The importance of being called Alba. That sixteen-year-old girl from Turin, who debuted in the theater in Wilde’s classic The Importance of Being Earnest, somehow knew she would become Parietti. Of course, she didn’t possess a crystal ball to foresee all the clear steps of her professional ascent, but the grit and willpower, which are as inherent to her genetic makeup as her skin, were destined to lead her to something important. Then fate had it that thanks to Galagoal, and thanks to those stools that highlighted the sculptural beauty of her legs, her popularity exploded, but fate never happens by chance. Now Alba, having reached a life milestone where wisdom settles, has only reasons to be proud of her double status, earned with blood, sweat, and tears, as an icon of Italian fashion and an timeless diva.
Alba, last July 2nd was your birthday. But you’re not one for balance sheets…
«Very true. I live my life as a journey marked by a constant desire to experiment, but this metamorphic attitude is accompanied by an equally constant will to maintain firm coherence».
You said the best birthday present would be a new show as a host.
«I want it so much. The talk show format is what suits me best. To tell you: yesterday on the beach in Ibiza, at night, I got acquainted with some guys: we were in the water, and for an hour I led the dance of a very pleasant conversation. One of them, unfortunately for him, didn’t know who Parietti was. They made fun of him all evening…».
What is the state of health of generalist TV?
«It’s a TV where stagnation is primarily rewarded.
A few years ago, I hosted Non sono una signora, which had the merit of approaching the world of drag queens with the depth of lightness. An innovative idea, moreover, supported by good public feedback. Do you know if they have re-proposed it in the schedules??».
If the Telegatto still existed, who would you award as a male personality?
«I adore Mister Forest, I would give him the award that comes from the heart. But I would also give it to Stefano De Martino because, without fear of contradiction, he is the personality of the moment».
And as a female personality?
«Francesca Fagnani. I admire her as a host and I admire the big, beautiful risks she has taken on in her investigative work».
Let’s talk about the pillars of TV you’ve interacted with. Let’s start with Baudo.
«Cross and delight. He was partly keen to enhance me to the maximum, partly he wanted to put me in my place. At DopoFestival in ’93 he gave me such a hard time, only to then acknowledge that I had been excellent. These emotional fluctuations have always characterized our relationship».
Boncompagni’s greatest quality and flaw.
«The quality, his undeniable genius. The biggest flaw is that he created ingenious toys but then, because he got bored easily, he destroyed them. I consider Macao the most beautiful show of my life. With a different attitude from Gianni, the toy could have continued».
Costanzo?
«He legitimized Parietti as an intellectual agitator. The Uno contro tutti shows with me had crazy ratings».
Whose idea was it to put together, on “Domenica in”, two opposites like Parietti and Cutugno?
«It was an idea of Brando Giordani and Bibi Ballandi, with director Fuscagni. Beyond the obvious incompatibility with Toto, I was a handful because in the middle of the family show I unleashed my disruptiveness, advocating the use of condoms at a time when AIDS was exploding. The battle was sacrosanct, but Fuscagni was right to point out to me, with his manners
«In the context of TV talk shows, Alba is a guarantee of content elevation». These are the words of Franco Oppini, your ex-husband.
«It means that, after years of arguing, he finally had to recognize my supremacy, hehe. Jokes aside, what is certain is that my civic passion in pursuing important causes is very sincere, and this sincerity is reflected in my on-screen appearances».
Silvia Annicchiarico, in an interview, revealed the secret of how to be friends with Alba…
«She certainly told the truth, which is that I possess radars to recognize hypocrisy, and I can distinguish with surgical precision a sincere compliment from flattery».
You have repeatedly expressed regret for that no to Berlusconi, who wanted to offer you nine billion. Yet, that no had its advantages…
«Exactly: that no to Silvio allowed me to vary more, doing important things both on Canale 5 and Rai: exactly that year, ’94, with Serata mondiale on Raiuno, together with Marini, we surpassed Sanremo’s ratings. I would add as a joke (but not too much) that my partner at the time, Stefano Bonaga, in advising me not to give in, had the advantage that we weren’t talking about his money…».
Cinema is a train you’ve mostly watched from the station. Who would you like to be directed by today?
«I’ll take this opportunity to publicly appeal to Ozpetek, whom I adore. Expanding abroad, Almodóvar is the forbidden dream. On a more commercial front, I missed the Bond Girl train: Pierce Brosnan wanted me for GoldenEye, but I had to decline because I’ve never been able to learn English».
Let’s talk about politics. Is there any hope, from now to the next thousand years, that the left will find its own Meloni?
«The Prime Minister’s communication qualities are incontrovertible, and her seriousness and good faith are equally undeniable. My perplexities concern some elements surrounding her, some “ballasts” I would call them, which affect her work. Furthermore, above all, I believe that on some essential issues (school, healthcare, violence against women…) it is imperative to set aside this perennial right-left dichotomy and proceed in a single common direction».
Sgarbi, although fatigued by illness, shows intact lucidity in his latest appearances. You’ve been dreaming of a show with him for years. Who knows if the conditions will be created…
«I would love to, but let’s postpone that desire to the future because, as things stand, the tranquility he needs must be respected. Vittorio, deprived of his dialectical fury, is showing everyone his “raw skin,” his deepest and most stripped-down soul. For me, discovering his naked essence is not new. When my beloved Giuseppe Lanza died, the most precious, most emotionally penetrating message was sent to me by him».
Selvaggia Lucarelli, Tinto Brass, Mughini: three people with whom you’ve had spectacular clashes. Who do we throw off the tower?
«Lucarelli, she has the ability to bounce right back up anyway. I’d throw her off also out of female solidarity, because she’d be upset if I didn’t choose her, it would mean she didn’t hurt me enough when she wanted to».
You spend your holidays in Ibiza as a single. Are we going to see that story with Lambert, full of ups and downs…
«I rule it out. True, with Lambert there was a reiteration of passion twenty years later, but there won’t be a third time. All things considered, it’s the story that had the least weight in my life. I have no memories with Lambert that I will take to my grave».
Your son Francesco has the gift of initiative.
«If he is given adequate space, he can become a TV star. When I say he possesses great empathy, it’s not the mother speaking, but the television expert».
Ultimately, what is the secret to being an Alba who will never know… twilight?
«Being an open book, I reveal the secret. It’s never giving up, it’s thinking that the best is yet to come».
