No Laughing Matter

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FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP-GETTY IMAGES

A PAIR OF JOKERS: Celentano, at left, and guest Benigni mock the PM

Roberto Benigni was in great form last Thursday night, frantically pacing the stage in search of "one thing, just one thing!" that Silvio Berlusconi has done for Italy since becoming Prime Minister in 2001. The Oscar-winning film director and comedian was a guest on RockPolitik, an irreverent mix of song, satire and sermonizing hosted by Italy's most popular entertainer, Adriano Celentano. After sitting down to write a mock letter of apology to Berlusconi, the odd couple racked their brains for something positive to say. Drawing a blank, the scrawny comic then feigned a call to a friend who works for the...