Fiorello, radio is a passion

The Sicilian showman comments the success of "Viva Radiodue" Fiorello, radio is a passion But he promises his participation at "Uno di noi".  

Piero Degli Antoni

MILAN-Fiorello is always in a joking mood, even when talking about serious topics.  O maybe he is serious even when joking.  For the second straight year he will be conducting, with Mario Baldini "Viva Radiodue", from Monday to Friday on RadioDue from 1,40 to 3 pm, with a reply at 11 pm, truly a radio event.

- This year you two have introduced those phone jokes that are really part of the early history of radio.  How come? "It's a personal passion, because I had never done this on the radio although I have done plenty in person"
- The show is full of your impressions, from Moretti to La Russa, from Vespa to Sacca`.  Don't you find that right now on television there are plenty of imitations?  "I wanted to say that exactly:  we are going overboard.  Each show has an imitator.  At first there was the one done by Noschese with plenty of makeup.  Then Teocoli came, but right now there are just too many, even if they are very good.  I have never thought of myself as an imitator since on the technical level I have much to develop yet.  I don't really do the impression of someone but I try to create a new character who says and does things that the original never would.  In the live shows I don't really do impressions as much as focus on monologues"  
- Why don't you do the same on the radio? "Because a monologue needs mimicry. On the radio it is easier to just kid around" - What really happened with Morandi?  Was it you who did not want to go or was he jealous of having you on his show? "Now everyone beats on Morandi...The truth is that it was I who did not want to go.  First, because I did not want to play the role of the savior.  The week after because of the earthquake.  But I will go next week, I promise.  And Gianni was very happy about it"
- Why does Morandi suffer when he is up against De Filippi?  "Because De Filippi is stronger and I know that for a fact.  The first year against her in television I lost the contest against her in the first episodes but was then able to recover to close with 9,998,000 spectators.  I remember that because that number has stayed with me.  I wonder why we could not reach 10 million.  I personally wanted to go out and get the missing 12,000"
- But the Morandi show must bear some of the fault... "If you want my opinion, I think there is just a bit too much singing"
- And a fault of the De Filippi show?  "None.  She is excellent.  Once her show was just a tearjerker.  Now you wind up laughing more than crying"
- Are you global or no global?  " I have never taken sides, and I am not about to do so now.  I think one should be global but intelligently, the future is inevitably global"
- Have you seen "Pinocchio" by Benigni?  "Yes and I loved it.  I am not sure what the critics were expecting.  Now they criticize Benigni but after winning an Oscar that is inevitable.  When you are too successful they aim at you, and I know that very well.  The truth is that we Italians don't support our own products."
- What was the last time you really got upset?  "When Giletti invited Tommasino, my Sicilian friend, with his girlfriend.  They treated them like monkeys, making them dance and kiss.  I have always used Tommasino with tact because I really like him.  When I saw them being made fun of, I picked up the phone and insulted everyone, starting with Giletti."
- Linus has said that yours is an old show, similar to what you used to do on Radio Deejay many years ago.  "Well, Linus is like that, he criticizes his own brother!  I could list a ton of things we never did on Radio Deejay, like Moretti and Ciampi.  Who does one type of radio cannot understand variety shows. On the trendy radios the dj curses, improvises everything.  Here instead we have authors and we prepare a script"
- Do you make much money working in radio?  "Half of half of half of half of what you would make in television.  But one does it anyway:  for love, for passion"