Is it true what I've heard about Italian men?

Question

sorry, but I have never met Italians so all I know is what other people have told me and what I've read.......and what I read was that a woman got pinched (or something to that nature) on the bottom and it was considered a friendly gesture or something like that.... I don't know if its true so dont' get angry please, that is why I'm asking.....so are Italian men really like this? And if they aren't then where did they get such a bad rep?

Answer 1

NO!!!

my husband is from Italy and always treats women as they should be treated-like ladies.

Answer 2

It happens primarily on buses or in crowded areas, anywhere men think they can get away with it.  You must call them on it immediatly - they don't expect that and get really flustered.  It's not a friendly gesture and with all my travels I can honestly say that Italy is the only place it happens with as much frequency - they write about it in guide books!

My fiance is from Verona, and when we met he was amused by my stories of what I would say - in very broken Italian - to guys who had pinched me in Rome & Florence, but man did he get pissed when he was with me & it happened...

Answer 3

ive lived in florence for the last 4 years with my italian bf. and ive never confronted an issue like that, BUT i recall someone telling me the same thing 4 years ago before i left to italy.

it was my italian teacher who lived in the states, she use to tell me the stories of when she was young, italian men use to pinch women's butts as a sign of 'hey baby' and it was considered a disrispectful thng. so she had told me to be very aware of that, to not let men do that. but through out all of those 4 years, ive never gotten that, INSTEAD ive gotten men shout at me 'ciao bella!' or 'il tuo telefono?' on the bus and the sick part of it all was that NONE of them were italian, they were foreigners, albanese or romanians, or africans, it was sick! i would be walking along the sidewalk and they would walk the opposite direction and stick out their tongue while crossing, same thing with bus drivers, sick sick sick men! and like i said, about 99% of them were NOT italians.

what my teacher said, was something that was back in the 70's or 60's and it was probably the italians that did it but not in a extreme gross way as the foreigners do today.

Answer 4

I'm an italian man and the gesture that you have explained is illegal in italy, people can be condemned for sexual abuse

in italy there is a law that forbids it

Answer 5

I'm Italian and it isn't at all a "friendly gesture" , it is an excuse... noone did it in Italy and no woman let her to do it at all unless is your boyfriend !!

if a men do it is sure he gets a slap!!!

don't believe to it...

Answer 6

I'm an Italian woman and never heard of that.  If the guy is telling her that, it's just an excuse. "friendly gesture" LOL.

Answer 7

I will say the men were not only handsome but most polite. The men showed their utmost  appreciation for a lady which was most flattering. It was wonderful being treated so very well.

Answer 8

i'm an italian guy and isnt true about the pinch or better noone would come to you and pinch you.But it's happens when a forenger girl come to an italian guy and ask if italian do it...well in that case if the girl is nice most of the time men do pinch her but just because it's like if she asked it.....don't you?

Answer 9

Don't know if they do that but I do know that they HATE taking showers.

Answer 10

I've been to Italy 2 times and while I have never gotten a pinch on the butt or such. the men are really forward towards you. Don't get me wrong, they seem really nice, I just think it is more culturally acceptable in Italy.

Answer 11

NO it is not true most Italian men are courteous. if pinched on the bottom you must have asked for it.I lived in ITALY and never had a problem in fact i finished up to marry a ITALIAN.

Answer 12

Have you ever heard the saying- Hot blooded Italian?

Well, there is a reason for this. The Italian men are very passionate in everything they do!!

I really mean everything!! LOL

Answer 13

italian women dosen't think is a friendly gesture at all, they think this man is an horrible maniac.

believe me i am italian but i live in london and never happen on buses like in Italy thanks God.

Answer 14

Men are Men in any nationalitys... no one needs to make any generalizations about a certain one.  There are good and bad in all races, nationalitys and religions.. just like anything else... so long as a woman conducts herself like a lady in their presense.. she really shouldnt have anything to worry about !

Answer 15

My husband is in the Military and we are stationed in Italy, and I defiantly have never seen this happened or heard of it happening. We don't live on base, we live out in the Italian community, and I know that I have been treated with nothing but respect by the Italian men, and I don't know of any of my American or Italian female friends over here that have had this happen. My Italian neighbor's, male and female, always greet me with the traditional kiss on each cheek, but no butt pitching!!!