Academia Catavencu
Encyclopedia
Academia Caţavencu is a Romania
n satirical magazine founded in 1991 and made famous by its investigative journalism
. Academia Caţavencu also owns Radio Guerrilla http://www.radioguerrilla.ro/, an FM radio station with national coverage http://www.radioguerrilla.ro/retea.php; Tabu, a women's magazine, Superbebe, a magazine for new parents, Aventuri la pescuit, a magazine for fishermen, 24-FUN, a free magazine for teenagers, and Cotidianul
, a daily newspaper.
In a surprise move, on May 29, 2006, Academia Caţavencu press group announced it was being acquired http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=homenews&id=20060530-5185 by Realitatea Media, owners of Realitatea TV
, and controlled by controversial and elusive businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
. Vântu himself has often been a target of enquiries by Caţavencu journalists.
's 1883 comedy O scrisoare pierdută ("A Lost Letter"). An unscrupulous, demagogue politician, Caţavencu uses his newspaper Răcnetul Carpaţilor ("The Shout of the Carpathians
") to blackmail
politicians of the opposing party with a compromising love letter that he finds.
Mircea Dinescu
. Part of the team had previously edited two short-lived satirical papers, Caţavencu Incomod and Caţavencu Internaţional.
Dinescu was editor-in-chief until 1998, when he resigned and went on to create his own publications, Aspirina săracului ("The poor man's aspirin
" - a joking reference to sexual intercourse
), and Plai cu boi (Land of the Dumb), a monthly satirical magazine parody
ing the style of Playboy
.
Academia Caţavencu have been long-time press freedom advocates. They maintain a "press monitoring agency", a watchdog against manipulation
through mass-media.
During the 2004 election campaign, Academia Caţavencu published as supplements two parody issues of Scânteia (the old-time Romanian Communist Party
newspaper), containing reprints of articles written by important current day politicians during the Communist era
. Almost 40,000 copies were bought in bulk from newsagents,http://www.catavencu.ro/pdf/disparitie.txt along with other newspapershttp://www.evz.ro/english/?news_id=172784. The alleged perpetrators were representatives of the then-governing Social Democratic Party
(PSD), whose (mostly former Communist) high members (including founder and former President of Romania
Ion Iliescu
) were protagonists of the Caţavencu special issues.
Apart from political issues, Academia Caţavencu organises and/or sponsors a number of cultural and environmental initiatives:
They also develop their own stereotypes and nicknames of the politicians, such as:
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n satirical magazine founded in 1991 and made famous by its investigative journalism
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
. Academia Caţavencu also owns Radio Guerrilla http://www.radioguerrilla.ro/, an FM radio station with national coverage http://www.radioguerrilla.ro/retea.php; Tabu, a women's magazine, Superbebe, a magazine for new parents, Aventuri la pescuit, a magazine for fishermen, 24-FUN, a free magazine for teenagers, and Cotidianul
Cotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
, a daily newspaper.
In a surprise move, on May 29, 2006, Academia Caţavencu press group announced it was being acquired http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=homenews&id=20060530-5185 by Realitatea Media, owners of Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV is a Romanian news television network. The channel is distributed by many cable operators in Romania and Moldova. Its main owner is Romanian businessman Elan Schwartzenberg....
, and controlled by controversial and elusive businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
Sorin Ovidiu Vântu is a Romanian businessman and owner of the Realitatea-Caţavencu media company. In 2008 he was considered the 5th richest man in Romania with an estimated net worth between 800 and 850 million euros....
. Vântu himself has often been a target of enquiries by Caţavencu journalists.
Name
Nae Caţavencu is a character in Ion Luca CaragialeIon Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale was a Wallachian-born Romanian playwright, short story writer, poet, theater manager, political commentator and journalist...
's 1883 comedy O scrisoare pierdută ("A Lost Letter"). An unscrupulous, demagogue politician, Caţavencu uses his newspaper Răcnetul Carpaţilor ("The Shout of the Carpathians
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
") to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
politicians of the opposing party with a compromising love letter that he finds.
History
In its current form, Academia Caţavencu was founded in 1991, by a team of humourists, investigators, and literates headed by poet and former dissidentDissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
Mircea Dinescu
Mircea Dinescu
Mircea Dinescu is a Romanian poet, journalist and editor.He was born in Slobozia, the son of Ştefan Dinescu, a metalworker and Aurelia . Dinescu studied at the Faculty of Journalism of the Ştefan Gheorghiu Academy, and was considered a gifted young poet during his youth, with several poetry...
. Part of the team had previously edited two short-lived satirical papers, Caţavencu Incomod and Caţavencu Internaţional.
Dinescu was editor-in-chief until 1998, when he resigned and went on to create his own publications, Aspirina săracului ("The poor man's aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
" - a joking reference to sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
), and Plai cu boi (Land of the Dumb), a monthly satirical magazine parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ing the style of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
.
Current activities
Media manipulation
Media manipulation is an aspect of public relations in which partisans create an image or argument that favours their particular interests. Such tactics may include the use of logical fallacies and propaganda techniques, and often involve the suppression of information or points of view by crowding...
through mass-media.
During the 2004 election campaign, Academia Caţavencu published as supplements two parody issues of Scânteia (the old-time Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
newspaper), containing reprints of articles written by important current day politicians during the Communist era
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
. Almost 40,000 copies were bought in bulk from newsagents,http://www.catavencu.ro/pdf/disparitie.txt along with other newspapershttp://www.evz.ro/english/?news_id=172784. The alleged perpetrators were representatives of the then-governing Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
(PSD), whose (mostly former Communist) high members (including founder and former President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
) were protagonists of the Caţavencu special issues.
Apart from political issues, Academia Caţavencu organises and/or sponsors a number of cultural and environmental initiatives:
- Save the Danube DeltaDanube DeltaThe Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania , while its northern part, on the left bank of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine . The approximate surface is...
- Save Vama VecheVama VecheVama Veche is a village in Romania on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Bulgaria, at 28.57 E longitude, 43.75 N latitude. It is part of the commune of Limanu and in 2002, it had a population of 178....
- Cu papucii prin deşert ("Across the Desert in slippers", a reference to the Dacia car hatchbackHatchbackA Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
model) - a humanitarian expedition through the SaharaSaharaThe Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
and down to SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
They also develop their own stereotypes and nicknames of the politicians, such as:
- Ion IliescuIon IliescuIon Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
"Nelu Cotrocelu" or "Bunicuţa" ("The Granny") - associated with the Cotroceni PalaceCotroceni PalaceCotroceni Palace is a palace in Bucharest which is the residence of the President of Romania, located at Bulevardul Geniului, nr. 1.On Cotroceni Hill, in 1679, Şerban Cantacuzino built a monastery...
owl - Adrian NăstaseAdrian NastaseAdrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
"Bombonel" ("Candy Boy") - in reference to his alleged homosexualityHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same... - Traian BăsescuTraian BasescuTraian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
"Popeye Marinarul" ("Popeye the SailorPopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
") - due to Băsescu's former job as a commercial navy captainCaptain (nautical)A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag... - Theodor StolojanTheodor StolojanTheodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime minister of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992. He and his wife Elena have a son, Vlad Stolojan, and a daughter, Ada Palea...
"The robot", "Robocop" or "Frankie" - due to his voice and comic resemblance to the classic image of FrankensteinFrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
's monster - Petre RomanPetre RomanPetre Roman is a Romanian politician and a former Prime Minister of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1991, when his government was overthrown by the intervention of the miners led by Miron Cozma. Roman is a member of the Club of Madrid, grouping 66 democratic former heads of state and government...
- suggests that he is rather popular among the female workers of the APACA textile factory in Bucharest (who shouted once: Nu vrem bani! Nu vrem valută! Vrem pe Roman să ne fută! ("We don't want money! We don't want hard currency! We want Roman to fuck us!"). - Gheorghe Dumitraşcu - suggests that he washes infrequently
- Nicolae VăcăroiuNicolae VacaroiuNicolae Văcăroiu is a Romanian politician, member of the Social Democratic Party, who served as Prime Minister between 1992 and 1996. Before the 1989 Revolution he worked at the Committee for State Planning, together with Theodor Stolojan....
"Votcăroiu" - allegedly heavy drinker of "Săniuţa", a low-grade brand of vodka (votcă) - Şerban Mihăilescu "Miki Şpagă" ("Mickey Bribe") - corruption allegations
- Marian VanghelieMarian VanghelieDaniel Marian Vanghelie is a Romanian politician of Jewish and Gypsy descent, being the mayor of the 5th Sector of Bucharest since 2000 and a prominent member and vice-president of the ....
- he has poor grammatical skills, as coined by Vanghelie's frequent and indiscriminate use of Care este ("Which is"), as a predicate for singular and plural subjects alike.
See also
- The OnionThe OnionThe Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
, a US counterpart - FrankFrank (magazine)Frank is a bi-weekly Canadian scandal or satirical magazine published since 1987 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.A separate publication in Ottawa, Ontario, of the same name was published from 1989 to 2004 and then revived from 2005 to 2008...
, a Canadian counterpart - The PhoenixThe Phoenix (magazine)The Phoenix is Ireland's best selling political and current affairs magazine. Inspired by the British magazine Private Eye, and a source of investigative journalism in Ireland...
, an Irish counterpart - El JuevesEl Juevesis a Spanish satirical weekly magazine published in Barcelona. Its complete title is ""...
, a Spanish counterpart - Le Canard enchaînéLe Canard enchaînéLe Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
, a French counterpart - The ClinicThe ClinicThe Clinic is a Chilean satirical/investigative newspaper founded by Patricio Fernández Chadwick in November 1998. The name was inspired by Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's October 1998 arrest in Britain at The London Clinic, which bears the name The Clinic on its façade...
, a Chilean counterpart - TitanicTitanic (magazine)Titanic is a German monthly satirical magazine based in Frankfurt. It has a circulation of approximately 100,000.- History :Titanic was founded in 1979 by former contributors and editors of Pardon, a satirical monthly, which the group had left after conflicts with its publisher...
, a German counterpart - Moskovskaya KomsomolkaMoskovskaya KomsomolkaMoskovskaya Komsomolka was a satirical newspaper published weekly in Russia . The newspaper had a fixed 32 page layout.-Presentation:...
, a Russian counterpart - Teacher's DiaryTeacher's diaryOver the course of two weeks in April 2004, the British satirical magazine Private Eye published a journal, Teacher's Diary, written by an anonymous maths teacher at what he called "a bog standard comprehensive".The diary described an undercurrent of pupil misbehaviour and incompetence in the...
- NoseweekNoseweekNoseweek is a South African investigative magazine published by Chaucer Publications that has appeared monthly since June 1993. It is best known for regular legal action against it, such as a failed bid at interdiction by banking group FirstRand and defamation actions by judge Fikile Bam and...
,a South African counterpart