Monday, February 23, 2009

Spanish king witness to a “¿Por qué no te callas?” moment

In 2007, the infamous “¿Por qué no te callas?” incident happened when King Juan Carlos of Spain ordered Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to shut up during a summit. The two leaders have since patched up their differences yet his Highness witnessed a somewhat similar occurrence last week.

The King and Queen Sofia attended a South Beach Wine & Food Festival dinner during their visit to Miami. Celebrity chef Mario Batali appeared at the $1,000-a-person gala to say a few words. Much like the King two years ago, Batali ad-libbed his remarks:
After stepping up to the microphone, he swore and sarcastically asked the audience if they could spare him a moment.

"All you weasel f***wads in the back corners, can I have ten seconds of your time?" said the chef, who appeared intoxicated.

He then swore again in front of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia when introducing chef José Andrés, who runs the Los Angeles restaurant, The Bazaar.

Mr. Batali said his friend had received: "The most mother-f***ing stars of any
Spanish restaurant in the US." He finished by grabbing Andres' bottom.
According to the Times Online, Batali’s choice comments made the Queen turn white while “Gloria Estefan, the singer, started giggling.” Other celebrity guests including Julio Iglesias and Florida Governor Charlie Crist were reportedly “shocked” by what happened.

It’s unknown if the King and Queen publicly replied to Batali, though Andrés jokingly told the audience that "this is what food and wine from Spain will do to you."

Image- BusinessWeek
Online Sources- The Telegraph, LAHT, Times Online, AP, The Latin Americanist

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