More Italian-American Stereotypes?

We can’t take any more “Jersey Shore,” with that insufferable Snooki and that bunch of meatheads who make up the cast of this reality show on air every Thursday night on MTV. The point of the show is precisely to praise the vulgarity and arrogance of a group of very young Italian-Americans who play along as caricatures of themselves.

But if anyone thinks that American television is done milking the Italian-American craze, they are sorely mistaken. On Monday, March 26, Oxygen (part of the NBC-Universal Television Group) will air a new weekly series, “Brooklyn 11223” — these numbers being one of Brooklyn’s many zip codes. Which one? you may ask.

Theresa Scavo explains: She’s the chairperson of Community Board 15, which represents an area called Gravesend, in other words zip code 11223.

“This area is called Gravesend, and when I was young, 40 percent of the residents here were of Italian descent,”* said Scavo, complaining about the negative impact the reality show will have on the neighborhood she represents.

“These TV shows portray Italian-Americans as trashy — as people with no education. “Jersey Shore,” “Brooklyn 11223” — they are a disgrace! Look at Snooki: She’s ignorant and repulsive, and if I were her mother I would give her a good wallop on the head. She most certainly wouldn’t be proud of being pregnant without being married.”*

Scavo is right to complain, but she will have even more reasons to do so in a couple of weeks. On April 9, TLC will premiere another TV series that plays on the Italian-American stereotype. It’s called “Mama’s Boys of the Bronx,” starring 36-year-old Anthony and his mother Patti, and 38-year-old Frankie and his mother Gina, who incidentally make tomato sauce and homemade wine. There’s Chip and his mother Camille, Giovanni and his aunt Gina, Peter and his dad Gus. Here’s a random snippet from the ads: “Why would I get married when Mom does everything for me?” says Frankie, in his exaggerated Bronx accent, typical of the Italian area near Arthur Avenue.

And after “Mama’s Boys,” the American public will be offered yet another TV series, still along the Italian-American lines. It’s called “Rambug” and will premiere on May 5 on A&E.

It will follow the stories of a group of Italian-American Brooklynites who work in pest control: Once again this is a scene filled with ignorant and sexist bullies — a bunch of Rambos equipped with mice, bug and cockroach poison.

“Years ago, everyone thought that every Italian-American was part of the mafia. Now we are a bunch of uneducated, ignorant people,” concludes Theresa Scavo. “Why is that? Because we are an easy target for jokes, and we let them say whatever they want to say about us and we don’t react.”

And I had just written in my previous article about visiting Brooklyn, which has become so trendy!

*Editor’s Note: These quotes, while accurately translated, could not be verified in English.