On television, the Italian penchant for adorning soundstages with skimpily clad, surgically enhanced showgirls has radically metastasized, spilling over from game shows to all forms of entertainment, including the nightly news.But feminist grumblings only exploded into public debate in recent weeks after reports emerged that Mr. Berlusconi, a media magnate whose family owns Italy's three largest private television channels, was grooming a stable of TV starlets for the political arena. (Although the prime minister has denied the reports, Barbara Matera, a former showgirl, was elected earlier this month to the European Parliament with Mr. Berlusconi's People of Liberty party). Adding spice to the mix was the buzz over the harem-like surroundings at Mr. Berlusconi's villa in Sardinia.
On television, the Italian penchant for adorning soundstages with skimpily clad, surgically enhanced showgirls has radically metastasized, spilling over from game shows to all forms of entertainment, including the nightly news.
But feminist grumblings only exploded into public debate in recent weeks after reports emerged that Mr. Berlusconi, a media magnate whose family owns Italy's three largest private television channels, was grooming a stable of TV starlets for the political arena. (Although the prime minister has denied the reports, Barbara Matera, a former showgirl, was elected earlier this month to the European Parliament with Mr. Berlusconi's People of Liberty party).
Adding spice to the mix was the buzz over the harem-like surroundings at Mr. Berlusconi's villa in Sardinia.
