October 3, 2013
The 'Daily Show' Rips on Barilla
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
It's been over a week since Barilla exec Guido Barilla made waves for spewing anti-gay comments on an Italian radio show. After worldwide outrage, which sparked a boycott against the giant pasta company, "Daily Show" contributor Lewis Black blasted the businessman on a recent episode, Mediaite reports.
Gudio Barilla came under fire for saying that he would never use a same-sex couple in Barilla's advertising because they do not represent "the classic Italian family." He then condemned gay adoption and said if the LGBT community has a problem with it, they can eat another brand of pasta.
During the "Daily Show," Lewis showed a montage of movie clips of Italian families arguing at the dinner table, he then apologized and said, "That's not fair. It's funny but it's not fair. Those are fictional characters - real Italians don't act like that." He then showed a clip of the "Real Housewives," saying, "that's the kind of family we need to protect from gays!"
Black then poked fun of Barilla's ads and said "I'm not buying your whole family values thing, Guido. Because I've seen your pasta ads. These aren't traditional families - these are horny woman who are ready to bang the first handsome stranger who knows how to throw a handful of twigs into a pot of boiling water!"
Guido Barilla apologized soon after making his initial comments, issuing statements and taking to Facebook. More recently the businessman apologized again by posting a video the pasta company's official website.
"Through my entire life I have always respected every person I've met, including gays and their families, without any distinction," the exec says in the video. "I've never discriminated against anyone.
"I have heard the countless reactions around the world to my words, which have depressed and saddened me," he continued. "It is clear that I have a lot to learn about the lively debate concerning the evolution of the family. In the coming weeks, I pledge to meet representatives of the groups that best represent the evolution of the family, including those who have been offended by my words."
Head over to Mediaite to watch the full clip.