato" (I Love You, Championship), in which he accuses Juventus of stealing results with the help of the referees, who make calls in their favor which influence the results of the games.  He highlights a series of specific games, and shows the actions in the video.  The bottom line is that it was all done in the name of love for the Serie A championship, so it was all good.

    Last post, I discussed the Gialappa's Band and their contribution to the world of satire, which began with their 1986 World Cup commentating.  In this edition, during their show Mai DeeJay Gol on Radio DJ (see links in previous post to listen), they proposed a new World Cup theme to replace Shakira's "Waka Waka, This Time for Africa" with Czech folk song "Jozin z Bazin." (In the post, I mistakenly wrote the theme song was K'Naan's "Waving Flag."  I was going by their info and didn't realize the Gialappa's were mistaken until later.)  Rudy Zerbi, their comic-musician friend who suggested the song, then went on to record numerous versions of it with "celebrities" putting in their vote for the change.

   The theme song to the World Cup was not the only official tune the Gialappa's wanted to change.  They also proposed two new national anthems, for Holland and Germany, written by another comic-musician friend Andrea DiMarco.  Click here for the Dutch video.   No subtitles, unfortunately, but the song celebrates what Holland is best known for: sex and prostitution, art, tulips and quasi-legal marijuana.  The video features the famous group of "scantily dressed Dutch women fans" who were arrested for supposedly advertising a Dutch beer at the World Cup that did not have the rights to do so.  The German anthem "Semo Gente de Germania" (We are People from Germany) highlights German stereotypes such as their rigid mentality, poor food and bland sense of humor.

   Italians are masters of parody, beginning with making fun of themselves.  Maxino released a song called "Italia Va in Waka" (Italy Goes Badly) which goes to the tune of Shakira's song.   Maxino takes stabs at coach Marcello Lippi, the players' stipends, the Azzurri's inability to score, and the general poor show Italy put on this year.  But, as Italians are a generous people, Maxino put a good word in for the French national team too.

   Just before the World Cup began, a German quintet, Die Vier Sterne, wrote a song "Nur Italien Nicht" insulting the Italian national team and Italy in general.  The video has since been removed from You-Tube but you can see it here on the site Ai Tedeschi Rode Ancora! (It Still Gnaws at the Germans!).   Click on VIDEO to see it.  The basic theme of the song is that they don't care who wins the cup, as long as it isn't Italy.  There is a translation, in Italian; to read it, click on TRADUZIONE.  It's a cute tune and an amusing video, and the band clearly had a good time filming it.  However, the Italian response was swift and cutting.  The link LA RISPOSTA DI DADO shows a brief version of the response.  It begins with talk show host Maurizio Costanzo discussing in stern tones how offensive the song was, and that the Minister of International Relations, Franco Frattini, wrote a letter to the German government describing his disappointment at the song.  Really now, the Minister of International Relations had to get involved?  This is yet another example of the pompous posturing I mentioned in my last post.  I think that another reaction was much more appropriate: Dado's "Solo Germania No" (Only Germany No).

Who is Dado?  He is a stand up comic-musician from Rome, yet another dear friend of the Gialappa's and frequent guest on Zelig, a long running stand-up comedy show hosted by actor and comedian Claudio Bisio.  Dado's classic stand-up skit involves him "getting ready to sing a song" while rolling up his sleeves and singing about various misfortunes, in particular of women giving him the shaft.   According to Costanzo, Dado wrote the song during the night after the German song was released.  Dado performs a short acoustic guitar version of it live.  I recommend seeing the German one first, because Dado's full-length video also pokes fun at the band members and their video, as well as Germans in general.

   The site Ai Tedeseschi Rode Ancora! invites everyone to come up with their own response to the Germans.  So far, there are over 14,000 entries.

   Who knows what other parodies have been composed in other nations about the World Cup.  I would appreciate any information on them.  Thank you to all of you brilliant comic minds who have made life that much more bearable with your wit.  In this World Cup edition, the Italians have poked fun at the Germans, the Dutch, the French, and the Czechs, but the biggest poke was reserved for themselves.  Viva i comici italiani!