I Simpsons

Italy is not a large country, at least not by American standards. We have states larger than that boot, yet their culture is just as (if not more so) vibrant and brilliant as ours. I've already discussed food and the social inclinations of Italians, but there's nothing quite like the media obsessions of another country. There are some things that are completely different from what Americans like and then there are twists on our classics, like watching the Simpsons in Italian, or walking into an Italian cigar shop with Lady Gaga playing through the speakers.

When I was in Italy, I watched a bit of television. I expected for there to be American TV shows, since the entire world seems to at least partially approve of our television programs. What was surprising were the choices the Italians chose to copy. First, the Italians seem to have no pretensions about educational television for children. Mostly I watched cartoons, since they require the least amount of Italian, but almost all of them were purely for entertainment. You can forget about Sesame Street or Arthur, the dubbed shows were Johnny Bravo and Dexter's Laboratory. When it came to adult shows, the only American ones I could find were episodes that were years old; series that didn't even run anymore.

There were also odd quirks to the changes. For instance, the Pokemon theme song changed, but it was still in English. In the Simpsons, Moe's Tavern was changed to Boe's. The commercials are also different. In Italy, the commercials are fewer and farther in between, or so it seems, and they are a lot more vibrant. There always seems to be singing and dancing, whether it be for Parma ham, cereal or a home loan.

For one of my favorite commercials, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4bbZiUV4mI

As for the music in Italy, I was a bit disappointed. Everywhere I went I seemed to hear only Lady Gaga. When I took the time to peruse in one of the bookstores in Rome, the top ten CDs were all American bands or artists. Where did all the accordions go? That's certainly one misconception about Italy that should be cleared up. It's hard to find any traditional Italian music, at least in a live venue. This isn't to say that Italy has bad music, there are many great jazz shows around Rome and other local Italian bands, but it's to say that the stereotype of the Italian serenade is ill-founded.

A final note about Italian culture. They like to take it slow. Locals stroll and amble, with no particular place to go but the local bar to partake of coffee and pastries. The shops and restaurants open late and close in the afternoon for a break. The meals are long and multi-coursed. All of these things can be wonderful, but they can also be extraordinarily annoying. I found it quite charming while I was there, but sometimes, it's nice to have a 24-hour Kroger right around the corner for some midnight munchies.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

<<< Pizzarium pizza (May 2009)<<<

What can I say about the food in Italy? Alas, it is much like anywhere else. It can crush you with disappointment or raise you to the pinnacle of foodie ecstasy. Like any other country, there are highs and there are lows. Don’t expect to waltz into any random trattoria and gobble down delicious, traditional fare. Rome is, above all else, a tourist trap. Thus, tourist menus abound. Sometimes these menus truly do save money, and allow you to sample delicious local food. Usually, these menus are a restaurant’s way of getting rid of yesterday’s scraps, or by forcing you to pay for and eat something you wouldn’t have wanted to.

^^^Restaurant in Trastevere (May 2009)^^^

Guidebooks are a good place to start, but I found that most of the recommended places were not so special, and usually flooded with tourists holding the same Lonely Planet guidebook I did. What is most surprising about Rome is the number of cafes, enotecas, trattorias, osterias and ristorantes that exist within the city walls. You can walk around for hours and wonder how these small businesses get by. One of the best indicators of a restaurant’s quality is the number of people that are waiting in line, but I found that this is not necessarily the case in Rome. Just don’t go into a restaurant that is completely empty! Pizzarium, undoubtedly the best pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) place in Rome, is almost never crowded, but never empty either. This place is miles above any other pizza restaurant in town. Italian pizza, for Americans, can be a nasty shock upon first experiencing it. It is a thin crust, without that delicious doughy and chewiness that we Americans are so fond of. There is practically no sauce to speak of, and the toppings are usually fresh vegetables, with only a smattering of cheese, if any. For someone who grows up on American pizza, this “newfangled” Italian style pizza can be quite revolting. But lo and behold, Pizzarium pizza helps bridge the culture gap. It is undoubtedly Italian Pizza, but it is something that every American would love The dough is perfect, soft to the bite, but strong enough to hold the mountain of fresh toppings. The vegetables are seasoned perfectly, and change on a daily basis, so that you never even miss pizza sauce. And the cheese… The cheese is sometimes artfully sprinkled on, other times, the fresh Italian cheese is slathered on in huge chunks. Like many things in Italy, the lines are blurred between food and art.