I give a lot of weight to this topic. Take is seriously.
This is a self-reflection exercise. It asks that you focus on your own reactions and investigate what shapes them.
COMMENT in two separate paragraphs:
1) CLEARLY STATED: Whatever information you have about Italian Americans, what are the sources?
No messy jumbles of everything and nothing. A clear, organized answer that shows what your PRIMARY sources are.
Media? What kind of media?
Direct knowledge? Friends, neighbors, neighborhood, family, yourself?
2) How does THE SOURCE of that information make a difference in shaping your perception of ITAMs?
Think hypothetically (but don't write about it): if you had information from a different source, what would be your opinion.
NOW, after thinking comparatively, WRITE how and why the source of your info makes a difference.
REPLY: pick someone whose sources are different from yours and respond to their self-reflection.
1: Italian Americans are portrayed according to the stereotypes imposed on them. Some of these stereotypes are wrong and do not apply in their lives but what is being displayed on media. Some of these stereotypes include; overly interested in food, this is because a commercial shows Italian Americans flipping pizza, stirring tomato sauce and squashing grapes. Another MTV reality show namely Jersey Shore shows Italian Americans as people who hit the bar, workout at the gym, get tanned and do laundry, this is not what Italian Americans normally do. Another film, spike lee, portrays the Italian Americans as dangerous, racist thugs, mobsters, drug dealers, drug addicts, and sex-crazed fiends. Reality show "Growing up Gotti", HBO series the "Sopranos", reality show "Mob Wives", the movie "Goodfellas" and, "The Godfather" are some examples of why Americans begun to stereotype or misjudge Italians. Most of these movies and television shows are an embarrassment to the Italian culture. The negative traits actions of the characters in these types of media cause most Americans to believe that all Italians are like what they see.
ReplyDeleteMost of these portrayals about Italian Americans are not necessarily true and they are sometimes triggered by what is in the media. Due to commercials, reality shows and television series or movies, people have made these stereotypes become the truth they use against Italian Americans.
2: There are better ways to bring out stereotypes rather than what is happening now. Mostly the negative stereotypes are the ones used and for sure they are exaggerated to bring out the worst side of society. The Italian Americans go to the gym perhaps since they love being healthy, they cook since they love freshly made food, they talk with their hands because they believe body language is important. Just because the Italian American characters are seen as the way they are in the media, it does not define the whole Italian American culture.
As well the Italian culture has some positive stereotypes which should as well be used in the media. For instance, they are very family oriented and romantic. The movie "A Bronx Tale" does a good job of showing that not every Italian American is a mobster and that is often dangerous to get involved with such a thing. This movie shows the bond of an Italian American father that is non-stereotypical and how caring he is about his family and his only son. This is one show that should be out there showing what real Italian Americans stand for. The media advertises the stereotypical Italian old woman as a good cook; it is shown in television commercial such as the "Ragu" commercial featuring an elderly Italian woman stirring the sauce. Italian Americans are also known for their great legendary songs by such people like Italian American singer Frank Sinatra.
Even though stereotypes will never end, there is more to it than we see the media try to portray. It is upon us to decide what to believe, what to take seriously and which stereotypes to ignore.
You have definitely seen way more shows and movies than I have about Italians! I did not even know what some of these shows were about- like Jersey Shore. It's definitely interesting to see how all these different shows display the stereotypes of Italian Americans.
DeleteI loved the movie Bronx Tales however they still show families from the mob. I wish they had better representation within movies. Maybe they do but I haven't seen them.
DeleteThere are better representation of Italians Americans in cinema but then usually most of them still follow the same stereotype where they are hotheaded and criminal. The last one that was decent and wasn't the same ol' gangster movie was Bleed For This starring Miles tower. Though it was boxing movie than a gangster movie you had this Italian American family trying to persevere.
Delete1. I can't say that I have many primary sources that give me information about Italian Americans, but I do have a few. The main one is definitely the media, although it is through different forms of media. Movies, TV, and books are for sure my top sources. They aren't always 100% accurate but that is where I get most of my basic knowledge. I think direct knowledge definitely stemmed from that, although it's not really direct knowledge. I don't watch so I definitely have watched a thousand times, that isn't totally about Italian Americans, is "Friends". The character Joey Tribbiani is definitely a stereotype of what Italian Americans are- a little sloppy, big family, and eating a lot of food all the time. He also has a slight "Italian accent" that's not really an accent.
ReplyDelete2. Because this is all I'm seeing, this is typically how I viewed Italian Americans before I learned more about them. I only had one view about them and didn't think much of it.
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Deletei totally agree with you because most of us get our sources from TV shows. you gave a great example Joey was about his food and women. he was different from the other white cast mate.
Delete1) My experience with Italian-Americans is mostly through my husband and his family as well as TV and movies. My husband is an Irish/Italian American, and my mother-in-law and her father are full-blooded Italian-Americans. His grandfather is first generation, and his great-grandfather; Emedio, came over at the early part of the 20th century. I do get a lot of my information on Italians and especially Italian-Americans from these parts of my family – first hand through asking questions or my direct observations. The remaining information I collect on Italians comes from the way they are portrayed in the media. Most movies and television portray them as organized crime related, such as Goodfellas, The Godfather, or the Sopranos. Living in New York you tend to hear about Italians a lot in the news, whether print or on television. The news often has some Italian mob boss like John Gotti on the cover of their papers, or referring to mafia and organized crime on TV. The media plays a big role in shaping the perceptions of Italian-Americans.
ReplyDelete2) The source of my information is important and definitely influences how I form my opinions on Italian-Americans. Since my husband is half Italian, when him or his family tell me about Italians, I am more open to learning and less judgmental towards what I hear. Essentially, when I am gathering information from my family, the interaction will generally come from a positive place and I won’t be given a negative slant during my observation. When the information is coming from a media source such as the news or TV, these forms of media only exist to excite and entertain. Because the stereotypes of Italians have existed for such a long time, they tend to play on those stereotypes in their portrayal of their broadcast. When gathering information from these sources, it would be better to be objective and conduct research versus taking every statement as fact because they have a motive to entertain. I think in any story telling, be it print, movies or real life, there is always a slant or bias from the author or narrator about how they would like to get their point across. It’s important to keep that in mind, as it’s nearly impossible to be entirely objective on any topic.
I think your personal experiences with your husband is different from my experience of receiving information just from the media. While of course your family is not the spokesperson for all Italian Americans I think it is amazing that you are able to gather positive information and their viewpoints outside of what is on TV and in movies.
DeleteI find Italy being the most romantic country in the whole world. The language itself is very alluring. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of information about Italian Americans, only whatever I see on the media, such as TV shows and movies. Italians are extremely sociable, religious and honor family values. Italians mafia is always present in some kind of movie thrillers.
ReplyDeleteWhatever I see on the TV never shapes my perception of any culture. Every person is different from another and it doesn't matter if he/she is from the same or different culture. I tend to not think harsh of anyone based on what I see on the TV only when I personally meet someone.
It is refreshing to see someone not give into stereotypes that you see on TV or in movies. People are individuals and should be treated as such. Unfortunately the media makes it so easy to generalize a group of people that it becomes easier to go with the status quo versus standing out on your own and taking the time to form your own opinions. That's a great approach to have, similar to Dr. King, when speaking about his children being judged, "they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I hope more people can follow your example when forming opinions about individuals.
DeleteI don't have any direct knowledge of Italians Americans. Therefore, I don't like to judge for what I don't know personally. My sources do stem from certain television shows and movies. They are all portrayed as gangsters and mob bosses. I also see them keeping to themselves and their families meaning they interact mostly among each other.
ReplyDeleteHonestly those sources changed my point of view of Italian Americans. From movies like "Good Fellas" to shows like "The Sopranos" they have the same roles for Italians. Over decades they have had Italians playing this role, so it made it easy for people to have one thought about them.
The main source of Italian Americans that gave me knowledge was TV and film. It wasn’t gangster movies that got me educated but Robert DeNiro comedies and pizza guys in movies. The video game character Mario was my first introduction to Italians. From his mustache to his accent, this was my beginning introduction. I have no recollection of watching Mafia movies and associating Italians with it until I saw "Scarface" where Pacino was your stereotypical Italian who is loud, expressive with their hands, and criminal actions. I realized then that these stereotypes were stereotypes and while I think those are good movies, it was still kind of offensive.
ReplyDeleteWell it doesn’t give me any ideas of how to approach Italian Americans until I talk to one. I knew several Italian Americans back in high school and oddly some were the stereotypical Italians. I knew this guy named Michael Grillo who glorified Goodfellas and loved to drink and do drugs. I went to a party in Bay Ridge held by Italians and some of the stereotypes were real. But then some were calm and collective and was their own person.
Delete1. The media and personal experiences is where I get most of my information. Television and movies were my earliest exposure to Italian Americans and also the stereotypes that surround them. My earliest memory of Italian Americans on television was probably the tv show Jersey Shore, the cast was the epitome of the Italian American stereotypes because they were tan, loud, and uncivilized. I did not have any Italian American as friends until later on and I would faithfully watch the show and internalize the messages they were conveying throughout this reality tv series. It was not until later on when I became friends with Italian Americans and through education that I began to see the errors of my ways and how television has continue to be a negative influence on Italian Americans representation.
ReplyDelete2. The source of the information is vital in truly receiving the proper stance on a certain cultural group. While tv is not always negative, getting another viewpoint can help with filter out the truth and the exaggeration of the truth. That is why it is important to be exposed to various types people, literature, and mediums to have a better understand of not just Italian Americans but all cultural groups.
1. My perception of Italian Americans really differs. Whether it’s from movies I’ve looked at or in real life. When I look at media related sources such as movies, tv shows they tend to be angry, mad, funny or just in general passive aggressive. But then again that is the medias perception of Italian Americans. That is what they want us to think. To think that they are people who likes to pick fights, have multiple girls (playboy) and most are portrayed to have ties to a mafia. Maybe that was true back then but when you see Italian Americans up front and in person they’re totally different from the books, movies, shows, etc. They are actually very protective of their family, accepting to a certain degree, loveable and have the upmost respect for people without judging but you wouldn’t know unless you see for yourself.
ReplyDelete2. If I had information from a different source of course my opinion of Italian Americans would change but only if I see that it is beneficial and not just another stereotype that is to be included to their culture. I believe that there are always different views of cultures that we don’t know about unless we take the time to learn about it instead of trying to antagonize another’s culture without putting time in to understand Italian Americans. Rather than being like the next person to throw a stereotype that isn’t true I’d definitely love to learn about ITAM’s.