Only a few minutes into Videocracy by Erik Gandini I had the same feeling as I had a few minutes into Gomorra: I don't want to go to Italy anymore.
Why would anyone want to visit and support such a silly nation?
However, just like after leaving Gomorra, the sad feeling was soon gone. My romantic notion of ancient as well as contemporary Italy is too strong to seriously question my own going there.
Yet these films present a new image of what only a few decades ago was considered a much more innocent and sympathetic nation, albeit corrupt.
Why do so many Italian women covet the position as dancing hostesses in the tv-show Striscia la notizia? (I suppose any day now the new pair is to be announced, as this is done in September every year.)
Italian tv culture: puzzling.
Curiously, when watching Videocracy I kept thinking about a very different kind of movie: Brüno. They are both sad comedies, Videocracy less intentionally so. Gomorra doesn't make you laugh.
