- Gabriele Paolini
Gabriele Paolini is a famous Italian
television prankster andcondom advocate. He is also known as the "prophet of the condom" and "the prophylactic prophet." InItaly he is also referred to as a "presenzialista", which means a bothersome person who disrupts live on-air television reporting. His antics usually involve exhibiting condoms in the background behind interviews or other unwitting live reporters. He has also been involved with singing contests and sporting events.Gabriele Paolini began his career as a "television polluter" when a friend of his died of
AIDS at age 22, contracting the disease some years after unprotected sex with aprostitute . Paolini's reaction was to invade TV news reports wearing or waving chains of condoms. Sometimes Paolini also uses a photo of a politician or of thePope .The son of a retired general, Paolini is in the
Guinness Book of Records for his more than 18,765 very short appearances waving over the shoulders of hundreds of displeased TV journalists.Over the years, Paolini has angered many in the media. During one interrupted interview, journalist and European deputy
Paolo Frajese began to kick Paolini. Journalists have asked the legal office ofRAI TV in Saxa Rubra for a legal injunction to "eliminate the disturber." In response, Gabriele Paolini showed the media a list of interviewers who had in fact requested his presence. However, Italy's Supreme Court upheld a three month suspended sentence against him.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7456040.stm|title=Court warns Italian TV prankster|publisher=BBC|date=2008-06-16|accessdate=2008-06-16]On March 5, 1995 Paolini personally disguised a condom as a request in a paper and gave it to
Pope John Paul II at a church in Rome.Fact|date=June 2008On May 13, 2008 Paolini was condamned to 5 months prison term for offenses to the Pope, because on July 5, 6 and 15 2005 he interrupted a live TV show of RAI TV insulting the Pope and the Italian Premier. cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=261040|title=Italian TV prankster condamnend|publisher=Il Giornale|date=2008-05-12|accessdate=2008-09-13]
References
External links
* [http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-27-2002-27154.asp Gabriele Paolini presented in Buzzle website]
* [http://www.gabrielepaolini.com Personal website of Gabriele Paolini]
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