No not a riot but the implications are obvious

November 7, 2006 4:54 AM

Italian police impound the Bolzano Museum of Modern Art's toilet that flushes to Fratelli d'Italia. Prosecutors said the anthem "should never be open to ridicule."
posted by jeffburdges (25 comments total)

Perhaps if it had flushed to the tune of Bandiera Rossa....
posted by IndigoJones at 5:05 AM on November 7, 2006

I'm getting a really serious urge to do the same thing, only with O Canada.
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 5:37 AM on November 7, 2006

This is more relevant.
posted by kdar at 5:37 AM on November 7, 2006

Freedom is the freedom to make a toilet play the national anthem when it flushes.
posted by graymouser at 5:43 AM on November 7, 2006

I came in here to say what graymouser said. First they came for the toilets, but I didn't speak up....

P.S.: Im in yer intarwebs eating all yer carets
posted by spacely_sprocket at 6:13 AM on November 7, 2006

Hey, if it survived 10 years of Ferrari's elfin French team manager Jean Todt bobbing along dressed in a shiny red jumpsuit after every F1 victory, I'd think it could handle the bidet.

I'd bully my toilet into the Star-Spangled Banner but he's already self-conscious about his limited range (don't even ask about the Aida fiasco...[shudder]).
posted by jalexei at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2006

R. Mutt can piss-off.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:30 AM on November 7, 2006

I came in here to say what Item said.
posted by dead_ at 6:40 AM on November 7, 2006

Prosecutors said the anthem "should never be open to ridicule."

Must... resist... making... jokes... about... Italians...
posted by clevershark at 6:49 AM on November 7, 2006

Robert L. Caret is the 2001 winner of the Italian-American Heritage Foundation Achievement Award.^
posted by koeselitz at 7:01 AM on November 7, 2006

That's just too funny. The fact that the police/some blowhard beaurocrat felt a need to do something about it is even funnier still. It crystalizes the Italian character beautifully. Simultaneously irreverent and ridiculious.

Also it reminds me of a scene in the Lina Wertmuller film "Seven Beauties", where an old Italian concentration camp prisoner jumps into a pool of shit screaming "Man is shit" before drwoning in it. (Oh and of course the main character finding the strength within his malnourished body somehow to work up an erection and fu*k the grotesque fat Nazi woman who is in charge of the camp, (who believes Italians are worms, and that is why, they will survive the war.
posted by Skygazer at 7:12 AM on November 7, 2006

I'm right there with ya clevershark. :)
posted by jeffburdges at 7:12 AM on November 7, 2006

This is awesomely funny. Thanks jb.
posted by caddis at 7:59 AM on November 7, 2006

I guess non-italians just can't get what is behind that loo-anthem story, it is a backalley politics background know only to the locals.

To keep a long story short , some contemporary political groups capitalize on local cultural difference to gain importance, inflame locals into believing they want more indipendence (more then they already factually have) from Italian government, while being part of Italy.

Much like Lega Lombarda party (the party the keep one of guys who incited and still incite hate toward muslims and orientals) they try to produce hate, burn flag, spit on flag, do their populist appeal, get elected and start stealing and sitting on the same power positions they claimed they wanted to destroy.

And my guess is the john-anthem story is just another part of this insanity ; yet it should be noted that we still have some ridicolous laws about "desecrating" flags et all, but we are not soo not alone.
posted by elpapacito at 8:02 AM on November 7, 2006

Prosecutors said the anthem "should never be open to ridicule."

Ridiculous!
posted by Foosnark at 8:13 AM on November 7, 2006

Protecting a song (and an anthem is merely a song; it is not a sacred religious icon) from ridicule is as silly as protecting it from translation.

Oh how I long for the day when people get their priorities straight.
posted by leftcoastbob at 8:34 AM on November 7, 2006

Cause protecting a religious icon isn't silly ?
posted by elpapacito at 8:35 AM on November 7, 2006

Maybe there was a stool pigeon in the museum.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:37 AM on November 7, 2006

I agree, they shouldn’t ridicule a religious icon like the flush toilet with a silly anthem. (If you have not prayed to God at some point while on or over a toilet, well, you haven’t really creatively eaten. Or drank.)
posted by Smedleyman at 9:23 AM on November 7, 2006

"Seven beauties" is so going on my must-see list. Thanks Skygazer.
posted by stinkycheese at 9:29 AM on November 7, 2006

Skygazer : That's just too funny. The fact that the police/some blowhard beaurocrat felt a need to do something about it is even funnier still. It crystalizes the Italian character beautifully. Simultaneously irreverent and ridiculious.

I don't know, this is pretty much the Italian equivalent of our flag burning nonsense. And our bureaucrats have done a pretty good job of blowing that issue out of proportion. Does that make Americans ridiculous?

(Ok, maybe a little. But I don't think we should be throwing stones at the Italians when we've got the same kind of stupidity right here at home.)
posted by quin at 10:36 AM on November 7, 2006

/me softly hums "To Anacreon in Heaven" while shutting down work early to go vote....
posted by pax digita at 11:59 AM on November 7, 2006

Does that make Americans ridiculous?

Not that specifically, no.
posted by poweredbybeard at 7:12 PM on November 7, 2006

(Ok, maybe a little. But I don't think we should be throwing stones at the Italians when we've got the same kind of stupidity right here at home.)
posted by quin at 1:36 PM EST on November 7


So true so true...but judging by the puritan streak that underlies this country I feel safe in saying I don't think there's going to be any sort of a political crisis in this country concerning a toilet bowl any time soon.

(BTW: I am a first gen eye-talian immigrant, so I feel justified to consider my heritage "ridiculous". Take it from me bub, des heah Italians ovah dere dey just don't feel too happy unless they embody contradictions. If you get my drift...).
posted by Skygazer at 11:40 AM on November 8, 2006

Oh and it's also sublime...
posted by Skygazer at 11:45 AM on November 8, 2006