STRISCIA LA NOTIZIA - (strip the news)

Striscia la notizia is an Italian television program on the Mediaset on Channel 5. It’s name in Italian translates to "the news is sneakin'", His logo is a big snake.

Founded in 1987, it is meant to be a parody of the daily news, which airs right before the program, but Striscia also satirizes government corruption and exposes scams

with the help of local reporters who are also comedians. The program is produced by Antonio Ricci and is hosted by two major comedians. Usually Ezio Greggio and

Enzo Iacchetti

The Gabibbo, an Italian cultural icon acts as the mascot and is the soul of the show.

The term "velina" comes from the name of the guidelines issued by the Ministero della Cultura Popolare (Ministry of Popular Culture) These are two girls in their

low-twenties, one blonde, the other brown. They perform are short dance breaks or stacchetti always ending on the table of the news anchors. They usually perform in

swimming-suits or tank tops, singing a pop song as they dance. The veline have become the most popular female icons on Italian TV. The names of the veline are known

after a long beauty pageant on summer. The program is called "Veline", but there's also another program like this: "Velone". "Velone" (that means "big velina"), is a

contest only for women over 50/60 (some were almost 100!). Like in "Veline", women have to dance and make little sketches and on september the new "velona" will be

chosen.

The Tapiro d'Oro (English for Golden Tapir), a small golden statue, is a special "prize" delivered to big celebrities or politicians who have been humiliated or defeated.

Although many personalities take it in front of the cameras in the hope of getting attention for themselves, others run away and Valerio Staffelli, a special correspondent for

the show, has to run after them until they finally take it.

written by : Sara De Pedro ( free6@itcgbianchi.it )