cafebabel.com

Most expensive EU TV production Borgia: outsiders from Spain in renaissance Italy

('ZoeBBee',) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:58:00 -0000

The fifteenth century Italian crime family is the subject of a hit Franco-German TV series originally filmed in Prague and screened as of this summer in three European countries. We discuss reality and fiction with French Borgia expert Pol Bruno at his welcoming home on the Breton coast

DSK back but Lagarde still in charge: France, Germany and Switzerland on IMF chief

('euro topics',) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:05:23 -0000

Dominique Strauss-Kahn may be back in Paris, but this 55-year-old Frenchwoman has had firm hold of the reins at the international monetary fund for three months. The appointment of Christine Lagarde as managing director was seen by some as confirming Europe’s continued might on the world stage, while others foresee problems with emerging industries

Sila Sahin, Turkish-German actress and first 'muslim playboy model'

('Lyndsey Smith',) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:14:25 -0000

In May 2011 the 25-year-old posed on the cover of German Playboy, becoming the 'first muslim’ to pose nude for a glossy magazine. Her 'act of liberation’, as the tabloids called it, sparked religious outrage and divided the Turkish community from Berlin to Istanbul. Yet was it just a marketing coup, or even a daring act of integration? Interview

Ingenious genitals? Copenhagen’s Kussomat ‘vagina photo booth’

('Madalina Pierseca',) — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:00:00 -0000

Is it the final frontier of Nordic feminism? The photo booth project aims to increase awareness amongst about their own bodies. Promoted by the K. Fond Vinders association, the idea was launched in celebration of international women's day on 8 March at the goethe institute in Copenhagen

Ukraine feminists ‘Femen’: topless a political weapon

("Miriam O'Brien",) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:05:00 -0000

At first the 300 members of the feminist community came to the streets to protest against the expansion of sex tourism in the Ukraine. The 12, 000 active 'sex pats' are growing under the indifferent gaze of the authorities. Femen has been organising nude performances as a political weapon for three years now. After a run-in at the Italian embassy, Inna Shevechenko vents her anger

EU aphrodisiacs: unleash the rhinoceros in you

('Erin Woycik',) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:00:00 -0000

Eating at home is the cheaper and more pleasant seduction option. Create the appropriate atmosphere and know how to captivate your palate. All your senses are involved in sensuality, from soft music playing in your ears, to the food in your mouth

Are Balkan women more promiscuous?

('Milena Stosic',) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:45:08 -0000

It's official: more women are approaching men in the dating stakes and a recent book in Serbia reveals a more liberal attitude. So is the Balkan woman moving towards a western, less conservative European model? We hear from Balkan guys and girls

Rocco Siffredi: 'A real harlot would never make a porn film'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:30:00 -0000

Viagra, northern European women and catholic morale - the 46-year-old actor, director and producer from the Abruzzo region in Italy reflects on a 25-year pornography career which has spawned over 40 international prizes. Interview

Expats dating abroad? That's Brussels for you

('Claire Davenport',) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:06:48 -0000

Why in Brussels do my friends of every nationality land themselves in the most bizarrely complicated relationships? Do all men here just want sex? One woman on why fellow expats can't do steady relationships

Tips: dating success the Greek way

('cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:56:46 -0000

Dear friends from the north. You can print this out and give it a try but it’s useless. Flirting in this part of Europe is an art. It’s impossible to learn it, because southern men are born casanovas. Opinion

Death of the Italian stallion?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:24:56 -0000

An August survey reports that the myth is dying, with Italian men becoming 'too feminised'. Whilst we make up our minds, a quick filmic tribute to Italian action hero Sylvester Stallone, who has long claimed the nickname and is back on the big screen, where sexual stereotypes from Europe are prevalent. Term of the week

Women in politics or European calendar girls?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:15:00 -0000

Between German chancellor Angela Merkel's cleavage-unleashing campaign tactics, Czech and Italian ministers posing for calendars and the Slovakian prime minister praising female arms, what is the defining priority for Europe's female politicians - being women, or being politicians?

Ars Homo Erotica: 'bring the toilet to Warsaw national museum'

('Emilie Prattico',) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:21:02 -0000

Before the Euro pride parade on 17 July, exhibition curator Pawel Leszkowicz talks lesbian art, punching viewers in faces and explains why art and the Polish capital's largest museum is a live nerve of democracies

Private parts

Wed, 26 May 2010 12:19:50 -0000

We stand on the doorstep of a subject which is a lot more intimate than we think. Here is the key to another dimension of European integration - a small dictionary of sexual terminology

Chatroulette: Sodom and Gomorrah of web

('Jude Lister',) — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:00:00 -0000

'While you’re still young, test your strengths and practice in that which appears pointless and seems like pure verbiage to the common man. Without it, the truth will escape you,' Plato tells us in his famous dialogue Parmenides. The adage provides enough strength and reason to dive into the latest internet communications buzz. Two months on, we test it for you

Anderlecht, Molenbeek, Schaarbeek: spot the crime in Brussels

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:21:47 -0000

Petty crime and unemployment rates (17.6%) are high in inner city Brussels, which registers a low violent crime rate in Europe. Nevertheless, police arrested 12 Belgian Albanians linked to a crime gang on 15 February*, whilst certain districts remain dangerous. Is this down to the crisis?

Transsexualism in Spain: fighting discrimination

('Elaine Jordan',) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0000

While gays, lesbians and bisexuals have managed to overcome years of rejection by finding their own niche in society, transsexuals are less fortunate as they continue to feel like outsiders. So, what’s it like being a transsexual in Spain?

Art in Slovenia: Eclipse is an 'open vagina nibbling at things'

('Kristina Bozic',) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:16:42 -0000

The anonymous art collective admit they don't 'fit the norms': they use everything from pigs’ heads to world war weaponry to get across their message of social criticism. Ten years on, the female duo from Ljubljana have just finished the final works for their new exhibition '10 – Of Blasphemy We Are Guilty'. We discuss erotic nudes, kitsch art and their being questioned by police for offending the catholic church

Mandatory chemical castration for paedophiles in Poland

('Annie Rutherford',) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:16:55 -0000

On 22 October, the Polish senate decided on more severe punishments for sex offenders, with only one abstention. Chemical castration already exists as an option for sex offenders in Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, and, more controversially, in the Czech Republic

1000 euros for a night with Silvio Berlusconi

('euro topics',) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:18:25 -0000

Southern Italian businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini stated* in a 29 July police interrogation that he had recruited 30 young women for 18 parties in the prime minister's private villas between September 2008 and January 2009. Some are said to have received up to £880 to spend the night with Berlusconi. The Spanish, Italian, French and British press is outraged

One night stands

('Helen Swain',) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

For good or for bad, relationship patterns have changed. It´s more common to enjoy a brief encounter than to tie the knot, and having a one-off romance is no longer the taboo it was in the past. A look at the European language of love

Brief guide to gay marriage laws across 'conservative' EU

('Daniel G. Ross',) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Fewer than half (44%) of Europeans are in favour of gay marriage. In April, Sweden enacted a law authorizing same-sex unions. It was only the fifth European country to take steps toward equality between heterosexual and homosexual couples. Despite appearances, when it comes to gay rights Europe is still rather conservative...

The Sound of Silvio: 'I never understood what the satisfaction is when you are missing the pleasure of conquest'

('euro topics',) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:14:48 -0000

Escort girl Patrizia D'Addario, 42, told investigators that she spent the night of Barack Obama's victory at the Italian PM's private residence in Rome. In an interview with Chi magazine on 24 June, Berlusconi talks of defamation: 'I have never paid a woman'. Quotes from the Greek, Finnish and Italian press

Sexy EU election candidates from France to Romania via Lithuania

('Darren Thompson',) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:05:21 -0000

It's European election time again. As per usual there are some 'special' candidates hoping to win a seat. In 2004, a French orchestra conductor, a British actor, a Czech cosmonaut and even a Lithuanian hockey player became MEPs. What does the 2009 edition have in store for us? Featuring Elena Basescu, Barbara Matera and Donala Meiželytė-Svilienė

Queer as transsexual Europe

('Ed Saunders',) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

On 30 March a transsexual man in Barcelona, 25, was announced to be reportedly the first in Spain to be pregnant with twins. In a Europe with a full spectrum of languages, traditions and ethnic identities, sexual identities remain black and white. In an age in which 'flexibility' and 'individuality' have become buzzwords, it is astounding that 'man' and 'woman' are immobile categories to which we attribute certain characteristics

Miss Marion: the French burlesque star will 'tease you until you die'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:29:09 -0000

The 32-year-old from Normandy performs a 'slowed-down' version of burlesque. A dance historically popular in eras of depression, her latest show updates the genre, combining nipple tassels and an iPhone - an accessible escape for Europeans in recession

MEPs visit brothels, according to vice-chairwoman of liberals

('eugenie stephenson',) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0000

Silvana Koch-Mehrin, the vice-chairwoman of the liberal party in the European parliament,
accuses Euro MPs of going to Strasbourg as though they are on ‘holiday’, adding that ‘they don’t work but go and see prostitutes’

Romania: EU dreams, but prostitution and poverty reality

('Media Consulta',) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:15:32 -0000

EU membership is slowly making a difference, but for many new citizens of the EU the chasm between aspiration and reality remains wide

Virginie Despentes and Lucía Etxebarría: ‘highbrow bitches’

('Pedro Pic\xc3\xb3n',) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

With their French and Spanish novels, Despentes, 39, and Etxebarría, 42, override the superficiality of cultural critics and the need to write about the female body

‘Buda-sex’ and the Hungarian porn industry

('Akli Hadid',) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Budapest is famous for being one of the world’s sex capitals. Pornography, sex toursim and prostitution converge in the Hungarian capital, to the delight of some and the frowns of others

Lucia Etxebarria: ‘it's a threat if women sell more books than men’

('Akli Hadid',) — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:31:55 -0000

The Spanish sex, drugs and rock’n’roll writer, 41, juggles motherhood and feminist ideals in her literature, and explains why she is sometimes categorised as a lesbian or 'at best, emasculator'

Skirt chaser

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Go, women architects

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Female architects are suffering from social historical invisibility. Creating more gender-based networks can raise awareness about gender inequality and social recognition

Estelle Swaray: 'the singlest woman alive'

('Titus Aguigah',) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Why the British rapper, hip hop singer and producer, 28, swapped London, its boys and the UK music industry for Brooklyn's cabbies, leading to ‘an unexpected duet’ with American rapper Kanye West

12:08 - East of Pristina

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0000

In the Serb enclave of Gracanica, young people are becoming aware that a good future involves teenage crushes, good friends and weekends

Young prostitutes surviving in Bangkok

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0000

The lively streets of the capital conceal a sordid reality. In this meat market, they do their best to survive and dream of Europe

Luciana Littizzetto: Spanish men are sexiest

('Sarah Gray',) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:42:00 -0000

Writer, actress and ‘TV jester’ – Luciana Littizzetto has made a career from her own irreverent brand of self-parody – with great success

Plastic surgery: turn to the Thai scalpel

('Kate Martin',) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:43:00 -0000

Bangkok and its shiny new clinics have become the new capital for medical tourism, particularly for plastic surgery - and sex changes

Censoring Oliviero Toscani

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0000

'In art transgression is a duty,' says the Italian photographer, author of the latest shock campaign with French anorexic model Isabelle Caro. 'Brussels don't want to know a thing about my European vision'

Ho Che Anderson: I never actually said 'hey mom, this is my sex book'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0000

The London-born Canadian graphic novelist, 38, is relaxed and frank as he discusses being chosen as the only black cartoonist to portray Martin Luther King, a series which took him ten long years to complete

Françoise Cactus: 'society is a little too turned on by sex'

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0000

The vocalist and drummer for kitsch pop duet 'Stereo Total', 43, evokes Franco-German bilingualism applied to masculinity-femininity, Gainsbourg and modern frustrations

You don't wanna miss a thing!

('Natalia Sosin',) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Let's talk about sex, politics, and licking European commissioners on cafebabel.com's newly launched community pages and first multilingual blogging platform

Guinea pigs in the spotlight!

('Andrew Burgess',) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Study reveals men not only prefer blonds but those with small brains

Naughty EU Media

('Andrew Burgess',) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

EU Commission uses sexy film scenes to show how it supports European cinema

Orgey.com

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Organised via the internet, orgey offers often help sell holidays. A quick overview of the history of the old continent via this ancient practice which is present in almost all societies

Mechanical masturbation

('Kate Martin',) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000

In northern Europe, one out of two women uses a mechanical sex toy and 'Tupper-dildo' parties are increasingly popular

Anything to get votes

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Belgian politician offers one blowjob for every vote in her favour

Lynch’s Empire

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0000

After the release of his latest film Inland Empire, the 'Air is on Fire' in Paris - an exhibition revealing David Lynch's disturbing world

Chalga folkpop: 'forget yourself in our rhythm'

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Arabian disco, gypsy rock and house music boom from buses, taxis and radios throughout Bulgaria. But the knives are out

Paul Verhoeven: 'So what if it’s commercial?'

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The 68-year-old Dutch film director behind ‘Total Recall’, ‘Robocop’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ is back home in Europe to complete a different project