Italy Not Cool With Obama Nativity Figures

Police in Naples shut down vendors of nativity scenes featuring the Prez-elect alongside Jesus. Why so touchy?

By ELIZABETH BOUGEROL

Updated 8:15 AM CST, Wed, Dec 17, 2008

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

Getty Images

Thank your stars you don't live in Italy, where you can get shut down for selling Barack Obama nativity figures.

According to UPI, police in Naples -- birthplace of pizza! -- closed a shopping area pimping its nativity figurines of Barack and Michelle Obama, alongside the usual suspects (Mary, Jesus, donkeys, etc.).

All this would make one think Italians have no sense of humor, which is totally untrue - after all, socialist party leader, media mogul, football-team owner, Economist whipping boy, and (in his spare time) prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is famous for his wit.

He's the one who commented on our President-elect's "suntan" after Obama swept the election last month.

LOOK

Team Obama

And if anyone knows his way around UV rays, it's Silvio "Leatherface" Berlusconi. Need more proof Italians are usually totally hilarious? Noted Italian, hottie model, and purry singer Carla Bruni married France's Nicolas Sarkozy. They love a good joke over there.

Besides, the Italians we know aren't nearly so touchy. We once saw a house in Howard Beach, Brooklyn, that was rocking a nativity made up of Mickey Mouse, George W. and Laura Bush, and Bruce Springsteen, life-sized and animatronic.

Plus, it's not like they were insinuating Obama was actually the son of God -- and we can't say the same for some people on this side of the pond. <cough>Jon Stewart<cough>

We think Naples is just envious of our awesome new President. Or it could also have something to do with sacrilege. Maybe that.