Monday, December 14, 2009
Happy Monday!
I'm tired as hell today, but for good reason. I was up late last night watching the battle between the EAGLES and the Giants. It was a great game, and in case you missed it...here are the highlights. GO EAGLES!!!
Now...on to the blog.
At Rameer's suggestion, I watched a couple episodes of MTV's new series Jersey Shore. All I can say is, that show is a hot ass mess! Spiked hair, spray on tans, deep "joisy" accents...the epitome of the "guido" stereotype at its finest. Here are a couple of clips if you haven't seen it:
Now, I don't normally watch shows like this - no matter who the people are. I didn't watch Flavor of Love. I didn't watch I Love New York. I didn't watch Rock of Love, Tila Tequila, Daisy, Chance or any other buffoonery on tv. It's just not my thing. I can see their "train wreck" entertainment value, but I just never seem to get into it. And Jersey Shore will be no exception.
What I find interesting is Italian American organizations are all upset at how Italian Americans are portrayed in Jersey Shore. And I can't say that I blame them. But I think most of us know that not ALL Italian Americans are like that, just as I'd hope that most people would know that not all Black people behave like the idiots on Flavor of Love.
But here is my question of the day - should EVERYONE cry foul when we see stereotypical shows exploiting a certain group/race of people? Or are we only responsible for speaking out when it affects just OUR group/race?
I don't recall hearing about any Italian American organizations being upset at how Black people are portrayed in the media. I don't hear about any Asian organizations being upset about how Latinos are portrayed in the media. Or vice versa. Whenever there's an outcry over race or stereotypes in the media, it's usually Black people upset over how Blacks are portrayed, or Latinos upset over how Latinos are stereotyped, or women upset over how women are viewed, or gay people upset over how gay people are depicted.
That's not to say that there isn't some cross over. There are some who stand up for others when it comes to how we're all portrayed in movies and on tv. But for the most part, I rarely hear of any non-people-of-color groups coming to African Americans' defense when a show like I Love New York comes on, or Cops for that matter. There are rarely any non-people-of-color organizations screaming that there needs to be more Asian representation on tv, or that Latinos aren't all gang members or illegal "aliens." After all, there are SO many shows on tv that show us as drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps, maids, non-English speaking, convenience store owning, cab driving people. Yet, no one seems to care about that...not even "us."
But ONE show about a bunch of young Italians spending their summer at the Jersey shore has people upset. It's "wrong." It's perpetuating a stereotype. And guess what else? It was bound to happen.
It was only a matter of time before this type of stereotyping trickled down to "other" groups. Did they think they'd be immune to it forever? I'm not surprised by it, because people love to watch this type of nonsense. It's train wreck tv - and if it can work for one group or race of people, then certainly it can work for another. MTV is spreading the wealth, and the shock value of it all is translating into ratings. No matter who is upset, people are watching.
So, back to my question - should we even care about shows like this anymore? And if we do care about how people are depicted in the media, do we speak up for EVERYONE, or just our "own?" Are we our brother's keeper, or should "they" just get over it?
Curious to read your thoughts on this - let's go!
-b
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32 comments:
First bitches
I find it funny that they're all upset over this show, but not the other shows you mentioned. People only care about their own, not anyone else. So long as it doesn't affect THEM, then they can laugh at US all they want. But if we watch a show that makes THEM look like savages, and we laugh at THEM, then it's no good? Whatever.
I say if you're gonna be upset over stuff like this, then be upset when it happens across the board. And if you're not upset when it's done to others, then don't get upset when it's done to you.
Now on to my comment. First off Brooke congrats to the Eagles. It was a good game!Unfortunately my team lost.
Anywho I think its all fun & games til someone gets hurt. Meaning I'm sure there was not one italian sitting watch flavor of love, I love NY, etc etc thinking I don't think these black people are being portrayed positively! Lol I'm sure just as the rest of us were they were sitting there shaking their heads saying "these ignorant negroes".. Each "group" of people have good and bad...there are great blacks:Barack Obama the same way there are bad blacks:OJ..lol same goes for Whites Good: Barack Bad: Madoff
And so on and so forth... Unfortunately the "bad" italians got their own show not the "good" ones.... I think everyone should stop being soo sensitive & get over it & I really think reality TV has gotten waaaayyy outta hand! There are just wayyyy tooo many reality TV shows.
I just KNEW Brooke would post a congrats to the Eagles today! :) And yes, it was a great game, one of the best of the season. My Giants went down, but not without a fight. Congrats Brooke, it was fun "watching" the game with you :)
Now, as for the blog topic, they need to get over it. They can't expect this not to affect "them" at some point. And the funny thing is, Italian Americans are the ones watching it, just like Black people are the ones watching Flavor of Love and Ray J. Everyone knows these are the extreme cases of their race. The sad part is, that's not always true the other way around. Since black folks are in the minority, alot of white folks get their ideas of what we're like from watching tv. Unless you live in a major city, you might not see ANY black folks, let alone any like the Cosby's. So sadly enough, white folks think we're ALL drug addicts, dope dealers, pimps, hoes, servants, etc. Same for Latinos.
But white people are portrayed mostly as educated, upscale, wealthy, great citizens of society. So when a show like Jersey Shore comes on, just ONE out of the MAJORITY that they're featured in, they get all upset? Please...imagine how they'd feel if the MAJORITY of "white" shows were like this! They'd know how WE feel.
Considering it's just ONE show like this on the air for them - or even if it was 5 or 10 - the fact still remains that MOST white people are NOT portrayed in a negative light. And Stef is right, if you're gonna be mad at a show like Jersey Shore, then be mad at the Flavor of Love type shows too - or don't get mad at all.
Well, you guys basically have echoed my sentiments. I actually told some Italian cats I knew that I will make sure to NOT miss an episode. Cuz they thought nothing of the aforementioned coon shows and other negative images on TV, so I'm gonna make sure to lend my support now that turnabout is fair play. Might be messed up to say - but when I was ranting about the gazillion negative portrayals of people of color, they just listened and watched nonetheless. Now...I'm gonna ENJOY this hot mess of a show to *the fullest*.
Sounds juvenile, and it probably is. But that's what I'm gonna do. Lolz!
You guys have all hit on it - like many things in white America, it's not important until it effects THEM. Drugs weren't a problem when they were in Harlem and Cabrini-Green; when they hit Cherry hill and Beverly Hills, then is became a problem. Neither were guns, for that matter. And like it was pointed out - many whites get their perceptions of who we are from TV; the way this society works, almost NO ONE believes whites are the way they are depicted in comedies or when a show has negative imagery of them. So our complaints are actually more valid; women, people of color, gays, etc. literally have our lives effected by what they see us as in TV, film, music and various media.
There's an old saying from Pastor Martin Niemöller (I got this from Wikipedia to be accurate) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group. IT goes:
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me."
True story. You can ignore what effects your fellow man for only so long before it shows up on YOUR doorstep.
Eat up, Mario and Adrianna...
Rameer, that quote echoes my sentiments about this whole thing. Once something affects one group, it will inevitably affect another, and then another...and so on.
I can't say that I'll be watching every episode, but I have a feeling this show isn't going anywhere any time soon. It did well in the ratings...and I'm sure everyone will tune in to watch one of the female characters get punched in the face next week...by a dude. And I'm not even kidding.
That's a great quote Rameer, sums it up nicely.
Punched in the face by a man?? I don't watch MTV so I didn't see that preview, or any episodes of Jersey Shore. I think I'm gonna watch it just to see what they're so upset about. I'm sure it doesn't even make them look that bad. The clip you showed just showed a girl cock blocking :)
You'd think they wouldn't show a woman getting punched in the face after the whole Rhianna thing!
Actually Jaz, it IS as bad as they think as far as stereotypes are concerned. They refer to themselves as "guidos" no fewer than 10 times an episode it seems. I'm not sure if that's really considered a derogatory term in literal translation, but they're proud to be considered whatever that is. I can't really call it.
As for the girl getting punched in the face, yes, they show it...cuz it happened. That's what'll draw people in. I'm not saying it's right, but that's what brings in ratings. They show the guy getting arrested and everything. It's crazy.
Guidos is like how some Black people use the N word. It's cool amongst Italians to use (they also sometimes refer to each other as "dagos"), but never for someone outside of that ethnic group. I hung around the Italians in high school, and they were essentially like Black white people in many ways. That's so a completely different blog, though...
My guess is they're embarrassed to have kids throwing that word around just like the older gods were embarrassed to hear me and my boys saying the N word in public. You know it's used in close circles, but you don't want people to hear it and think they then can think of you as that or refer to you as such.
And yeah, the little one - Snooki - gets mollywopped right in the kisser. He *clocks her*, too...it's pretty bad. But like Brooke-Ra said - it's a selling point for that show. It is after all a "hot-mess" type of show.
I just think everyone should see the first episode (it's two hours for the first one). It's so over-the-top...every ep. afterwards will probably focus on specific things, etc. But it's the intros to these characters that had my jaw on the ground and me laughing my arse off.
"The Situation" alone has to be the funniest character I've seen on "reality" TV. Seriously.
In fact, I'm gonna start calling myself "The Circumstance" based off that dude's whole aura. TOOOOOO FUNNY!
Glad y'all appreciated the quote. I've always liked it, too - cuz it applies in so many instances.
I happen to like the show...its just THAT ridiculous. My first thought in watching it though was, how do you have a house full of Italians, doing "Italian" things...what comes next? Then they have that teen mom show on...I really do wonder what MTV is doing.
Put a camera in front of any group of insecure, attention-deprived, low-self-esteem people - no matter the race - and you're guaranteed buffoonery.
I've never seen any of the shows that you mentioned and never will. Spending that time doing ANYTHING else is more rewarding.
The 16 year old baby show is crazy too! I caught a marathon of that once, and I couldn't change the channel. It made me terrified to have a baby at 36! let alone 16!
V - I totally agree - which is why I can't bring myself to watch stuff like that. And the crazy thing about that is, I got in trouble at work for NOT watching them. They always rate well, and when we have our meetings, they ask me what I think of the show and why I think it does well - but they only ask me about the Flavor of Love or Ray J shows...as if I'm the spokesperson for why black folk act a fool on tv.
When I tell them I never saw an episode of said shows, they tell me it's my job to know what shows do well and why. But the answer is quite simple - I don't have to watch it to know why it does well. It's train wreck tv - and it sometimes makes people feel better about themselves to know there are people out there who are more stupid than they are. I don't need to watch such shows for validation. I'm not saying that's why ALL people watch those type of shows, but that's why SOME do.
And there are moments where you're just truly shocked by what you see. I think people tune in simply because some of the stuff is just totally unbelievable. And yes, some of it is just plain funny.
Either way, I just can't seem to get into these shows to the point where I seek them out as regular viewing. I texted Rameer as I was watching like "really???!!!!" It was crazy to me, but I can't see myself watching this every week - and I have no interest in watching Snookie (yes, that's her nickname) getting punched in the face.
Speaking of buffoonery ...
My friend met a girl in a class who spelled her first name:
N-a
Take a guess how it's pronounce ...
I watched the first 2 hours of this show, and then the after hours show, and it was bananas. It's really just funny because you can tell these are the extreme of the way Italians are...not the norm. "The Situation" is hilarious because he's so pathetic. For him to be so arrogant, he's really insecure and can't stand the fact that Sammi doesn't want him.
Snookie is pathetic too, and only wants to "make out" with every "guido" she can find. HER words, not MINE. And I'm glad the cock blocking chic is gone.
Honestly, this show is no different than any other reality show. I don't care what race they are, it's "fuckery" as Brooke would say. It's mindless and it's funny and it's shocking and it's there to amuse me. People who are upset over it need to get a life and change the channel. No one thinks all Italians are like that, meanwhile everyone seems to think black people are a certain way. Gimme a break. There's only ONE show on tv mocking them, but hundreds on tv mocking US. Deal with it!
"Na - DASH - a" LOL!!
Haha ...
Very close.
en DASH ah
She needs to be smacked!
Yeah see, that's just trying too hard :-)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
"en DASH ah"
I've seen it all!
I guess names like "Stef" and "Brooke" are just TOO EASY right? LOL!!
They're actually going to pull the footage of Snooki getting punched. I just read that...
I tend to not watch these shows. Hell, I NEVER watched 'em until this year. I laughed heartily at Season 1 of Ray J, and was secretly glad his cast of bimbos was so multi-cultural (y'all women act like whores, too - lolz!). And my female alums actually got me to watch the entire first season of "RHOA" - I think I caught the replay of the seasons months later.
I tend to not watch any of it, cuz it's dumb-down TV. But I have seen some...and will admittedly watch these white folks make complete asses of themselves and gladly reference it to every embarrassed white person I know, who never think of how WE feel about how we're depicted.
And Brooke-Ra - please refer to me as "The Circumstance". Thank you.
Lmbao...
I bet people probably don't even consider Brooke as "really black" because of her name :-) LOL!!
en DASH ah - that's just dumb.
Okay, "The Circumstance" it is!
I wonder what I would call myself. I actually like the name "JWoww" though :-)
And Cable Guy, you joke, but I HAVE had people tell me that I wasn't "really black" based on my name, how I speak, my education, etc. That's how you know that people believe all black people to be a certain way, or that "ghetto" is the norm for us...when that couldn't be farther from the truth. It's sad really. None of them wanted to answer the question when I asked them what "really black" was. Pure ignorance.
People have said that to your face Brooke??? That you weren't "really black"??? WOW!!!
Yes, they HAVE said it to my face - and they thought they were COMPLIMENTING ME!!!!!
I've had people tell me they thought I was white on the phone too, and that I sounded white - both black and white people have told me this - but the white people who have told me that said it in a way where I should feel "proud" that I don't "sound black." Pure fuckery.
I knew she wasn't really Black once I saw she had her own blog...
You know REAL Black people can't write intelligently. Let alone READ anything that ain't talking about rap, drugs or ball...
Where's the weave? The neck roll? The teeth-smackin'? You *know* the only ones that have any sense are Michelle Obama, Oprah and Condoleeza...
**snickers sarcastically**
LOL! Rameer, you're crazy :)
But yes, I've written a blog on this before. People are always shocked to meet me in person after they've been conversing with me on the phone or emailing for weeks or months, only to find out I'm black. I've even had white guys flirt with me constantly on the phone or email - but then look AMAZED when they see me...and embarrassed that they were flirting with a black woman.
It's all based on perception, and what people envision certain groups of people to be...and I could tell I didn't fit in with the vision they had. Where they get these visions from could be anywhere - but movies and television definitely play a part.
No Brooke, you're black, so you should have said "conversating" instead of "conversing." LMAO!!!
Did they stop flirting with you after that B? :-)
Some did, some didn't. I think I was their secret fetish or something after they found out :)
Wait ...
Your BLACK ?!?!?
But you pronounce 50: fifty, not fitty.
I don't think we can conversate no more.
LMAO!!
I also say BIRTHday instead of BIRFday :-) hahaha!
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