Jezebel 
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New York, 2:38 AM
Mon Dec 7
19 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/06/09
I grew up outside Philly and went to high school in NJ--both heavily populated with Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans. My husband is a Guido from Queens--wore the Christ head pendant on the gold rope chain, had the big poufy hair, the "dems, dese and dose" accent, all of it. He's as Italian-American as the day is long.
I love the whole package. I imprinted on it early.
Sure this show is cheesy and traffics in certain stereotypes--hello, reality TV. Does "The Real Housewives of Orange County" do the same? Yes. So does Bridezillas, Tool Academy, and Rock of Love.
It's demography raised *almost* to the level of mimicry. But not crossing the line, I don't feel. Italian-Americans are pretty darn assimilated, and I don't think this show will kick off a round of "Guido Bashing" or something similarly perilous.
I really don't see the reason for the outrage. Italians were a maligned minority in America during the early waves of their immigration--as were the Irish, around the same time. They have, however, since become quite mainstream. Most people today would be shocked to hear that it was even hard for Italians to get jobs back then, that's how assimilated they are.
So I don't think 12 or so over-groomed knuckleheads are going to reverse that progress in any way. Are the poster boys and girls for the Italian-Americans? No. But that's not their obligation.
12/06/09
12/05/09
But two other elements are at play here--one is scripting, which is rampant in MTV and VH1 "reality" shows, and which I noticed obvious examples of many times during the first two episodes, and the other is the fact that people like this (although not necessarily this exagerrated) DO exist.
I know this because I grew up in a primarily Italian-American East Coast community, and at least a third of the people I went to High School with self-identified as Guidos/Guidettes/Stellas.
Maybe it's the bias of having gone to a school where fitting in meant being either WASP-y or Guido, but I don't have that much sympathy for these kids. They are looking for fame and are willing to exagerrate their most foolish and sometimes detestable personality traits in order to obtain it.
Additionally, most of them have horrible attitudes towards members of both the opposite and their own sex, treat each other callously, and bathe in self-satisfaction.
I have to admit, I have no shame in laughing at them. I probably should, since I realize on a intellectual level that MTV should be ashamed for promoting this type of attitude in one respect while simulataneously holding it up for ridicule.
I do hate that these are the images that we choose to spotlight without any accompanying social context. But then I remember that it's fucking MTV.
12/05/09
12/05/09
This is what I've been trying to say since this whole incident occurred. We all know what Chris did was inexcusably wrong. And he's made it clear that he's sorry for what "went down." But if he has nothing important to add to the dialogue of domestic abuse, then please stop giving him a platform on which he has absolutely nothing to contribute from his experience.
We've all learned from celebrity scandal that the public is very forgiving and this will all be swept under the rug in a matter of time, but there are real stories out there with tragic endings that aren't sensationalized. Most of these stories don't involve rich, famous, beautiful people that you could never imagine this happening to. And most abusers don't have the money to trick out their basements, compose apology songs in the recording studio and hide out at their compound until everything blows over, or until it's time to release a new CD.
12/05/09
Bloody heck. This was the first time I'd watched him, at all, and what a douche.
12/05/09
But what I found interesting were the paragraphs at the bottom discussing the Italian process of appeals:
In the Italian justice system, the end of this yearlong trial closes only the first chapter. Unlike in the American system, where appeals center on issues of law, not fact, in the Italian system, defendants can ask to retry the entire case from scratch in the first round of appeals.
From there, the case can go to Italy’s highest court, which rules only on the legal aspects. Unlike the United States Supreme Court, it has no discriminatory power and is required to hear every appeal.
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12/05/09
Shit happens sometimes but don't let that paralyze you and your ability to experience new things.
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12/05/09
I backpacked through SE Asia earlier this year and just watched Brokedown Palace last weekend. Even if I had watched it the night before departure, it wouldn't have made me think twice about going.
The chances of something like this randomly happening to the average traveler are so unbelievably slim. C'mon jezzies, you're better than this!
12/05/09
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;)
12/05/09
Are people really that short-sighted?
The only thing to fear is fear itself. Hello!
12/05/09
This has always been strange to me (and that's not to say I don't enjoy those movies, I'm a horror freak). I've never traveled outside of the country, but I damned well plan on it, movies like those and stories like Knox's aside. I've been off the site since yesterday so I haven't caught a lot of the "I'm never traveling!" comments, but I'm glad someone's speaking up to say it's important not to close off this possibility because of a fluke incident.
12/05/09
:)
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12/05/09
I agree that while Knox and her family are going through an awful ordeal, it in no way compares to the tragedy faced by the Kercher family. From what I've read about Kercher, she seems like a nice, normal student and a wonderful friend. As such, however, I think she'd be horrified if Knox is indeed innocent and serving jail time and being slandered and having her privacy completely eroded - it seems that apart from some typical roommate issues they got along well. I know I wouldn't like it if one of my housemates were falsely imprisoned for my murder.
There are too many unanswered questions about this case for me to make an armchair verdict (Knox's false accusation especially bothers me), but on forensic evidence it seems more likely that Guede acted alone than any of the prosecution's evolving theories. I find that theory to be far more probable, and ideas about some sort of sex game conspiracy just seem sensationalized and given too much credence by a scandal-hungry press feeding off of anti-American, slut-shaming fervor.
This verdict just doesn't seem to be justice for Kercher, and continued legal proceedings and press coverage that are sure to happen now can't be good for her family's closure.
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