Grillo’s communication style: from swear words to body language

It is impossible to understand the political success of Beppe Grillo without taking into consideration his peculiar communication style – based on the centuries-old tradition of political satire – as well as his ambivalent relationship with the traditional media. On the one hand, Grillo dislikes broadcast TV and uses the Internet to communicate with the activists of the MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S); on the other, being a comedian, he is brilliantly capable of directing the attention of television and the press to his words and actions. The article aims at showing how the main features of Beppe Grillo’s style of communication – from his frequent use of swear words to his distinctive body language – has both contributed to his success and limited the extent of his move- ment’s appeal.