Vitale says new MTV show offends Italian Americans
By Editor | December 24th, 2009 - 8:44amState Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge), the chairman of the New Jersey Italian American Legislative Caucus, says that an MTV show, Jersey Shore, promotes offensive and untrue ethnic stereotypes of Italian Americans, and has asked Viacom to take the show off the air.
“The image of young Italian Americans conducting themselves in a disrespectful and inappropriate manner at a summer home on the Shore may make for good ratings, but it’s a fabrication that damages our State and cultural reputations,” said Vitale. “Rather than profit off ethnic stereotypes and derogatory myths about Italian Americans, MTV and its parent company, Viacom, should do the socially responsible thing and pull the plug on Jersey Shore. Not only is the program wildly offensive, but it diminishes the accomplishments and contributions of Italian Americans in New Jersey and across the nation.”
Vitale says that the Italian American cast regularly uses derogatory terms such as “guido” and “guidette” when describing themselves. The use of those terms, Vitale says, violates Viacom’s own terms requiring a harassment-free workplace, as well as New Jersey’s tough laws on racial bias and ethnic discrimination.
At Vitale’s request, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development has opened an investigation into employment and wage practices, as well as the tax status of the “Shore Store” where cast members supposedly worked while filming the program.
“Saying that the young people on Jersey Shore represent all young Italian Americans is like saying The Jerry Springer Show represents responsible journalism,” said Vitale, a four-term Middlesex County Democrat. “From casting decisions to scenery to interactions between cast members, everything on Jersey Shore has been fabricated and manipulated, and not a representation of the ‘reality’ that MTV purports to document. The problem lies in the fact that, for the audiences that Jersey Shore is being marketed to, the overly-muscled, overly-tan caricatures of long-held ethnic stereotypes highlighted on the show may form the basis of ethnic generalizations that do a disservice to Italian Americans everywhere.”
The Italian American Legislative Caucus also wants advertisers to boycott the program because of its offensive content.
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Vitale You Should be Taken off the Air
Whatever happened to freedom of speech? You know these people are all Italian who are on the show! And now you are intruding on business too?
We need a good hundred-proof libertarian Republican to take this socialist-fascist mini-Mussolini out in the next election.
Next
he'll be weighing into the important sauce versus gravy debate. Basta! Cetriolo!
Sarlo, Conigilio, Ferriero , Calabrese, etc
these Democrats give all Italian Americans a bad name.
The problem is....
The "myths" are true. Open your eyes.
Jersey Shore is offensive to
Jersey Shore is offensive to all Italians except for the Italian subculture that inhabits Staten Island,Brooklyn, and parts of Queens, which it portrays with uncanny realism. I am 2nd generation Italian American and live in NJ. I do not, nor do my family or relatives - here and in Italy - resemble any one on this show. I find the characters' use of the term "guido" as offensive as an African-American must in hearing the "n"-word.
Maybe I'm too sensitive - I never liked the Sopranos or the Godfather films, and can't understand the pride that some Italians feel for mobsters and "cafones" (sp?)
Mmhmm
So I presume Senator Vitale is celebrating Christmas two months from now, considering that's how behind the curve he is.
abuse of power
The arrogance of Joe Vitale abusing his authority by calling for an investigation into a legitimate store doing business in NJ because HE finds a show offensive is a corrupt as Tony Soprano. If he were so concerned about NJ image he waould call for Joe Cryan and Dick Codey to resign along with all jis other corrupt cronies. Vitale is a disgrace to all Italians and is a no good sleazball for wanting to use tax dollars to close a NJ business down be cause he is offended at a television show. Hey joe how about focusing on fixing the fiscal mess in Trenton instead of being a TV critic.
Vitale, Sarlo and Cryan the
Vitale, Sarlo and Cryan the three stooges, someone remind them why they were elected...
Jersey Shore
This is still Amerika! It's the people in the show who are disgusting. Where are their parents and relatives? Their behavior is just so gross no matter where it is engaged in and no matter what the show is called! So what to do? Choose to ignore the show and the sponsors will get the message. Unfortunately there are a lot of places in the US where this type of behavior is typical and promoted by TV/Mags/Internet etc. No right wing/conservative wacko but do it behind closed doors folks don't flaunt your disgusting attitudes toward life and relationships! Remember Girls Gone Wild or ten other reality shows on Cable? Decadence does exist in Amerika!
Give the kids a break.
They are just being young people.
about 50 years ago, I was threatened with arrest because I was performing the degenerate crime of:
Doing the Cha cha with jeans and a tee shirt on and the girl was dressed in slacks and a blouse - on the "cyclone" boardwalk in Seaside Heights at about 12:00 noon. Give the kids a break Paisano.