Eurovision Song Contest preparations have barely started but tension is already heating up, with Italy throwing down the gauntlet at Estonia - just days after the BBC found itself in hot water as an X-rated lyric seemed to be repeated in Malta's entry.
On Saturday, Estonian rapper Tommy Cash was chosen to represent his country at the competition in May, performing his song Espresso Macchiato. In the song, he steps into the role of an Italian man named Tomaso, taking digs at Italians and rapping stereotypes about the nation – including jibes about smoking, Mafia, and spaghetti obsession.
“Ciao bella, I'm Tomaso, addicted to tobacco. Mi like mi coffee very importante,” he sings early in the song, later rapping: “Mi like to fly privati with twenty-four carati, also mi casa very grandioso. Mi money numeroso, I work around the clocko, that's why I'm sweating like a mafioso.”.
Some Italians were infuriated in response to the lyrics, with far-right League senator Gian Marco Centinaio featuring Cash on a flyer along with the statement “whoever insults Italy must stay out of Eurovision.” The politician also raged on Instagram: “This singer should come to Italy to see how good people work before writing such stupid songs full of stereotypes.”.
Codacons, an Italian organisation representing consumer and civil rights, also released a lengthy statement exploring whether “it's appropriate to allow a song that offends a country and an entire community” to be in Eurovision. “Notwithstanding the freedom of artistic expression that must characterise events such as Eurovision, we cannot help but raise doubts about the inclusion of a song that is offensive to a plurality of individuals in a competition followed by audiences all over the world,” Codacons wrote.
“Indignation has been expressed by numerous citizens [over a song] whose lyrics contain stereotypes about Italy and Italians - the usual cliches of coffee and spaghetti, but above all the mafia and the ostentation of luxury, which conveys a message of a population tied to organised crime.”.
While Codacons and the far-right leader seemed to think that the average Italian should be insulted by the song, many Italians online disagreed completely, and said they thought Estonia’s Eurovision entry was hilarious. In the YouTube comments of his video, one person shared their appreciation for a line from the song. “'No stresso, no stresso, don't need to be depresso' - as an Italian, I think I'm going to get this tattooed,” they joked.
Another wrote: “As an Italian, I find it funny how some people are offended by Espresso Macchiato. The song isn’t stereotyping Italy - it’s stereotyping how foreigners think they’re being Italian. It’s an exaggerated, ironic take on that outsider perspective, not an attack on our culture. No intelligent person would take it seriously or feel insulted by something so blatantly tongue-in-cheek.”.
Eurovision viewers can make their own minds up about the controversial song when it’s performed live at the 69th show, which will take place in Basel, Switzerland this year. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed that the semi-finals will be held on May 13 and 15, with the grand final taking place on May 17 at the St Jakobshalle arena.
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