Just when you think losing a few advertisers was a big deal… the death threats start to come.
MTV has come out with a new show all about the Jersey Shore and people are not happy about the way the kids are represented. The Italian-American group UNICO (who also had HUGE issues with The Sopranos) have sunk their teeth in ‘The Shore’ and are making enough noise for companies like Dominos Pizza and American Family Insurance to listen. Both advertising companies have pulled their spots from the show.
But that’s just the least of it. The MTV NY offices are receiving DEATH THREATS.
Even a writer over at the NY Post says the show is unfair.
“['Jersey Shore' furthers] the popular TV notion that Italian-Americans are gel-haired, thuggish, ignoramuses with fake tans, no manners, no diction, no taste, no education, no sexual discretion, no hairdressers (for sure), no real knowledge of Italian culture and no ambition beyond expanding steroid- and silicone-enhanced bodies,” blasted NY Post critic Linda Stasi on Monday. “Would that programming ever have been allowed if the group were African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Jewish people?”
‘Jersey Shore’ pulled in over a million viewers during it’s debut. Did you tune in? What do you think about the concept?
“['Jersey Shore' furthers] the popular TV notion that Italian-Americans are gel-haired, thuggish, ignoramuses with fake tans, no manners, no diction, no taste, no education, no sexual discretion, no hairdressers (for sure), no real knowledge of Italian culture and no ambition beyond expanding steroid- and silicone-enhanced bodies”
So what they are saying is that this show is completely accurate.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Death threats? Now THAT’S taking it a bit far. They can protest the show, file a lawsuit, etc but serving death threats is a bit juvenile.
This show is great! These groups, like NUICO, are just trying to find ways to get their name in the paper. This show is not meant to degrade people of Italian decent, as I am Italian and still intend on watching every episode of it!
It’s a show just like Real World. People picked to live in a house and have their lives taped. I don’t see anything wrong about that.
Those kids are about as Italian as the Olive Garden…people are blowing it out of proportion. It’s hysterical!
Yeah they are going a little bit overboard. It’s a reality show that I find completely hilarious!
Have any of the people complaining been to the Jersey shore or ever gone to a club full of guidos? They’re not making this up, that IS how they behave.
You clearly don’t know any Italian-Americans. Your comment that generalizes the accuracy of all Italian-Americans is completely ignorant.
I watched that train wreck for about 5 minutes. Either I’m getting old or those kids are disgusting and an embarrassment. UNICO being offended by it isn’t that out of line – unless you don’t fall under the category of “Italian-American”. I imagine most of the people saying UNICO is overreacting don’t fall in that group.
“Anonymous” intends to watch every episode? Obviously they don’t value their free time very much. Yuck.
It is absolutely hilarious how the detractors of this show always say some variation of “Would that programming ever have been allowed if the group were African-Americans…” Newsflash America: Almost ALL programming on television in America starring African Americans features the uneducated buffoonish underclass in a light equivalent to that of “Jersey Shore.” Do Americans seriously think most black people are like the idiots you see in House of Payne, Precious, Meet the Browns, anything hosted by Tyra Banks, every minstrel show on BET, and every ridiculous Vh1 dating show? Um, no!! And educated blacks (of which there are many!) really need to step up to the plate to address this publicly. Goodness knows we privately complain about the black underclass’ takeover of the media every chance we get. Especially all of those rap music clowns who can’t pull up their pants, and use the N word like it’s going out of style–those are the black equivalent of the Jersey Shore morons, everybody! I can’t really think of a single show besides the Cosby show that gave a fair representation of modern middle and upper class blacks in America.
Believe me, I feel the pain of Italian Americans about this silly show…I just wish people would recognize that educated blacks have been dealing with this same awful issue with almost every media representation of us over the last 30+ years. Wake up!
This is just a slice of life of a group of kids. I dont think its supposed to “represent” anything or anyone. This isnt some sort of deep social commentary. Its a bunch of drunk kids hanging out in New Jersey.
This is MTV, not the Discovery Channel or Sundance. There is nothing deep and representational happening.
Have they ever watched the Real World? As a white college kid am I supposed to be offended that it makes white college kids look like drunk douches?
They all need to chill out and do a shot with Schnookies!
I give it a double fist pump.
And yes, the media makes buffoons out of every race and class.
Any news story made in the South has a redneck without teeth, living in a trailer, giving his opinion using incorrect grammar.
Glad they are giving rednecks a break for now. Rednecks look like freaking geniuses compared to Jersey Shore.
This show is so funny. I ran into it accidentally while channel surfing over the weekend. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Not apart of the Italian community, and live on the westside, so I know nothing about what goes on where they live. But this show was pure comedy for the minutes I tuned in. But if memory serves me correctly. Italians have always been depicted in a certain way…especially in movies for decades. But when I think of “Italian” I think of beauty and romance… and I LOVE the FOOD! Italy is beautiful.
this is one thing driving me CRAZY!!!! the show is called JERSEY shore but no one is getting up in arms about the fact that it makes jersey look bad, only the fact that it makes italians look bad. I am italian and i am from jersey and i think the show is funny, but i have more of a problem with it being called jersey shore (when the people are not even from jersey) than with people calling each other guidos, because idiots think all of jersey is really like this!
olive garden….lol!!!!!!!! good one.
havent watched this show but i’ve been hearing so much about it.
It is absolutely cracking me up how the detractors of this show always say some variation of “Would that programming ever have been allowed if the group were African-Americans…” Newsflash America: Almost ALL programming on television in America starring African Americans features the uneducated buffoonish underclass in a light equivalent to that of “Jersey Shore.” Do Americans seriously think most black people are like the dummies you see in House of Payne, Precious, Meet the Browns, anything hosted by Tyra Banks, every minstrel show on BET, and every ridiculous Vh1 dating show? Um, no!! And educated blacks (of which there are many!) really need to step up to the plate to address this publicly. Goodness knows we privately complain about the black underclass’ takeover of the media every chance we get. Especially all of those rap music clowns who can’t pull up their pants, and use the N-word like it’s going out of style–those are the black equivalent of the Jersey Shore morons, everybody! I can’t really think of a single show besides the Cosby show that gave a fair representation of modern middle and upper class blacks in America.
Believe me, I feel the pain of Italian Americans about this silly show…I just wish people would recognize that educated blacks have been dealing with this same awful issue with almost every media representation of us over the last 30+ years. Wake up!
This show should win an Emmy. They should make a movie. All the drama of Real World/Road Rules challenges with people who are much less educated and their desire to be famous is a million times greater. Absolutely greatness.
I always feel sorry for educated black people when I see these dopes with their pants falling off on these shows. Chains, gold teeth, crazy watches are also part of their act. When are we going to have a show that shows middle class black people?
This show makes Rock of Love look like it should’ve been on PBS. It is such deliciously addictive trash, it should come with a lecture from Nancy Regan & an after school special.
How anyone can take this crap seriously and be offended is beyond me, especially during these days in America that surely will looked back upon as the Age of Mediocrity.
I wouldn’t go that far.
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this show. I am from New Jersey and I know that not all of New Jersey is like this but when you go to the shore in the summer this is what you come across….seriously. Jersey Shore is a true representation of the Jersey Shore in the summer. The show is not called the New Jersey Italians!!!! I really don’t see a reason to be offended. I think they did a true life on MTV a while back about kids who rent houses down by the shore in the summer and these are the people they found.
I had a flashback to the Gotti brothers on growing up Gotti when the guy was gelling his hair. Now where were the cries of outrage when that show was on the air?
Exactly!!!! I am so tired of uneducated Blacks being portrayed as the standard or the majority. Black or white, it is wrong to consistently portray any group of people in one way because a lot of people are too ignorant to realize that what is seen on TV is not usually representative of a group as a whole. If people would stop watching this show & shows like Flavor of Love and Real Chance at Love, they’d go off the air. But buffoons have always been entertaining to the masses. It’s a shame and I hope one day it changes.
i love the show!!
it’s ridiculous just like any other mtw reality show. and honestly, i think watching make me think better of “guidos.” while they do have huge egos, they are also very real people.
personally, i think that unico is taking it wayyy too seriously.
Well, it is nice to hear that someone had a hugh issue with The Sopranos! I’m just a plain, ole vanilla American and I had hugh issues with it. If it had been a show about the KKK would people have ranted and raved about what a great show it was? I mean, after all they are both groups of men of a certain ethnicity that meet clandestinely to plan acts of evil against their fellow man.
i feel that the over reaction is completely unnecessary; if these dopes are willing enough to go on tv and perform, then they deserve it. this does not mean to represent the Italian culture; just the idiots who think that this is hot. i feel it’s safe that the majority of us who watched it strictly did so to laugh our asses off. And being Italian myself, i feel no animosity towards it; if you can’t take a joke don’t watch the show then.
I can’t take a group called UNICO seriously, since I loved an anime by the same name when I was a kid.
I am from Queens, NYC. I am part Italian, and I know that Italian-Americans aren’t all like that, but trust me…Guidos DO exist, and they are exactly as portrayed on that show. I lived in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and then in Howard Beach, Queens…Mecca of Guidos/Guidettes.
That being said, I love this show! So funny!
Thats a funny show, who wants a show about Jews? Thats what local channels are for.
yeah, other people don’t like it when it happens to them. yet, when black or latino decry the same things it’s considered whiny. see how it feels??!
The show is more offensive to New Jersey than it is to Italian Americans. The sad part is that only one of the cast members is from NJ the rest are from Staten Island which is part on New York. It does portray what invades are beaches in the summer we refer to them as BENNYS (Brooklyn, Elizabeth, Newark, New York and Staten Islanders)
We also always chant for them to leave. The show is dumb and the people on it look like jerks and it’s their own fault however it really just makes NJ look bad and its sad when all of the other states think that this is how all NJ residents are; when the maority of us do not act this way.
haven’t heard of that show but it looks stupid and uninteresting
I saw a few clips on Dlisted. These kids are stupid! But it’s not like all Italian-Americans are like that. I think UNICO needs to have a little more faith in their fellow Americans.
Love that you have Bill Hicks as your wall pix. He was absolutely brilliant.
Not all Italian-Americans are like that, you say? Next, you’re probably going to try to tell me that all Californians aren’t blonde or surf.
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!
guidos exist especially in the tri state area. people are getting too offended. this is how these people are they are a stereotype and it is funny as hell
Personally, I dig the show. Being from Oklahoma, I find it amusing and entertaining – which is what the show is for, right? This group of people “are who they are” and aren’t in the least bit ashamed of anything so more power to them. The UNICO need to chill. It’s not that big a’deal.
these kinds of shows should never be made. it’s the decline of america..
what are they mad about…this is how they all act?????
Yup, yup.
I totally agree. I live in NJ and think that it’s hysterical. While not representative of most of NJ, it definitely represents Seaside Heights!
THe irony here is that an italian mob-style “death threat ” is more insulting to NJ italians than the show itself is.
that show is pure hilarity.
Wha!? said it right. I agree that this isn’t a new concept for American television. As an empathetic whitey, I would also like to add that white people have been portrayed as buffoons for as long as I can remember. I know we are not a minority group, but it is my opinion that shows like the Real World or Paradise Hotel, or any of the other countless shows that contribute to the dumbing down of western civilization, only fuel the fire to racial stereotypes. It bothers me that this UNICO only bothers to mention “African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Jewish people”. It seems obvious to me that they are trying to create a divide within society, rather than working to promote positive attitudes towards others. Very childish behaviour. Maybe we should give UNICO an MTV show.
Wha!? said it right. I agree that this isn’t a new concept for American television. As an empathetic whitey, I would also like to add that white people have been portrayed as buffoons for as long as I can remember. I know we are not a minority group, but it is my opinion that shows like the Real World or Paradise Hotel, or any of the other countless shows that contribute to the dumbing down of western civilization, only fuel the fire to racial stereotypes. It bothers me that this UNICO only bothers to mention “African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Jewish people”. It seems obvious to me that they are trying to create a divide within society, rather than working to promote positive attitudes towards others. Very childish behaviour. Maybe we should give UNICO an MTV show.
HAHA usually I get offended at how stupid these reality shows are but this one sounds hilarious !! I also saw the clips from Dlisted and would stop on the show if I came across it when channel surfing. We all know/knew guys and gals who acted like this when we grew up lol
What gets me about this whole debate is that the show has never said.. “this is how all italian-americans act…” it says… “this is how wealthy italian-american teenagers on the JERSEY freakin’ SHORE act.” gawd… should i be pissed b/c laguna beach or the hills made white girls look retarded? no. and neither should italian-americans be pissed that this show makes teenage italian-americans living in Jersey look stupid.
Appearently they don’t realize that these aren’t actors, these are people who really are like this. So how is it stereotyping when this is “reality”? Don’t be mad at the cameras filming these jokes, be mad at the guidos & guidottes themselves.
Appearently they don’t realize that these aren’t actors, these are people who really are like this. So how is it stereotyping when this is “reality”? Don’t be mad at the cameras filming these jokes, be mad at the guidos & guidottes themselves.
Look: I am Italian-American. I grew up in North Jersey. I’ve spent every summer of my life at the Jersey Shore and I’m in my 40s now. The “guido” culture got its start when I was a teenager in the 70s – Saturday Night Fever seemed to give it a jumpstart – and it continues to thrive 30 years. The Seaside Heights boardwalk and nightclubs ARE full of these kids, same as they have been for the last 30 years. Is it the entire town? Of course not. MTV doesn’t show the famillies and adults because that’s boring. But do they accurately depict the 20-something subculture there? Absolutely. I personally find it entertaining… YMMV. And for the record, just as all Italians are not guidos, all guidos are not Italian!
Seriously guys, the show is purely for ratings…they find the most outrageous Italian – Americans to be on the show. I find it totally entertaining. My husband, an Italian American, thinks it’s hilarious…but really i’m sure you could go to ANY seaside home and find the same types of young adults! UNICO needs to chill!
MTV – Are you listening? This show is awesome! DON’T CAVE IN!