Joke that compared stars to migrants exposes racism in Italy
AN ONLINE joke comparing the actor Samuel L Jackson and the former basketball star Magic Johnson to African migrants has prompted a furore about racism in Italy.
Jackson and Johnson were photographed at the weekend relaxing on a bench in the upmarket coastal resort of Forte dei Marmi, in Tuscany. They had been shopping and had their purchases, including a bag from Louis Vuitton, at their feet. Luca Bottura, an Italian journalist, posted it on Facebook and likened the celebrities to the African migrants who have arrived in Italy over the past few years.
“Government funds at Forte dei Marmi… they go shopping at Prada with their daily allowance of 35 euros,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Share this if you are indignant!” Mr Bottura insisted the post was ironic, but some took it at face value and responded, saying immigrants should “go home”.