Fat and Smelly

Italians Offended by Poster Campaign



(London, England) Apparently bowing to complaints from some less-than-complete-diversity-minded travelers, authorities for London's crowded and hot subway system instituted a poster campaign encouraging people not to eat smelly foods. Each poster depicts a fat Italian surrounded by hams, salamis, and strings of garlic. Oddly, the Italians are offended. Imagine that. Somehow the authorities thought there wouldn't be a problem if they depicted an entire nationality as fat and smelly.

"We consider this poster to be very offensive to the Italian image, Italian products and the Italian company that is clearly identified," the Italian Embassy's economic counselor Guido Cerboni told Reuters. "It is a caricature of Italians."

A spokesman for the London Underground has apologized and agreed to remove the posters.

It's obvious that the authorities believe that "smelly" Italian foods don't meet the high British standards for cooking and cuisine. Strangely, I'm drawing a blank. Other than Beefeaters with a twist, I can't think of anything British that I'd like to see on my dinner table.