Cristina Buccino has reached the final of Veline, the long-running contest on Italy’s Canale 5 to find hostesses for Striscia la notizia, the popular evening programme that parodies Italian news stories.  The veline perform stacchetti (short, sexy dance routines) in addition to introducing presenter Ezio Greggio and his co-hosts.

Why are we telling you this?  Way back in June when the show first started, our own TV critic wrote about Veline and Striscia la notizia, and it just so happened that the clip we decided to use featured none other than Cristina Buccino.  Was that just coincidence or divine inspiration?

Either way, we’re now backing Cristina to become the next veline, regardless of what our critic says about political correctness and the exploitation of gorgeous Italian models.  So there.

Cristina Buccino alle finali di Veline roughly translates as “Cristina Buccino in the final of Veline” in case you were wondering, or at least we hope it does!

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Striscia la notizia, broadcast every evening on Canale 5, is Italy’s long-running topical news parody programme.  It involves two comedic presenters – Ezio Greggio being the most famous – poking fun at various political figures to the sound of raucous canned laughter.  The show’s mascot is Gabibbo, a man in red costume who wildly flails his arms around and falls over in typical Mr. Blobby fashion.

The show’s most remarkable aspect however, are the “veline”, two glamorous dancing girls – historically a blonde and a brunette – who book-end the show with short, sexy dance routines. Melissa Satta (right, brunette), Thais Souza Wiggers (right, blonde) and Veridiana Mallmann are the most recent incumbents, with the likes of Elisabetta Canalis and Maddalena Corvaglia previously filling the role.

Each summer Striscia la notizia holds a “talent” competition to find a new veline for the upcoming season.  Veline a tra Poco involves a completely inappropriately dressed group of young women being eyed-up and down by the camera before performing various stunts to impress a panel of judges.  How about: jump up and down on a trampoline, ride a child’s bicycle while wearing a miniskirt and heels, demonstrate gymnastic moves (again in heels and miniskirt) or sing while standing under a shower of cold water?  I’m sure you get the idea.  All sorts of girls apply, even established models such as Cristina De Pin and Cristina Buccino, who is the girl getting dribbled upon in our clip.

Now before you start think I’m turning into an old fart, let me just say that I like a pretty girl as much as the next man (or woman) and many of the contestants are gorgeous, but conversely some things really make for uncomfortable viewing now that we’re eight years into the twenty-first century.  Sure, nobody is forcing these girls onto the show, but other then to provide eye-candy and be teased by the lecherous presenters, they serve no purpose whatsoever.  What is more, they enforce Italy’s stereotypical and chauvinistic view of young women and their role on the country’s television.

Go on, watch the clip if you must, but be prepared to be suitably outraged... 

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And the winner is... Cristina Buccino! ...but Cristina De Pin and Yong Yeng float our boats too.

You can find Canale 5 on Hotbird 8 at 13°E, transponder 11919 V.  It's part of the Mediaset family of channels.