Maria De Filippi normalizes gay love on Italian TV, echoing Cirinnà law

In the final episode of the 2016 season of 'C'è posta per te', host Maria De Filippi featured a gay couple, Matteo and Francesco, for the first time. The audience reacted with applause and positive social media comments, with homophobic remarks mostly deleted by the show's social media managers. Shortly after, De Filippi announced plans for a gay edition of 'Uomini & Donne', stating she seeks normality, not scandal. The article compares her impact to that of Senator Monica Cirinnà, who faced opposition for her same-sex union law. It argues that De Filippi has achieved a normalization of homosexuality through mass entertainment, reaching audiences that political and activist efforts have struggled to engage. The piece also references artist Francesco Vezzoli, who in his 2004 film 'Comizi di non amore' blended Pasolini's documentary style with De Filippi's reality TV format. Vezzoli has publicly embraced pop culture, citing 'Uomini & Donne' and its personalities like Tina Cipollari as influences. The article concludes that the right to be mediocre, light, and superficial now extends to gay individuals, marking a shift from the old model of the gay activist or intellectual.