Women's body at Sanremo are not part of the competition

We are right in the middle of that wonderful and complex spectacle that is Sanremo 2025. Always a reflection of an Italy that is either slow-moving or completely stagnant, this year the festival seems to have pulled the brakes for good, with no intention of ever starting again. Fantastic. As we trudge through the dust and approach the cover/duet night, the issue of how female artists and co-hosts are treated resurfaces once again. They are asked more questions about their looks and beauty than about their music, and their role as mothers is emphasized over their professional presence on stage. Who could have seen that coming? Oh wait, it happens all the time!

The Motherhood of Sanremo 2025's Co-Hosts (and Beyond)

Every year, every moment, every major media event. Like clockwork, women’s bodies become the sole focus when discussing them. In an edition where, perhaps more than ever, television aesthetics are being pulled from the past in the name of mediocrity and centrism, this stands out every time Carlo Conti refers to his co-hosts as Women with a capital W, courageous mothers, true examples of female strength, and so on. And while, for once, we’ve been spared the pregnancy rumors about someone—hallelujah!—it still seems impossible not to talk about motherhood and, consequently, women’s bodies. The obsessive focus, with questionable and often unkind approaches, remains fixated on body shape, weight, and outfits rather than voices, music, stage presence, and other more relevant topics. Even the press is guilty of this.

Bodies in the Press Conference: The Case of Clara and Sarah Toscano

The first target was Sarah Toscano, whose look sparked so many comments that fellow contestant Irama, also a former Amici di Maria De Filippi participant, stepped in to defend her, urging people to choose constructive criticism instead. Sarah admitted she hadn’t read anything, but then added, "I think that sometimes comments are made that serve no real purpose, as if they’re meant to make people feel bad. I completely agree with what he said, and I’m grateful to him for it."

Clara also faced similar treatment, unfortunately for the second year in a row. Last year, the PanPers made a series of tasteless (and blatantly sexist) jokes about her wearing glasses on stage. This year, she has endured crude remarks—such as Nello Taver asking if she preferred dogs or cats, only to start literally barking when she answered "dogs"—as well as interview questions focusing solely on her beauty and outfits. In the press conference, she found herself having to defend her fashion choices, saying: "I don't let anyone dictate what I wear. I love creating my looks with my best friend, my stylist Francesco Vavallo, as if it were a journey. Last year, the theme was Diamanti Grezzi; this year, we started working on it back in December. You described my dress as see-through, but in reality, nothing was actually visible." As if not only her decision-making power over her look was in question, but also as if she had deliberately tried to be sexier than "appropriate." Her bewildered expression said it all.

A Problem Bigger Than Carlo Conti

We criticize Carlo Conti, but it’s not like past years were much better. The examples are plenty. There’s Clara, whom we already mentioned, but also Francesco Renga’s 2019 aversion to women’s voices, Amadeus’ unfortunate 2020 comment about Francesca Sofia Novello, Valentino Rossi’s partner, who "knew how to stay in the background," and the 2023 controversy surrounding Ornella Muti, who took the stage only to talk about the men in her life rather than her career. And, impossible to forget, the weird evangelical tone of the family with 16 children. At this point, a nagging doubt arises: maybe the issue isn’t the specific host but the entire entertainment industry, where men are so deeply immersed in a system that makes them patriarchal and misogynistic almost by default? Maybe the problem is Italian society itself, backward and regressing? Unfortunately, we already know the answer. We already know the answer, unfortunately. Issues in power dynamics and gender relations exist and persist, and the festival doesn’t create them—it simply puts them right in front of us, unfiltered and ruthless. It's time to face the music, outside the bubble.