Art Pottery, Politics and Food
Thursday, March 30, 2006
 
Fates Photo'ed Finger(s)


Imagine poor Justice Scalia’s horror to see the proof of his intentional fibbery, an image of his controversial “hand gesture”, and an interview with the photographer splashed across the Boston Herald and consequently the internets this lovely spring morning.
According to the Herald’s interview with Peter Smith, an assistant Professor of Photojournalism at Boston University who was freelancing as a photographer for the Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper last Sunday morning, Saint Tony was fully conscious of his spontaneous impiety when responding to a question by a reporter:

“The judge paused for a second, then looked directly into my lens and said, ‘To my critics, I say, ‘Vaffanculo,’ punctuating the comment by flicking his right hand out from under his chin, Smith said…”It’s inaccurate and deceptive of him to say there was no vulgarity in the moment…[He] immediately knew he’d made a mistake, and said, ‘You’re not going to print that, are you?’”

Scalia has denied that his behavior was obscene and describes a more innocent hand gesture than the one captured by Peter Smith in a letter sent to the Boston Herald Tuesday.
According to About.com’s Italian Slang Dictionary:

vaffanculo (vulgar—contraction of the expression "Va' a fare in culo" up your [buttocks].) insult.

Though the slang dictionary insists “culo” translates as “buttocks”, my Spanish studies indicate an earthier (scroll to Spanish) anal meaning.
Justice Scalia needs to realize that his attempts to crush fair reporting of his behavior have spectatularly failed.
He needs to send a letter of apology to the Archdioscese of Boston for his profane behavior on the sacred grounds of their cathedral and he needs to consider an apology to the American people for besmirching his high and equally sacred office with intemperate and juvenile public behavior.

Plus!

Who's the fellow with the two Cabaña boys?

Photos: Boston Herald, Getty
- posted by Sean @ 12:47 PM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

Powered by Blogger